8 Simple Ways To Improve Your Brain Performance

Have you ever gone through your work day in a zombie-like state, sat at your desk struggling to keep your eyes open?

With the increasingly busy lives we live these days, it can seem almost impossible to keep your brain functioning at maximum capacity.

Between stressful and sedentary desk jobs or managing a busy family, plus all the distractions we face everyday, it can be hard to stay alert when you need to be.

This can lead to us making mistakes or forgetting things, which in turn worsens our physical and mental health.

In the 9-5 rat race, it’s vital that we look after ourselves, by keeping our brain active.

Read on to find out 8 easy ways that you can improve your brain performance and keep your mind responsive.

1/ Exercise regularly

This is easily one of the most beneficial ways of keeping your brain sharp.

Exercise releases chemicals that promote healthy mental function, as well as increasing the size of your brain’s hippocampus. This area is responsible for memory and learning, so a bigger hippocampus means a better mental performance throughout the day.

This doesn’t apply to activities using weights or resistance training, so go for some cardio exercises instead. Things like tennis, swimming, and squash are all great ways to release beneficial chemicals and improve your brain performance.

2/ A good night’s sleep

Often overlooked due to our busy lifestyles, sleep is the body’s way of recharging after a tiring day.

A solid 7-8 hours a night of uninterrupted rest helps keep your brain in working order, helping you make good decisions and improving your memory. Any less will result in you feeling slow and sluggish, and too much sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.

Make sure your bedroom is quiet and free of distractions. Try to avoid using cell phones or tablets for at least an hour before bed, as the blue light their screens emit interrupt your body’s natural rhythms.

3/ Increase your vitamin B12 intake

You might have heard of vitamin B12 before, but do you know how important it is for your brain’s performance? Regular consumption of B12 can combat brain shrinkage as you age, as well as vastly improving your mental capacity. It has been even been known to lessen the symptoms of depression, no small feat.

You can take B12 as a supplement, but you can also increase it naturally by adopting a Mediterranean diet. The vitamin is found in foods such as dairy products, fish, and shellfish, all of which make up the ideal Mediterranean diet.

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4/ Take coconut oil

Recently hailed by many as a superfood, coconut oil carries a range of benefits, from lowering blood pressure to weight loss. It’s also been known to have a significant impact on mental function. Use coconut oil regularly, and you will soon see the difference in your day-to-day performance.

For even better results, consider introducing Brain Octane oil into your diet. This is an extract of coconut oil, and one tablespoon of it is equivalent to 18 tablespoons of its coconut cousin.

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5/ Improve your gut flora

Your gut communicates with your brain through the nervous system, and studies have shown that a happy stomach means a happy mind. Your stomach contains good bacteria to keep your body functioning, bacteria which is destroyed by processed foods such as potato chips or ready meals.

Similarly, sugar feeds the bad bacteria in your body, so try to limit your intake of excessively sweetened products like fizzy soda.

Instead, try to eat fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, or raw cheese. These will promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your stomach, leading to a sharper, more focused mental state.

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6/ Listen to music

This is an easy one to fit into any lifestyle, no matter how busy. Research shows that listening to music can significantly improve memory and information retention. You’ll definitely have heard the benefits of playing classical music to babies, but the advantages extend well into adulthood too.

On your commute into work, try listening to some Beethoven or Mozart. Baroque music stimulates the brain, improving your mood while reducing stress at the same time.

And it’s not just classical music either. Listening to jazz can be just as beneficial, helping strengthen your memory by lowering stress and anxiety.

7/ Train your brain

Your brain is a muscle, and just like your other muscles it needs to be exercised regularly to keep it ticking along healthily. As you challenge your brain, the connections inside change and grow as you do. Instead of doing sit-ups or weights though, have a go at a difficult crossword or play a game of chess. Activities that require you to solve problems and consider complex issues strengthen the parts of your brain related to reasoning and decision-making, benefiting you hugely.

Another vital method of training your brain is through learning. Teaching yourself a foreign language or a new instrument keeps your brain active and alert, and will last throughout the day if you do it regularly.

8/ Get more vitamin D

This is one for the sun worshippers amongst you! Vitamin D is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle, and one we most commonly get from direct sunlight. Regular exposure to the sun stimulates the growth of the brain’s nerves, nourishing the hippocampus and cerebellum parts of your brain. This in turn leads to a healthy, happy mind.

If you’re not lucky enough to live in a place with lots of regular sunlight, you can take a shortcut by going to a tanning salon. Do be sure not to overdo it though, as an excess of vitamin D can lead to serious health issues.

It’s easy to forget how important it is to look after our brain, but these 8 simple steps show just how easy it is to look after your mind, meaning a happier, healthier lifestyle for you.

Now you can go and relax in the sun, listen to music and maybe have a siesta as well, all guilt-free!

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