Top ten tips for a healthy brain
Keeping your brain active and healthy is as important as keeping your body fit through exercise. Here are our top ten tips:
- Challenge yourself: Face your fears by learning a new skill or learn a new language….. just give it a try! Testing or complicated activities help the brain to remain healthy brain. Remember what is easy for one person may be challenging for another, so test a few things out to make sure you get a proper challenge.
- Do something different: Everyday routines drain our brains, so it is important that we change things about. From exploring a beautiful museum to getting lost in the woods, the changes you make can be big or small, but encourage yourself to step away from the norm. See this as a perfect opportunity to do something you have always wanted to do.
- Learn to relax: Although it is important to challenge yourself, you must also take time and unwind. Our brains require time to process information deeply, in order to gain more benefit from our daily experiences. It may sound obvious, but relaxing reduces stress and the over-production of brain chemicals and hormones,such as cortisol, which in large quantities can negatively affect parts of the brain.
- Turn the music up: Watching too much TV can dull brain programming. Instead why not put on your favourite playlist and turn the music up! Research shows that music can lower stress hormones which impede memory and increase feelings of well-being.
- Reorganise your environment: It’s all too easy for our work and social environments to get cluttered up, but more mess leads to more stress! Revamp your house by de-cluttering, as this will lead to de-stressing and provide mental space for creativity and renewal.
- Enjoy a lie-in: Research shows that when you’re persistently sleep-deprived, your body doesn’t have the time to build proteins, which can damage your brain. So go to bed early and once a week give yourself a treat and stay in bed an extra hour or so.
- Use your weaker hand: When was the last time you tried to write with your weaker hand? Doing day-to-day activities with your ‘other’ hand can drive your brain to make positive changes, as it requires the brain to pay close attention to a normally unconscious behaviour
- Get active: Regular exercise is essential for the brain. Take up a new sport, whether it be yoga, swimming or kick-boxing. Exercise can improve our energy levels, sense of well-being, sleep, and brain health. It really does do wonders. Take a friend along to encourage you and so you can both make changes in your life
- Ditch the caffeine: Changing your drinking habits to include plenty of water will keep your brain healthy. Although a coffee or tea will help your immediate energy levels, too many can be harmful for your brain. Drink eight glasses of water a day if you can.
- Have fun: Possibly the best advice anyone can give. Ensure that you spend enough happy time with friends and your family, as socialising provides opportunities to enable the sharing of experiences, challenges, emotions, trust, and understanding. Research shows that people with five or more regular social ties had half the risk of cognitive decline than those with no social ties.
Dr Lynda Shaw offers an advisory service specialising in dealing with emotional issues associated with ageing. Example work includes supporting families through a dementia diagnosis, what it means, what to expect, and how to make the best out of their long distance relationships. www.drlyndashaw.com
