A healthy brain is what you need to be able to keep a healthy lifestyle. But with a life full of stressors and uncontrollable events that could mess with our wellbeing, we need to make some changes to our lifestyle in order to protect our brain and body. So if you feel forgetful sometimes even when you’re under 50, it is time to do some changes to protect yourself. In this article, you will find 5 lifestyle changes to keep your brain healthy.
1- KEEP ON LEARNING
Learning is a lifelong process and you’re never old enough to stop learning. In fact, some studies have found that people with higher levels of education were less prone to mental aging. They also proved that these people had better mental functioning when they were older, then people who did not pursue higher education. However, a master’s degree is not the only way to protect your brain. You need to keep challenging your brain. So, pursue new hobbies, read more books or learn new skills to keep your brain sharp.
2- CREATE A ROUTINE
Routines keep unnecessary stress away from your brain. So creating a routine for simple tasks is crucial for a healthy brain. Use tools such as calendars, maps and lists to avoid forgetting birthdays, and meetings, or the location of a certain place. Doing so not only keeps everything in order but also helps your brain keep its energy to focus on more important tasks such as development and learning.
3- REPEAT THINGS UNTIL YOU MEMORIZE THEM
Repeating the name of a person, or writing down important details help you memorize them faster and easier. Repetition is crucial to strengthen the neural connections accountable for remembering things.
4- STAY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
Being active is beneficial for both your body and mind. Regular exercise is very important for your brain’s health, especially in the long-term. Aim for no less than 30 minutes of exercising per day and keep your lungs, heart and brain pumping.
5- EAT WELL
Nutrition is also important for your brain’s health, especially alongside physical activity. In fact, glycogen is a primary source of energy for your brain, so it is important to adopt a low glycemic nutrition plan that is high in fiber, low in fat and has moderate levels of protein.
6- SLEEP WELL AND ENOUGH
Sleeping 7 to 9 hours per night is essential for your brain to be able to reorganize and group the events that happened in the near past. On the other hand, poor sleep is linked to cognitive decline with age. So if sleep is not on your priorities list, your mental and physical health is at stake.
7- MANAGE STRESS
Stress releases cortisol which is harmful to some important body and brain functions. Given that stress is part of our daily life, try as much as possible to eliminate stressors; stay away from annoying people, find new ways of stress-relieving, start journaling, etc.
