Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Improve Brain Function in the Short Term
• Part 2 of 2: Improve Long-Term Brain Function
• Tips
• Warnings

Maybe you're trying to give your brain an extra boost to prepare better for the upcoming exam, or you just want to do whatever it takes to protect your brain from aging and disease. Whatever your motives, there are certain ways you can improve your brain function.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Improve Brain Function in the Short Term

1. 1 Brainstorm. "Brainstorm" (from the English. Brainstorm) - a special method of mental search for solutions and new ideas, which can give your brain just the extra push it needs. Brainstorming is a great way to prepare your brain for an important assignment, be it writing an essay or preparing for an exam. Very often, brainstorming can boost your creativity.
   • If you need to write an essay or essay, use brainstorming techniques to determine what you want to write about before going into details such as introductory and argumentative sentences. You don't even need to use the ideas that you will come up with during the brainstorming in your essay, but the process itself will help you to put your brain into action.
2. 2 Breathe deeply. Deep breathing helps increase the amount of blood and oxygen that reaches the brain and allows it to function better. Taking deep breaths and exhales for 10-15 minutes each day will help you in the long term, but especially deep breathing before and during any task (during an exam, for example) will not only ensure a continuous flow of oxygen and blood to your the brain, but it will also reduce anxiety and stress, which will also help your brain function better.
   • When you breathe, make sure you breathe with full lungs. Imagine that your body is a balloon filled with air: first your belly, then your chest, then your neck. When you exhale, the air should go out first from the neck, then from the chest, and only then from the abdomen.
3. 3 Drink green tea. Scientific studies have shown that drinking five or more cups of green tea each day can reduce your risk of psychological stress by 20%. Green tea can also improve the short-term performance of your brain because it contains caffeine, which will help your brain function smoothly throughout the day.
4. 4 Get some rest. Rest is a great way to recharge your brain. This can mean 15 minutes on social media, or completely switch to another activity for a while to change the rhythm of your brain.
   • It is also helpful to spend no more than one hour on a specific task before turning your attention to something else. If you have not yet completed the assignment you were working on, allow some extra time to complete it a little later.
5. 5 Laugh. Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine, but laughter also stimulates different areas of the brain, allowing us to think in a broader and more open manner. Laughter is also a natural stress reliever, and stress can limit and suppress effective brain function.
   • Remind yourself of the benefits of laughter, especially before an important exam or final test. Change the picture on your computer desktop to something funny, or read something funny regularly while you prepare for your exam.Give yourself a reason to laugh regularly to keep your brain working.

Part 2 of 2: Improve Long-Term Brain Function

1. 1 Eat brain-friendly foods. There are many foods that can improve your brain function. On the other hand, there are foods that have completely opposite effects on brain function, including foods high in sugar and refined carbs, sodas, and fast foods. All these foods dull the normal functioning of the brain and make it clouded and sluggish.
   • Try foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts and salmon (use with caution because of the potential for mercury), ground flaxseeds, pumpkin, legumes, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans. Omega-3 fatty acids improve blood circulation and increase the functionality of neurotransmitters, which help your brain process information and think.
   • Foods high in magnesium (such as chickpeas) are also important because they aid in the transmission of messages in the brain.
   • Scientists have found that blueberry promotes rapid assimilation of information, improves thought process and memory.
   • Choline is a substance found in vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. Choline promotes the growth of new brain cells as well as longer intelligence in the elderly.
   • Complex carbohydrates provide your brain and body with energy for a longer period of time. Eat foods such as whole grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, high fiber cereals, lentils, and whole legumes.
2. 2 Get enough sleep. When you don't get enough sleep, all of your brain's functionality suffers. Creativity, thinking, cognitive functions, problem solving, memory - all of these functions depend on getting enough sleep. Sleep is especially important for memory functions, so make sure you get enough deep sleep hours to support your memory.
   • Turn off all electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed. This includes mobile phones, computers, tablets, MP3 players and so on. Otherwise, your brain will be overexcited and it will be more difficult for you not only to fall asleep, but also to reach deep stages of sleep.
   • For adults, it is best to get at least 8 hours of sleep a day.
3. 3 Exercise. Exercise can increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, which makes it work. Regular exercise releases chemicals into our bodies that improve mood and protect brain cells. Scientists have found that exercising even helps start the production of more neurons in our brains.
   • Dance and martial arts are especially good ways to improve brain function because they stimulate a wide variety of systems, including organization, coordination, planning, and judgment, when you have to move different parts of your body to the beat of the music.
4. 4 Learn to meditate. Meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, will keep your brain functional and prevent the development of various diseases. Meditation relieves stress (which improves brain function) and also improves memory.
   • Find a quiet place where you can sit alone for at least 15 minutes. Concentrate on your breathing. Say to yourself, "Breathe in, breathe out ..." Every time you feel your thoughts begin to wander, gently bring them back to focus on your breath. As you learn to meditate, begin to notice what is happening around you: feel the warmth of the sun on your face, notice the birdsong and the muffled hum of cars on the street, smell the dinner that your neighbor is preparing.
   • You can also do mindfulness exercises, such as when you shower, focus on the water running down your body, the smell of shampoo, and so on. This will help you develop attention and awareness of what is happening at any given time.
5. 5 Drink water, water and more water. Drinking enough water is very important because the human brain is 80% water. He simply won't be able to function properly when dehydrated. Drink water throughout the day, at least 8 glasses of 150 ml per day.
   • It is also good to drink fruit and vegetable juices. Polyphenols - antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables - protect brain cells from damage and maintain high brain functionality.
6. 6 Get rid of stress. Chronic stress can destroy brain cells and the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is responsible for keeping old memories and forming new ones. Since stress cannot be completely eliminated from your life, you need to learn how to deal with it effectively.
   • Again, meditation is the best way to deal with stress, even if you set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day for it; even a little time will be good for your brain.
   • Deep breathing can also help combat stress by relieving stress and relieving anxiety.
7. 7 Learn something new. This will serve as a kind of training for your brain, just like when people play sports to become stronger and more enduring. If you stick to the things and methods you know, your brain will stop developing and growing.
   • Learning a foreign language stimulates many different parts of your brain and promotes the development of new connections between neurons. Learning languages ​​requires mental effort and broadens the human horizons.
   • You can learn to cook, knit, play an instrument, or juggle. When you are learning something new and enjoying the process, your brain will be happier and healthier!
   • Enjoyment is an important part of learning and maintaining a healthy brain. If you enjoy what you do, you will keep doing it and keep learning.

Tips

• Always ask questions. This will allow you to broaden your horizons and learn a lot of new things.

Warnings

• Remember to relax your brain the same way you relax your body. Your brain can't work 24 hours a day! Give him time to rest; try yoga or listening to soothing music.