How to Improve Your Memory

Tips and Exercises to Sharpen Your Mind and Boost Brainpower

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A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you're a student studying
for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a
senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there are lots of things you can
do to improve your memory and mental performance.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
Don't skimp on exercise or sleep
Make time for friends and fun
Keep stress in check
Eat a brain-boosting diet
Give your brain a workout
Mnemonic devices and memorization
Enhancing your ability to learn

Harnessing the power of your brain
They say that you cant teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have
discovered that this old adage simply isnt true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt
and changeeven into old age. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. With the right stimulation,
your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-
changing ways.
The brains incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory. You
can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance your
ability to learn new information, and improve your memory.
Improving memory tip 1: Don't skimp on exercise or sleep
Just as an athlete relies on sleep and a nutrition-packed diet to perform his or her best, your ability to
remember increases when you nurture your brain with a good diet and other healthy habits.
When you exercise the body, you exercise the brain
Treating your body well can enhance your ability to process and recall information. Physical
exerciseincreases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss,
such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise may also enhance the effects of helpful brain
chemicals and protect brain cells.
Improve your memory by sleeping on it
When youre sleep deprived, your brain cant operate at full capacity. Creativity, problem-solving
abilities, and critical thinking skills are compromised. Whether youre studying, working, or trying to
juggle lifes many demands, sleep deprivation is a recipe for disaster.
But sleep is critical to learning and memory in an even more fundamental way. Research shows
that sleepis necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity occurring
during the deepest stages of sleep.
Improving memory tip 2: Make time for friends and fun
When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of serious activities such as wrestling with
the New York Times crossword puzzle or mastering chess strategy, or do more lighthearted pastimes
hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny moviecome to mind? If youre like most of us, its
probably the former. But countless studies show that a life thats full of friends and fun comes with
cognitive benefits.
Healthy relationships: the ultimate memory booster?
Humans are highly social animals. Were not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation.
Relationships stimulate our brainsin fact, interacting with others may be the best kind of brain
exercise.
Research shows that having meaningful relationships and a strong support system are vital not only to
emotional health, but also to brain health. In one recent study from the Harvard School of Public
Health, for example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives had the slowest
rate of memory decline.
There are many ways to start taking advantage of the brain and memory-boosting benefits of
socializing. Volunteer, join a club, make it a point to see friends more often, or reach out over the
phone. And if a human isnt handy, dont overlook the value of a petespecially the highly-social dog.
Laughter is good for your brain
Youve heard that laughter is the best medicine, and that holds true for the brain as well as the body.
Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple
regions across the whole brain.
Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to
learning and creativity. As psychologist Daniel Goleman notes in his book Emotional
Intelligence, laughterseems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely.
Looking for ways to bring more laughter in your life? Start with these basics:
Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less
seriously is to talk about the times when we took ourselves too seriously.
When you hear laughter, move toward it. Most of the time, people are very happy to share
something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor
you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, Whats funny?
Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easilyboth at
themselves and at lifes absurditiesand who routinely find the humor in everyday events.
Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.
Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car.
Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh.
Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun.
Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life
lightly, and laughing.
Improving memory tip 3: Keep stress in check
Stress is one of the brains worst enemies. Over time, if left unchecked, chronic stress destroys brain
cells and damages the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new
memories and the retrieval of old ones.
The stress-busting, brain-boosting benefits of meditation
The scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of meditation continues to pile up. Studies show
that meditation helps improve many different types of conditions, including depression, anxiety,
chronic pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Meditation also can improve focus, concentration,
creativity, and learning and reasoning skills.
Meditation works its magic by changing the actual brain. Brain images show that regular meditators
have more activity in the left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with feelings of joy and
equanimity. Meditation also increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex and encourages more
connections between brain cellsall of which increases mental sharpness and memory ability.
Depression and anxiety can also affect memory
In addition to stress, depression, anxiety, and chronic worrying can also take a heavy toll on the brain.
In fact, some of the symptoms of depression and anxiety include difficulty concentrating, making
decisions, and remembering things. If you are mentally sluggish because of depression or anxiety,
dealing with the problem will make a big difference in your cognitive abilities, including memory.
Improving memory tip 4: Eat a brain-boosting diet
Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will provide lots
of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. But for brain health, its not just what
you eatits also what you dont eat. The following nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower and
reduce your risk of dementia:
Get your omega-3s. More and more evidence indicates that omega-3 fatty acids are
particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially
cold water fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring. In
addition to boosting brainpower, eating fish may also lower your risk of developing Alzheimers
disease. If youre not a fan of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such
as walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach,
broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.
Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from
sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, and ice cream) increase
your risk of dementia and impair concentration and memory. Eating too many calories in later
life can also increase your risk of cognitive impairment. Talk to your doctor or dietician about
developing ahealthy eating plan.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect
your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant
"superfood" sources. Try leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce,
Swiss chard, and arugula, and fruit such as bananas, apricots, mangoes, cantaloupe, and
watermelon.
Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against
free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of
green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.
Drink wine (or grape juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is
key, since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for women; 2 for
men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine appears to be the best
option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces
the risk of Alzheimers disease. Other resveratrol-packed options include grape juice, cranberry
juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.
For mental energy, choose complex carbohydrates
Just as a racecar needs gas, your brain needs fuel to perform at its best. When you need to be at the
top of your mental game, carbohydrates can keep you going. But the type of carbs you choose makes
all the difference. Carbohydrates fuel your brain, but simple carbs (sugar, white bread, refined grains)
give a quick boost followed by an equally rapid crash. There is also evidence to suggest that diets high
in simple carbs can greatly increase the risk for cognitive impairment in older adults. For healthy
energy that lasts, choose complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal,
high-fiber cereal, lentils, and whole beans. Avoid processed foods and limit starches (potato, pasta,
rice) to no more than one quarter of your plate.
Improving memory tip 5: Give your brain a workout
By the time youve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help
you process information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute familiar tasks with a minimum
of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths, you arent giving your brain the
stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have to shake things up from time to time!
Try taking a new route home from work or the grocery store, visiting new places at the weekend, or
reading different kinds of books
Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to use it or lose it. The more you work out your brain,
the better youll be able to process and remember information. The best brain exercising activities
break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways. Activities that require
using your hands are a great way to exercise your brain. Playing a musical instrument, juggling,
enjoying a game of ping pong (table tennis), making pottery, knitting, or needlework are activities
that exercise the brain by challenging hand-eye coordination, spatial-temporal reasoning, and
creativity.
The brain exercising activity you choose can be virtually anything, so long as it meets the following
three criteria:
1. Its new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if its something youre
already good at, its not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be something thats
unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone.
2. Its challenging. Anything that takes some mental effort and expands your knowledge will
work. Examples include learning a new language, instrument, or sport, or tackling a
challenging crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
3. Its fun. Physical and emotional enjoyment is important in the brains learning process. The
more interested and engaged you are in the activity, the more likely youll be to continue
doing it and the greater the benefits youll experience. The activity should be challenging,
yes, it should also be something that is fun and enjoyable to you. Make an activity more
pleasurable by appealing to your sensesplaying music while you do it, or rewarding
yourself afterwards with a favorite treat, for example.
Use mnemonic devices to make memorization easier
Mnemonics (the initial m is silent) are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually
by helping us associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a
word.
Mnemonic device Example
Visual image Associate a visual image with a
word or name to help you remember them better.
Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colorful,
To remember the name Rosa Parks and what shes
known for, picture a woman sitting on a park
bench surrounded by roses, waiting as her bus
Mnemonic device Example
and three-dimensional will be easier to remember. pulls up.
Acrostic (or sentence) - Make up a sentence in
which the first letter of each word is part of or
represents the initial of what you want to
remember.
The sentence Every good boy does fine to
memorize the lines of the treble clef, representing
the notes E, G, B, D, and F.
Acronym An acronym is a word that is made up
by taking the first letters of all the key words or
ideas you need to remember and creating a new
word out of them.
The word HOMES to remember the names of the
Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and
Superior.
Rhymes and alliteration - Rhymes, alliteration (a
repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are a
memorable way to remember more mundane facts
and figures.
The rhyme Thirty days hath September, April,
June, and November to remember the months of
the year with only 30 days in them.
Chunking Chunking breaks a long list of
numbers or other types of information into smaller,
more manageable chunks.
Remembering a 10-digit phone number by
breaking it down into three sets of numbers: 555-
867-5309 (as opposed to5558675309).
Method of loci Imagine placing the items you
want to remember along a route you know well or
in specific locations in a familiar room or building.
For a shopping list, imagine bananas in the
entryway to your home, a puddle of milk in the
middle of the sofa, eggs going up the stairs, and
bread on your bed.
Tips for enhancing your ability to learn and remember
Pay attention. You cant remember something if you never learned it, and you cant learn
somethingthat is, encode it into your brainif you dont pay enough attention to it. It takes
about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If
youre easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you wont be interrupted.
Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells,
and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. Even if
youre a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it
rhythmically, even better.
Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you
already remember, whether its new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something
as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.
For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing
isolated details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.
Rehearse information youve already learned. Review what youve learned the same day
you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. This spaced rehearsal is more effective than
cramming, especially for retaining what youve learned.


