1. Do your most difficult tasks in the morning. Our brain is always at its freshest in the morning. Therefore, it’s recommended that the first thing you should do in the morning is to work on a task that demands lots of focus and thought. The thing is, after a good night’s sleep, we feel very fresh, and our brain is relaxed to work at its best. So, it’s very important that you maximize that fresh energy to handle some of your toughest tasks. If checking your mail is the first thing you do in the morning, you’re wasting that fresh energy on a simple task that could have been reserved for later. Prioritize tasks that demand concentration and higher creativity for the morning and stay clear of meetings that occur first thing in the morning. Always have it in mind to explore and maximize your brain’s higher energy levels by doing your most difficult, creative tasks.
2. Get enough breaks. Your brain isn’t a machine that will work for hours without needing rest. In fact, even machines need rest and maintenance too or else, they could break down. You should know that your brain is tired and needs a break when you are making more and more mistakes. As you get engaged in focused work, you should be cautious of going beyond a certain amount. Maintaining concentration and focus for over an hour is somewhat difficult for our brain so breaks are very important. To take a break, you can just go to the nearest window and look at the world outside or even get up from your desk and head outside. Note that you’ll not be giving your brain the right kind of break it needs if you switch to checking your social media feeds, thinking you’re relaxing. Leave your phone behind, drop the work for now, and give your brain the break it needs from that screen.
3. Read books, not social media feeds. Books are very advantageous. You’ll be able to solve problems and continually enjoy an increased ability to apply your derived knowledge in practical situations when you read good-quality books. Make reading books a regular habit because reading social media feeds doesn’t improve your general knowledge about anything worthy. When it comes to improved knowledge, there are no shortcuts. There are several things to learn ranging from philosophy and psychology to history, economic theory, and lots more.
4. Exercise regularly. The importance of exercising cannot be overemphasized. If you’ve been following closely, you would have noticed how vital exercising is not just to your body but to your mind and brain as well. Whenever you exercise, your brain has more potential to function at its best. We really need to move because our brain’s functions get sharpened with the increased amount of oxygen in our brains that’s induced from exercise. Your quantitative skills, reaction times, and cognitive skills are as well likely to improve when you exercise. So, instead of just sitting at a desk in front of a screen, especially when you’re confused or stuck, take a walk somewhere, and you’ll be surprised how ideas can be flowing into your mind.
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Get the Book - $75. Get enough of the right food. Eating enough of the right food will also help to boost your brainpower. Many have experienced the feeling of tiredness and fatigue in the mid-afternoon at some point in their lives — this is called the afternoon slump, and it’s often caused by the drop in the blood sugar levels which is resulting from the insulin produced by the body from the carbohydrates that was eaten at lunchtime. And, when you experience this, you’ll always want to curl up and go to sleep and it will be very difficult for you to concentrate for long periods. Nevertheless, there’s always a way you can go around this. Whenever you feel a little peckish, have mixed nuts and dried bananas or some other healthy snacks around you that you can munch on. Tuna or chicken salad without pasta are fine examples of protein-rich lunches you can as well try to eat to prevent the afternoon slump. You’ll feel a lot more energetic, improve your overall general health, and as well avoid the afternoon slump when you do this.
6. Drink enough water. Just as good food is necessary, adequate water is very vital too. Eating good food and drinking less water is not enough. You should make sure you level up the two. There’s a high chance that your brain will not function at its best if you do not drink enough water. Why? This is simply because the human brain is made up of about 70% water. Now, do you see why you need to keep giving it what it’s used to? Thus, do well to be properly hydrated if you want your brain to function at its best. You’ll feel sleepy, lack energy, and there will be a reduction in your ability to stay alert, make decisions, and concentrate when you’re not drinking enough water. Though drinking water will always make you visit the bathroom often, it remains a good decision to make because you enjoy the additional benefits of walking away from the screen (exercising).
7. Don’t deprive yourself of sleep. How do you expect to function at your best when you’re not getting enough sleep? It’s even quite funny that many do seek a long scientific study to convince them — it’s just like you not eating and you expect to have energy. It doesn’t work that way. Though you may not like sleeping too much or you may not be able to sleep as much as you want to due to the kind of job you do, it’s still very important that you don’t deny yourself the good sleep you deserve. Therefore, it’s advised that you find what works best for you because your circadian rhythms determine the number of hours you need. When you start getting enough sleep, you’ll see that your brain’s ability to function will improve. You’ll feel the difference in your ability to stay focused on your work, your energy levels will be increased, and your decision-making skills will become more applaudable. For most people, six to eight hours of sleep is enough.
Eating the right foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly are some of the few simple habits you need to develop to improve your brain and with this, you’ll see how easy it can be to improve your brainpower. These tips are just simple common-sense tricks anyone can use and they do have the potential of helping you make better decisions, focus longer, and become more alert.