16 Rocking ways to keep your mind healthy

STAY STRONG

When you have a strong and healthy mind, you can survive the toughest times and endure life as it comes. And the good thing is, keeping sound physical and mental health is very much in your hands. Here’s a look at 35 everyday ways to keep your mind healthy.

never miss your breakfast

According to a 2013 study published in the "Italian Journal of Pediatrics," regular breakfast leads to improved cognitive function and performance, including better memory and attention. No doubt that breakfast is considered to be the best meal for the brain.

FOLLOW NEWS

Whatever your area of interest may be, develop a habit of going through current events regularly to keep the brain cells stimulated and active. Moreover, reading newspapers will inculcate a thinking spirit in you.

MEDITATION

Dedicating at least half an hour daily for meditation can do wonders, including improving the level of concentration, empowering the brain’s health for steady focus, and stabilizing the general functioning of the brain.

MAKE GREEN TEA A HABIT

Green tea, one of the healthiest drinks, is full of antioxidants and alkaloids that help the brain function better and efficiently. The consumption of the beverage is also known to reduce depression and stress levels.

HAVE ANTIOXIDANTS

Consuming foods such as avocados, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and beetroot — which are rich in antioxidants — can help improve your focus, problem-solving capability and memory. Antioxidants are known to slow down the aging process in your brain: they convert the free radicals, which are damaging to the brain cells, into harmless agents. 

SOLVE BASIC CALCULATIONS

While grocery shopping or running errands, do the calculations without using the phone calculator. This will keep your brain stimulated.

REMEMBER NAMES

Remembering the names of your colleagues and team-mates will not only create a good impression, but will also keep your mental muscles flexing. One of the ways to remember the names is to use them every time you talk to them.

ADEQUATE SLEEP

Proper sleep every day is directly related to the effective working of the mind. Lack of sleep can cut down your ability to think and work.

STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS

Apart from temporarily diminishing the thinking capability and disrupting the attentive power, drugs can cause permanent brain damage.

MEMORIZE LYRICS OF NEW SONGS

Our brains have the incredible ability to make neurons and new connections throughout our lives. Memorizing lyrics of songs can actually get the brain cells stimulated, keeping them healthy for long time.

HAVE RAISINS AND ALMONDS

The fiber present in raisins and almonds regulates the absorption of sugar in your body; as a result, the brain doesn’t get overwhelmed with the sugar rush and it performs better. Also, the iron present in these foods enhances your mental alertness.

SWITCH HANDS

Try using your less dominant hand for simple tasks such as eating or writing. Switching hands seeks additional brain attention, thus stimulating the brain cells.

EXERCISE

Regular exercising increases the blood flow to the brain, stabilizes the heart rate and promotes the birth of new neurons, making your brain healthier.

DISCUSSIONS

Engage yourself in healthy discussions over the table with family and friends to make your brain think faster and better. The more you discuss, the more you think and perceive, making it a healthy exercise for the mind.

OLIVE OIL

Replace vegetable oil with olive oil because it will open up your capillaries and promote the blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body.

HAVE FISH

Researches have proven that having Omega 3-rich fishes such as salmon few times a week can do wonders for your physical and mental health. The two main omega-3 fatty acids that are present in fish oil — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — are the major structural components of neuronal membranes.