10 Simple Ways to Increase Your
Brain Power
JULY 9 BY ZOE B IN PRODUCTIVITY | 614 SHARES
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How often do you think about your brain? Do you ever stop to marvel at its
incredible power and supreme cleverness? Or at least check in and give it a
little spring clean and a re-furb from time to time?
If youre like the majority of the population, then your answer will be no.
Astoundingly, we only use a mere 10% of our brains, yet seldom do we ever
think to invest in a little training every now and then. For a long time, scientists
believed that we were stuck with the brain we were born with! Luckily for us,
that hypothesis has gone out the window!
Enter neuroplasticity a new theory that has proven one very incredible
fact:Our brains can change
This means that if youre not very intelligent in one area thats OK! You have
the option to literally change that area of your brain through a little training.
An easy way to think about it is like this:
Your brain is a muscle. You need to exercise it regularly.
The exciting thing is that you dont have to be a millionaire to increase your
brain capacity. All you need to do is invest a little time to regularly train your
brain.
So what can you do?
Here are 10 simple ways you can increase your brain power and improve your
intelligence!
1. Do something new
When you experience something new you actually stimulate your brain!
Dont get stuck in a rut doing the same old things the only way to change the
structure of your brain is to do something new. This creates new neural
pathways, increasing your intelligence. You could take a new route to work,
try a new recipe for dinner, or even a new form of exercise mix it up!
2. Exercise regularly
Its been proven that regular exercise helps to increase brain function and
enhances neurogenesis. This means that every time you exercise you are
creating new brain cells! Get off the couch and get moving! Your brain will
thank you for it :)
3. Train your memory
How often do you hear people say I wish I had a better memory! Yet no-one
does anything about this! If you discipline yourself to memorise phone
numbers and other important numbers (passport, credit card, insurance,
driving license) you will start to see a marked improvement in your memory.
4. Be curious
Instead of taking everything at face value, get into the habit of questioning
everyday things/products, services that you come into contact with. By being
curious and questioning everything, you force your brain to innovate & create
new ideas. Curiosity may have killed that cat, more importantly it created
super important things like electricity and computers!
5. Think positive
Stress & anxiety kill existing brain neurons and also stop new neurons from
being created. Research has shown that positive thinking, especially in the
future tense, speeds up the creation of cells and dramatically reduces stress &
anxiety. Try and get a handle on negative thoughts and make an effort to
replace them with positive ones.
6. Eat healthy
Our diets have a HUGE impact on brain function. Our brains consume over
20% of all nutrients & oxygen that we consume so remember to feed your
brain with the good stuff! (i.e. fresh fruit and veg & plenty of OMEGA 3 oils
found in oily fish)
7. Read a book
Reading relieves tension & stress (brain-cell killers) because its a form of
escapism. Research has also shown that using your imagination is a great
way to train your brain because you force your mind to picture what you are
imagining. Reading is a great way to trigger your imagination!
8. Get enough sleep
Sleep is like a mini detox for the brain. This is when your body regenerates
cells and removes all the toxins that have built up during the day. Get to bed
between the hours of 9pm and midnight to benefit from the most effective
hours of sleep!
9. Ditch the GPS
Gone are the days of map reading! Sat Nav may have made our lives easier,
it has also made our brains lazier and less efficient at the same time! Go back
to the old school and use a map to navigate every now and then (this
exercises the part of your brain responsible for understanding spatial
relationships).
10. Ban the calculator
Remember back at school when we were taught to use our brains to do
simple sums like times tables?! Its incredible how we now rely on devices like
smart-phones and laptops to calculate really simple equations. Resist the urge
to work things out using an external device and use the device you were
born with your brain!
49 AMAZING WAYS TO BOOST YOUR
BRAIN POWER


