7 tips for a sharper brain
The brain is the most complex organ in our body. For every task we perform, from simple to complex, we rely on this organ. So it’s worth continuing to train your brain. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep your mind sharp. From simple motor and thinking exercises to eating healthy foods: read our tips below.
Train your brain
Keeping your brain stimulated is not only important for memory and staying sharp, it’s also enjoyable! Reading, playing games, solving complex problems and remaining a lifelong learner all help to keep your brain alert.
Get moving!
Yes, here it is again — the obvious point — but there is ample scientific evidence showing that sufficient physical activity is crucial for slowing cognitive decline associated with ageing. During exercise we stimulate the release of substances that are essential for the development, growth and functioning of brain cells (neurotrophins). You don’t need to run a marathon to benefit from these helpful neurotrophins. Just 30 minutes of activity each day (get outside for a walk, cycle, or take a lunchtime stroll) is enough to reap benefits for your brain.
Feed your brain cells
Your brain functions optimally with a wide variety of nutrients — fats, carbohydrates and proteins — and a broad range of vitamins and minerals. A varied, colourful diet, eaten in moderation, helps prevent excess weight and keeps your brain sharp. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals such as magnesium and iron appear to contribute to healthy brain function. Not smoking and limiting alcohol also support this goal. For example, vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium and iron are good for memory, and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA is beneficial for the brain (with a daily intake of 250 mg DHA).
Get enough rest
Morning people and evening people really do exist, as do differences in the number of hours’ sleep an individual needs. The biological clock — governed by the hypothalamus — doesn’t run the same for everyone. An evening person becomes tired later than a morning person. But that still means getting sufficient sleep for your specific needs (or biorhythm) is important for a well-functioning brain. During deep sleep your body recovers, and in REM sleep (the dreaming phase) your brain has time to process the day’s events and emotions.
Seek out challenges (together)
Mental games such as sudoku, chess, solving riddles and puzzles help keep the brain sharp. So does learning new skills. Studying a new language or deepening your skills as a photographer are mentally more challenging than watching your favourite series. For instance, drawing strengthens cognitive functions, even if you’re no Rembrandt van Rijn. And do try taking on a challenge with someone else! People who are socially active have a lower risk of mental conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Escape with your partner(s) in crime from an escape room or dust off the chessboard in the attic. Maybe you’re the next Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)?
Switch your brain off
You can’t literally switch your brain off, of course, but all that socialising can sometimes leave you feeling people-weary. Time for a moment alone with yourself and your thoughts, for example during a meditation session. Mindfulness has gained a lot of ground in recent years, and it’s not surprising. Spending time in silence can have a huge impact. It can, for example, increase mental flexibility and improve attention, focus, empathy and resilience. It’s no coincidence that this approach has been used for centuries in traditional healing practices to cope with stress and unrest, and that there are people, such as monks, who dedicate much of their time to meditating.
Brain facts
The entire brain area consists of 21 parts, counting the spinal cord and the skull.
The development of the brain begins already in the womb and continues at least until the age of 25.
Once a child reaches puberty, such marked changes occur in the brain that a teenager’s behaviour can be radically different. Teen brains are temporarily out of balance because the emotional regions develop earlier than the rational regions, so emotion can outpace reason.
The hippocampus (which plays an important role in storing information in memory, spatial orientation and controlling behaviour vital for survival) is named after the Greek word for seahorse, due to its curved shape.
The largest part of the brain is the frontal lobe. It is considered the most advanced part, as it is responsible for human self-awareness.
Broca’s speech centre (located at the front of the brain) is responsible, among other things, for speech and the ability to talk to yourself silently; in right-handers it is located in the left hemisphere and in left-handers it can sometimes be in the right hemisphere.
The hypothalamus is a small gland that occupies less than 1% of the brain area but is responsible for many processes in our body, from hormone regulation to controlling feelings of hunger, thirst and satiety, energy balance and the biological clock.
The pituitary gland weighs only half a gram but is often called the ‘master gland’ because of its importance in the body. It forms the link between the central nervous system and the hormonal system.
The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa.
