Tips To Keep Your Mind Sharp + Focused
1. Prioritize Sleep
When you’re tired, it’s more difficult to focus. A full nights rest will be the best thing you can do to help boost your memory and mood. Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night to stay mentally sharp, preferably 8.
2. Learn To Play An Instrument
Learning to play an instrument is a great way to keep your mind sharp. The experience boosts mental functions like memory and ability to plan. It can also help build and maintain hand eye coordination.
3. Play Video Games
Grab that joystick! There are several studies that have found that video games help stimulate the part of the brain that controls memory, planning, strategy, and fine motor skills.
4. Hone Your Diet
Food is one of the most important aspects of maintaining healthy brain function. In fact, being obese, having high blood pressure, or high cholesterol during your middle age years can make you twice as likely to have dementia as you get older. As a rule of thumb, eating baked food instead of fried food, cooking with good fats from olive or seeds, and eating colorful fruits or veggies frequently can help keep your mind focused and sharp.
5. Memory Hack
Everyone spaces out here and there throughout the day. As you get older, you may realize that these “space out’s” happen more frequently. That’s a normal part of aging. Use these memory hacks to help you remember what’s important.
Hang a white board on your fridge or wall and keep a running list of important to-do’s.
Strategically use the calendar or alarm on your phone to remind you of important tasks.
Create acronyms to help you remember long phrases or sentences, similar to the way chunking works.
6. Watch What You Drink
Too much alcohol over a long period of time can actually shrink the frontal lobes of your brain. That kind of damage can be permanent, even if you quit drinking. Women should avoid having more than one drink per day and men should avoid having more than two drinks daily.
7. Exercise
Exercise, especially the kind that gets your heart rate up has mental bonuses, too. Although experts aren't sure why, physical activity might increase the blood supply to the brain and improve links between brain cells. Staying active can help memory, imagination, and even your ability to plan tasks.
8. Use Your Brain Frequently
When it comes to your brain, you either use it or lose it. People who engage in mentally challenging activities often are more likely to remain sharp and focused. Try these:
Read at least one book every month.
Listen to an educational podcast.
Attend an online webinar.
Sit in on a college lecture.
Visit a museum.
Learn another language.
Pick up a new hobby.
Interested in maximizing your well-being? Work with a talk therapist or coach.