1)
Meditate: Meditation has been known to increase IQ, relieve stress, and promotes higher levels of
brain functioning. Meditation also activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, an area responsible
for advanced thinking ability and performance.

2) Draw A Picture: Drawing stimulates the right-hemisphere of the brain and inspires creativity. Get
out the colored pencils and begin drawing your way to a powerful brain.

3) Exercise: Long-term exercise has been proven to increase brain power and even create new
neurons in the brain. Go out and get a natural high off of your own brain chemistry through exercise!

4) Brainwave Entrainment: Brainwave entrainment is a safe, innovative way to stimulate and
shape the brain and its functioning. You can literally build up more control over your life and harness
your brains potential!

5) Avoid Junk Food: Junk food has been proven to decrease energy in the body and promotes
brain fog. Cut some junk food from your diet, and reap the benefits of a more calm, focused brain
chemistry.

6) Deep Breathing: Deep breathing actually increases oxygen levels and blood-flow to the brain.
10-15 minutes of daily deep breathing can make a huge difference in the quality of your life and
brains functioning potential.

7) Learn A New Language: Learning adds more structure to the brain and improves the brains
speech centers. Hablas espanol? It may be time for you to take a class or program to supplement
your job-skills and brain power!

8) Take Fish Oil: Fish oil supplements are literally like
membrane material for the brain. The 2 primary components of EPA and DHA each act to
strengthen both the emotional center of the brain and boost focus. There is an increase in overall
brain activity after taking fish oil for awhile.

9) Laugh It Up: Laughter causes a natural release of the brains endorphins chemicals that
drown out pain and increase overall well being. Laughter is a well known, natural stress reducer.
Watch a comedy, crack a joke, and increase those endorphin levels!

10) Engage In Debate: A good, healthy debate strengthens the brains ability to think quickly and
apply intelligence to verbal situations. Work to build up your brain power by engaging in plenty of
healthy debate.

11) Take A Multivitamin: Vitamins are great for the brain, and if it does not get enough of a certain
vitamin through daily diet, consider a multivitamin. Multivitamins help facilitate the functioning of a
healthy body and enriched brain. Start popping a vitamin each morning for awhile and chances are
good that youll notice a difference!

12) Drink Red Wine: Alcohol in moderation has been proven to be good for the brain. Why? It is rich
in antioxidants chemicals that actually protect the brain! One glass daily for women and two for
men is generally considered a healthy amount.

13) Eat
Healthy: You know what healthy is, so why not eat healthy and improve your brain? The brain
requires a certain amount of energy to reach its maximum level of functioning. Eating chocolate
cake and chips instead of fish and legumes, well maybe thats why you cannot think clearly.

14) Change Your Environment: To keep your brain properly stimulated, it is important to keep
changing your environment. Drive a new route to work, eat at a new restaurant on Friday night.
Changing the environment helps change the brain!

15) Set Goals: Setting goals activates areas of the brain associated with positive thinking and
action. Setting goals is great for achieving success and prosperity in life and boosting your brain.

16) Listen To Music: Studies have proven that listening to music strengthens the right-hemisphere
of the brain and literally changes the structure. Those same studies have found that people who
listen to music are generally smarter and have more emotional intelligence than those who dont.

17) Be Empathetic: Being empathetic and trying to understand the emotions of others is a skill that
your brain can learn. Being empathetic is definitely a powerful trait to have and allows your brain to
relate to the emotions of others.

