A lot of importance is given to physical fitness, yet have you met anyone who says, “I am training my mind?” The world gives so much attention to a pretty package but what about the inside?

Training your mind is just as important as training the body, thus here are 7 everyday methods to train your mind:

1. Learn one new thing a day

The brain goes through a good amount of work every time you learn a new skill. Various studies prove that the most challenging task for a brain is to learn a new language.

Learning a foreign language is a complex process giving the brain a good workout in order to improve one’s Cognitive skills and overall brain function. In addition to this, there are many other benefits such as better focus, mental flexibility, and listening skills.

To train your mind, learn one new thing every day. Get to know a new fact or if you have a lot of time, learn a new language. Fun Fact: The toughest language in the world is Mandarin. (Why don’t you give it a try?)

2. Solve a Puzzle

The next obvious way to train your mind is to solve puzzles. Crosswords, Sudoku, and other puzzles can activate the synapses of your brain and improve its functioning.

Studies have found solving puzzles can help you remember things better along with boosting your productivity and memory.

There are many apps to train your brain. Lumosity, Personal Zen, and Happify are a few apps which have simple and complex levels of games which can challenge your brain.  Lumosity gives you a brain performance index which will denote your mental performance. The next time you have some free time on hand, solve a puzzle instead of watching a movie!

“How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I’m committed to?” – Tony Robbins

3. Get Enough Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep has become very rare these days. Smartphones and other electronic gadgets are so addictive that we do not end up getting proper sleep. Research by the University of Pennsylvania shows sleep and memory to be strongly connected. Missing out on adequate sleep for a couple of days can significantly erode your memory.

There are 3 primary mechanisms involved in learning and memory. Acquisition is the first step in which your brain learns the new information. Consolidation is the process where the memory becomes stabilized into your mind. Lastly, recall is the ability to access the information after it has been stored.

While acquisition and recall happen when you are awake, consolidation happens when you are asleep. When you miss out on sleep, the second step fails, and you have difficulty recalling information.

4. Follow A Healthy Diet

What you eat also plays a role in training your mind. There are many memory superfoods which can significantly improve the functioning of your brain such as, antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, low glycemic carbs, and omega-3 fatty acid rich foods all fall under this category.

Since fresh fruits and vegetables protect your brain from harmful free radicals, it becomes a superfood. Another great diet is the mediterranean one which includes nuts, legumes, fish, blueberries, avocado, and beets which are great for your brain functioning.  

5. Arts and Crafts

My favorite class in school was arts and crafts because it was incredibly fun. Science proves that it’s more than just fun because creative activities such as painting, handicrafts, and origami significantly improve the functioning of the brain.

Doing things which involve repetitive actions such as knitting improves your focus. It was found in a study that, crafts can calm the mind and effectively treat depression. Practice brain boosting hobbies like painting, dancing, or playing a musical instrument to stay focused.

6. Challenge Your Mind

When your day involves the usual chores, there is obviously no challenge to the brain. It enters into a stagnation mode as there is not much change. To avoid this from happening, it is essential you challenge your brain often.

Use your non-dominant hand to do stuff like brushing your teeth and writing in order to activate your other senses. For example, close your eyes when you take a shower which will use the sense of touch to find things. These things are fun to do, and at the same time, they throw a challenge to your mind.

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz

7. Read

Reading is one of the best methods to train your mind. It relieves stress and tension of the brain cells, and most importantly it can help you get a new perspective on things. When you read, there is a lot of acquisition happening, and this boosts the functionality of the brain. Practice the habit of reading every day even if it can even be the everyday paper.

Conclusion

Training your mind can be a tricky business as it takes time and effort yet it will eventually pay off. Other than these hacks I told you, the most important one is to keep learning because it is a never-ending process that will get you going forever.

Which one of these tips was your favorite? Let us know by commenting below!