8 Ways to Improve Your Brain Power

From idea generation and meetings to crunching numbers and copywriting, there are many different situations in which more focus and improved cognitive function would prove beneficial. It would allow you to get more done in a shorter amount of time, and come up with unique solutions to problems that you might not be able to otherwise.

Exercise. We all know that we should be getting regular exercise. However, most entrepreneurs lead busy, rushed lives, and can’t always find the time to fit physical activity. The trick might be to think of it in reverse: you can’t afford to exercise if you want to live a long, healthy, productive life.

Exercise not only benefits your brain health and cognition, but it can also improve your memory. In the long run, it can even protect your brain against degeneration. If that isn’t reason enough to get into a regular workout routine, who knows what is?

1.  Drink coffee.

Many people start their days with a cup of coffee, and it turns out this ritual could benefit your cognitive functions in the short term.

Caffeine, of course, helps to keep you alert. However, it can also help you stay focused on repetitive and tedious tasks and even boost your intelligence, including your reaction time and reasoning.

The effects of coffee are not permanent. However, it can make your brain work more efficiently until that caffeine high wears off.

2.  Get some sunlight.

Sunlight and exercise can sometimes go hand in hand. This mostly depends on what part of the world you live in, how much sunlight is available at different times of the year, and how realistic it is to spend time outdoors.

Getting too little sunlight is not suitable for your brain. Higher levels of vitamin D in your system allow you to perform better and even slow down your brain’s aging.

Too much sunlight can be harmful to your skin, but your brain functions may suffer if you aren’t getting enough. Of course, you can always take vitamin D supplements if you find that you cannot get outside as much as you would like to. Just remember to take supplements in moderation.

3.  Build strong connections.

It has often been said that the entrepreneurial journey is a lonely one. As it turns out, that may not be good for your cognitive functions.

If you often feel lonely, it can result in psychological and cognitive decline, as these feelings can negatively impact your sleep, increase your blood pressure, contribute to depression, and even lower your overall well-being. 

Most entrepreneurs know how to communicate and build connections. The critical thing is to create a healthy support system around you, enabling you to stay healthy mentally and psychologically over the long term.

4.  Meditate

Meditation is a trending topic among many entrepreneurs right now, and its benefits are hard to argue with. Not only does meditation reduce your stress levels, but it can also prevent age-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.

This speaks to the importance of self-care. Taking a mere 10 to 15 minutes out of your day to practice meditation could extend your cognitive longevity and allow you to reduce your overall stress levels too. 

5.  Sleep well

This can be another tricky area for entrepreneurs. Early mornings and late nights sometimes come with the territory, and the stresses or excitement that come with building and growing a business can have undesirable effects on sleep patterns.

Sleep is required to consolidate memory and learning. If you don’t get enough sleep, your gray-matter volume in your frontal lobe may begin to decrease. Your frontal lobe supports and controls your working memory and executive function, making it particularly noteworthy.

In short, if you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll have less brain in your head.

6.  Eat well.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that nutrition plays a significant part in your brain health. Entrepreneurs are often rushing from one meeting to another, leaving themselves with very little or no time to eat well.

You have to focus on getting the right kind of nutrition. Antioxidants and amino acids are incredibly important, and vitamin E can also be beneficial. Drinking wine is known to improve your cognitive function — assuming you consume it in moderation — nuts, blueberries, whole grains, and avocados are also beneficial. What’s right for your body also tends to be good for your brain.

7.  Play Tetris

This might come to you as a bit of a surprise, but playing Tetris is known to have several positive effects on your brain. Playing Tetris will increase gray matter for a short amount of time, and it can also help with performing spatially-related tasks.

The most exciting part is that playing Tetris after a traumatic experience can prevent your brain from solidifying those memories. That means fewer flashbacks to negative memories over the long haul.

If you have a smartphone or tablet with you at all times, then incorporating a little bit of Tetris into your day should prove to be pretty straightforward. Just don’t get carried away and forget to work, too. How to Improve Your Brain Power

Final thoughts

More than anything else, improving your brain power is about habits, and habits take time to build.

The best approach is to focus on one or two things at a time. Giving your life a complete makeover will prove much more challenging, and the habits you attempt to develop may not stick. This is counterproductive.

Not only balances hard to achieve; often, it never is in the life of an entrepreneur. However, constant experimentation and tweaking will allow you to test things out and see what works best for you.