Train your brain to be successful with these 3 ways.
There is power in practice. Even if you’re somebody with a natural physical or mental deftness, it can only be harnessed through training. The right kind of training can really make all the difference–and the same strategy applies to the mind just as much.
As acclaimed physician Austin Perlmutter writes in Psychology Today, there are three easy things each of us can do to develop the brain, rewire it, and help you tap into its true potential–which ultimately leads to greater success than what you’d imagine.
Here’s how you can whip your mind into shape, keep it from cognitive decline, and prime it for success.
- Flex your mind muscles
Try and incorporate exercises that challenge your mind, and reduce cognitive deterioration–word or memory games, for example, as well as reading a book. The goal of this is to pull your brain out of the rut it is used to, of doing what you do every day, and challenging it to go in another direction. The more you use your brain, the more it develops. - Find ways to bring down your stress level
You’ve seen it often enough in films and TV–a doctor’s office where someone is informed that the cause of their ailment is likely stress. When you’re told that, don’t dismiss it. Stress absolutely can–and does take a toll on the body and mind, and it can both speed up the mind’s decline or prevent you from being able to think properly.
Stress is not something to joke about. Stress causes inflammation which has a negative impact on mood, emotions and neuroplasticity. A little stress can actually be good for you, but letting it take over, becoming chronic or exhausting is best avoided. The solution to that is developing tools to help you combat it. For instance, running, colouring, dancing–anything that relaxes you and–if you can swing it–teaches you a new skill.
- Exercise!
Exercise, of any form, helps to improve neuroplasticity, which is essentially what lets you be in a good mood (as well as prevents the advent of diseases like Alzheimer’s).
Perlmutter believes aerobic exercise (such as walking or running), weights, and yoga are the most beneficial forms of it (especially yoga, that helps with balance), and even a little each day can have huge benefits for your brain; 20 minutes of exercise a few times a week is the minimum amount to fit in. With every exercise, you meet a newer version of yourself.