How To Boost Your Brain and Mental Horsepower
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In the spirit of honoring all that has happened to us and stepping into 2021 with renewed energy, I would like to spend some time to help you gain clarity and discover how to boost your brain and mental horsepower. Many of us go through periods where our minds not only mindlessly wander, but stages when we wish we could be capable of heightened cognitive function. I shared some very important information midway and at the end, therefore make sure you comb through this blog. Through the thick and thins of life, and the push and pulls, we tend to slowly lose ourselves and forget how incredible we are as individuals. Therefore, I hope this piece will help you center yourself once more and regain your power.
CREATE AND NURTURE A SUPPORT SYSTEM AND NETWORK. Sometimes we may feel as though others do not understand us and we have to get at it alone. However, that kind of mindset and rhetoric may actually work against us. It doesn’t matter if you start with one person who you confide in often or find an accountability partner; [that effort of] constructing meaningful connections with others improves our overall health. The benefits of associating with others we trust, building healthy relationships and social connections are numerous. Not only is this good for increasing your self-worth and self-esteem, but it reduces feelings of anxiety, debilitating loneliness, and depression.
GET MOVING. It doesn’t matter if you go on a 10-minute high-powered walk or run or just lift weights or dance with your kids, but get your body moving. We can all do this at any shape or size. Never exercise in order to look like someone else, always exercise for your own personal benefit and to feel strong. You have to feel good about the things you do in life otherwise they become a burden. Even a brief workout or walk advances productivity, gives you an energy boost, refreshes your mind and helps you feel good overall. Movement increases blood flow which ensures your brain (including the area that deals with memory retention) gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function at its optimal level. Improving memory and reducing brain deterioration sound good to you? Movement has benefits that go beyond physical; you will feel energized, fresh and empowered.
REMEMBER YOUR VITAMINS AND MINERALS. A little fish oil wouldn't hurt. In fact, it will help A LOT. Fish oils include omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA and taking such supplements are important for your brain functions. Furthermore, they may assist with improving your episodic memory, your short-term memory and working memory; therefore, underscoring their importance. I know remembering to take vitamins can be hard but put them near a place in your home your always go to often or add a daily repeating reminder on your phone. To get access to the best supplements, vitamins and minerals out there, visit my shop HERE.
MAKE SELF-CARE AND YOUR MENTAL WELLNESS A PRIORITY. I want you to kindly do me a favor if you believe the following. If you believe mental health and wellness is just mental illnesses and disorders, I need you to unlearn that. It will take some time, but just as you eat a variety of foods or workout to feel strong, taking care of your mental health is so important. It includes taking time to recharge and reflect and fostering healthy relationships and releasing toxic ones that can trigger negative feelings which eventually affect our mental state and horsepower. Think of it this way; your physical body is not the only one that needs ongoing care; your mind does as well. If you improve your mental health and increase your emotional wellness, you will deal with challenges better, bounce back from illnesses faster, think critically, and rest easier. Speaking of rest:
SLEEP IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. I had to learn this the hard way. Becoming an entrepreneur and creative after leaving the corporate world meant I would be burning the midnight oil. You mean I didn’t just have to show up, work for others and get paid? Bingo. I was in charge of how much I would get paid, when I would get paid and all the other details. Overtime I began to realize that lack of sleep was actually making me less productive, moodier, and completely anxious. Add on having babies. Sleep deprivation affects brain decision-making processes, affects our immune system, and impairs our memory functions. It will cause mental lapses, decrease alertness, affect your gray matter volume and shrink your brain. Try to add a little more uninterrupted sleep to your day because as you sleep, not only does your brain goes through the process of storing memories including things you may have recently learnt, but sleep assists with turning short-term memories into long-term ones. From increasing daylight exposure and activities during the day and avoiding long and late naps and caffeine later on in the day to taking melatonin supplements and establishing a sleep and wake-up schedule which will eventually stick, there are so many ways to get better sleep. Let me know if you want me to write a whole blog on this by leaving a comment. This whole article is about developing and nurturing daily habits that will take us to the next level. Habits take time to form and become the norm. This is especially challenging if you have to break away from other habits that are harming your well-being. Change will not be overnight, so give yourself time the time that is needed. Even when you experience DAILY setbacks, they should not define you. Get back into the right mindset and celebrate small victories.
