Rest is vital for combating cognitive decline, maintaining concentration, performance and developing creativity. However, too much sleep can be counterproductive, which is why experts stress the importance of an 8-hour rest schedule. The mind must be constantly trained so as to delay as much as possible the risks of cognitive diseases, memory loss, dementia, Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s.
Put your brain to work! Dynamic activities that also influence physical development
Choose to enrich your life routine with activities that work on you on all levels. Adopt habits that develop your self-awareness, level of reasoning, logic, memory, but also help you physically.
1. Give your brain a boost by playing your favourite sport
Physical activity is vital as it eliminates the risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and more. However, to get the most out of its therapeutic effects, it’s important to tackle a sport you enjoy doing. If you’re not into anything in particular, then you can take up light aerobics, hiking, nature walks, jogging in the park, cycling, etc. Connect with nature and oxygenate your brain for enviable tone!
Sport releases endorphins in the brain, the happy hormones that raise overall tone and balance cortisol. The stress hormone or cortisol is healthy within certain limits. When we feel stressed, then our body signals that changes need to be made, that something around us is not working properly. Conversely, too much stress weakens our immunity to illness. Combine your 30 minutes of daily exercise with massage therapy. For example, the top rated massage chairs in 2024 are Japanese Zero Gravity full-body massage chairs. On Fujiiryoki.co.uk you can find a selection of Japanese massage chairs that combine luxurious design with modern technology for a great health result.
Japanese massage chairs offer over 80 massage programmes and techniques for every area of the body. For maximum benefits try alternating techniques depending on the time of day and your physical condition. Opt for deep tissue massage, reflexology for the sole of the foot, shiatsu, stretching massage or customised massage for a specific body part.
2. Eat ‘smart’ food
There are foods that contribute to brain development, such as celery. This food contains luteolin, a compound that prevents the breakdown of neurons. Make smoothies with celery, avocado, broccoli, carrot, beetroot or spinach. These are all highly nutritious vegetables for the brain.
3. Choose foods that help hydrate your body
It is important to consume at least 2 litres of plain, unsweetened water per day. If you don’t like the taste of water, then add a few slices of lemon, cucumber and a few mint leaves to your glass. The combination invigorates the tone and boosts hydration, thanks to the high water intake.
4. Eliminate the mediocre routine
There are two categories of routine: constructive and mediocre. Save your brain from vicious circles, so make a few changes to your daily routine. For example, if you work remotely you can change the way you start your day. Take a short walk or jog in the morning. This will regulate your heart rate and oxygenate your brain.
Include a new hobby in your free time, develop professionally through training or career advancement, retraining, etc. Small changes make big differences. When routine becomes vicious, the brain gets bored and concentration levels drop.
5. No more than 7-8 hours of sleep
During sleep, brain cells regenerate, information accumulated during the day is consolidated and neuronal connections are established. How do you use sleep for constructive purposes? After each intense effort, allow yourself 15-20 minutes of sleep. Go to bed at 10pm and wake up as early as possible.
Establish a bedtime routine. Give yourself a relaxing massage, do some exercise at least 3-4 hours before bedtime, and eliminate all blue light screens.
Sport before bedtime could be harmful to sleep because the body retains heat after exertion. Blue light screens also disturb sleep hormone levels and increase cortisol.
6. Includes caffeine and theobromine in the diet
Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% is among the foods rich in caffeine and theobromine. Do you have an important exam and need a boost to concentrate? Looking for a healthy energiser for busy days at the office? Eat two squares of dark chocolate and feel the difference. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants that detoxify the body, speed up blood flow, which helps oxygenate the brain.
7. Frees the brain from its comfort zone
Nothing happens in the comfort zone. There is no development, no evolution, only stagnation and mediocrity. Help your brain keep up with the dynamics of your life. Put your mind to work and set aside time for puzzles, crosswords, quality reading, sudoku and similar activities. Join chess clubs, practice mental arithmetic, learn a new word and integrate it into different contexts. All this develops logical thinking, boosts the ability to find solutions quickly and challenges the brain to access information stored in the past.
8. Learn a lesser-known language
What could be more exciting than being able to communicate in a language that only a small fraction of the world’s population can speak? You increase your career opportunities. When you know a foreign language that is not widely spoken internationally, you can quickly get an interesting job because of the low competition.
In addition, you can get involved in volunteering projects or activities in other countries, which will open up a long list of possibilities for a better life.On a mental level, learning a foreign language trains your memory, increases your concentration, trains your conversational skills and develops your emotions.
As you can see, the brain needs good nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits to function optimally. The secret to cognitive development lies in your daily choices. Your food choices, the way you spend your free time, your weekend activities can all stimulate your brain to develop. What have you done today for your brain’s well-being?