EAT AN ARRAY OF FOODS. We all have differing culinary preferences, and that is a fact. Aside from foods that specifically assist with improving brain health such as bananas, blueberries, nuts and broccoli to mention just a few, you need to simply stay nourished because food is needed for optimal brain functioning. Your brain relies on glucose to function which meals provide. Skipping them means that the lack of enough sugar in your blood will decrease your performance and concentration, affect your memory and ability to think, and will make you feel moody and cause brain fog. Busyness has the ability to allow us to skip meals sometimes without even noticing. Have an accountability partner or merely a breakfast and lunch buddy. In addition, keep snacks close by if needed and continue to drink water to avoid brain shrinkage. Remember, dehydration causes shrinkage of brain tissue and as the brain shrinks, it pulls away from the skull. That is how a dehydration headache occurs. Atop taking enough water and avoiding skipping meals, remember your vitamins and supplements to keep your body running well. I have what I call the mother of all vitamins named Double X, and you can click on this sentence to find out more.
LIVE WITH INTENTION AND PRACTICE MINDFULNESS. This goes back to making self-care and mental health a priority. Make sure that each one of your days is lived with intention. What is your intention for the rest of today? Later tonight or early in the morning, start with reaffirming what your intentions are and allow yourself a little flexibility especially if you have little ones. I find jotting things down very helpful; it doesn’t matter if it is 2 or 3 main goals for the day. In addition, make a point to slow down, explore your senses, and be in tune of your feelings and your responses to situations. Place things in your path that force you to slow down and remind you to be intentional with your actions. Phone alarms can again play a huge role here and act as repeating reminders. The goal is to strengthen your ability to slow down and be at peace and in control of that. Operating on autopilot can only take you so far and learning to pause and pace yourself is a skill that needs to be mastered.
REFLECT INSTEAD OF MEDITATING. I have come to realize something. Words have power and certain words have so much power that people avoid doing the actions associated with them. It has been stated that meditation can assist with cognitive longevity, but a lot of people believe that they do not have the ability to meditate. You can definitely learn, but if meditation sounds challenging, simply reflect. In fact, if you didn’t know, reflection is the first step on the path to meditation. Take a few minutes every day or every two days (again put a repeating alarm to act as a reminder on your phone) and reflect on your day or an experience. Feel your breath in those few silent moments, focus on a situation that day or one strong emotion that was elicited earlier on that stuck with you. Almost relive the experience which can be difficult if it was a negative one. However, we must go through our pains in order to heal from them. Ask yourself why you felt that way. What was the root cause? How did you handle the situation? Keep your breath steady as you continue to ask yourself these questions. Was it the best choice? What could you do differently if needed? Keep it non-judgmental; just reflect. Just by simply doing the above you have participated in reflective meditation. You selected one point of focus from your day and did not deviate from it. You have practiced mindfulness and awareness of your feelings and your surroundings. You have gained insight into your thought processes and have begun a habit that will positively transform your life.
FIND A GAME. You heard that right. I am such a fan of games on my tablet that challenge me and bring on critical thinking. Not only can they improve cognitive functions, but they can also help you relax and release stress. Passing levels and experiencing achievements through games can boost your self-esteem and confidence which can also keep you motivated. Whether on a phone or your family’s video gaming system; find at least one that you can go to often if possible.
If games are not your thing then make sure that you try to teach yourself something new. From a skill to learning a new way to do something you may already know. This stimulates your neurons and improves your brain health. Listen, your brain is like a muscle, challenge it and watch the incredible results unfold.
TAKE A SPIRITUAL BATH. Not only do warm baths help you relax and ease your physical tension, they have mental health benefits such as reducing stress and anxiety that positively affect your nervous system. I spent two days away with my sisters and kids. It was my first two nights away from Iggy since our relationship began 7 years ago. My sisters watched the kids while I washed my hair, lit a candle, dropped various petals from a bouquet of flowers I had gotten earlier that day into the water, mixed a bath ball with a marshmallow bubble bath solution, and released all my troubles as I welcomed new energy. Using ingredients such as Epsom salt can help relieve pain and stabilize your mind by reducing anxiety, depression and stress. Lookout for a detailed blog with a guest contributor regarding the benefits and how to prepare for and take a spiritual bath often.
I just want to end by saying that I know practicing awareness is not easy; learning to refocus is not easy, learning to invite calm in the midst of chaos is not easy, and trying to release and let go of things and people while trying to make sense of everything going on in our lives is not easy. It is not meant to be easy, but we must strive for it DAILY. Once is not enough to power us through the rest of life. Living with clarity is a mindset and a challenge that must be reinforced by daily healthy and positive habits.
Please leave a message or comment and let me know your thoughts. As always, thank you for spending this time with me and until the next one; stay safe and stay hopeful.
Yve (pronounced Eve) is a Public Health and a Sustainable Development Specialist, Content Creator, Podcaster (www.secretsofyve.com ) and the CEO of the PATESI Foundation (www.patesifoundation.org) and PATESI LLC (www.patesillc.com ). Her family’s blog is located at: www.parentsofdragons.com