18) Avoid Stress: A little bit of stress will never hurt anybody. Too much stress actually causes
detrimental increases in the hormone cortisol which in high levels, kills brain cells and suppresses
brain functioning.

19) Think Positive: If you are currently very good at thinking positively, chances are good that you
already have a more powerful brain than those Negative Nellies. Take 10 minutes daily to think
more positive and start noticing an improvement in thinking abilities and problem solving skills.

20) Brainstorm: A good brainstorming session to think of new, stimulating ideas is a great way to
boost your brains ability to think creatively. Brainstorming is actually a different way of thinking that
will equip your brain with a quick creative boost.

21) Write An Article: Writing is linked to an
improved memory and expression of thoughts. When you write, you are strengthening your brains
natural ability to convey thoughts and feelings. Writing is a great way to exercise your ability to
analyze and build a thought process with critical thinking. Journals, diaries, blog entries, and writing
stories are phenomenal ways to fulfill your brain.

22) Visualize: Visualization has been associated with focus at a deeper level. Many successful
athletes that are able to play in the zone actually visualize their game at a deeper level.
Visualization has been linked to lowered stress, increased creativity, and peak mind-body
performance.

23) Get Some Sleep: Be sure to always fulfill your brains need for sleep. Sleep clears out mental
clutter and unimportant thoughts. Getting a good nights sleep can also be the difference between a
sharp memory and feeling forgetful. Everyone has different sleep requirements, be sure to fulfill
yours! If you dont get enough sleep you may want to take a nap

24) Do Self-Hypnosis: The power of hypnotic suggestion is definitely real. You can change aspects
of your thought process and learn to shift your focus by taking the time to do some self-hypnosis.
Hypnosis research shows that by practicing hypnosis, an individual experiences lowered stress,
increased pain tolerance, and clear thinking. Try it out for yourself if you havent already!

25) Do Crossword Puzzles:Crossword puzzles bring out your brains ability to critically think and
recall past memories. The challenge of completing crossword puzzles is definitely mentally
invigorating and stimulating. If you enjoy reading the newspaper, be sure to check out the daily
crossword puzzles section and build up that brain power!

26) Eat Nuts: Brazil and South American University students swear by eating nuts before taking
exams. They notice that eating them is correlated with an increase in test scores. New studies are
beginning to prove nuts effectiveness at increasing brain power. If you do not eat a lot of nuts, try it
sometime and reap the brain related benefits!

27) Read Books: Reading books teaches your brain to adapt to absorb large amounts of
information in shorter periods of time. Books challenge your thinking abilities and memorization
skills, as well as boost vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Not only do you learn something from
reading a book, but your brain power increases as you build up the book load.

28) Listen To Classical
Tunes:Listening to classical music activates the left hemisphere of the brain, which is why classical
music usually helps students do better in mathematics and writing. If you havent yet tried listening to
some Mozart, consider it! Mozart has been linked to an 80 % increase in spatial intelligence scores!

29) Play Brain Age: New games like Brain Age for the nintendo DS and Big-Brain Academy
help promote quick thinking and essential brain skills. These games work wonderful for improving
thinking speed and natural problem solving skills. Ive had a chance to play these games before and
I can personally vouch for their effectiveness!

30) Take A Nap: Taking a nap has been proven through research to significantly improve task-
performance and thinking abilities. If you are feeling tired throughout the day and have time to take a
quick nap, it is recommended. Naps are a wonderful refresher and quick little mental booster.

31) Turn Off The T.V.: Watching T.V. may not be the only reason which rotting begins in the brain,
but it is a key ingredient to the rotting process. A little T.V. will never hurt anybody, but it does
definitely change brain functioning. The act of watching T.V. slows brainwaves and causes a decline
in brain fitness.

32) Paint A Picture: Being able to visualize where you want paint to go on paper sparks pure
creativity from within. Painting is an exercise that gets the right-brain fully functioning and improves
your creative side. If you havent tried painting a picture, give it a shot and notice that youre likely to
feel and be more creative.

33) Start Crying: Dont be afraid to cry when the time is right! Crying actually heals emotions and
promotes healthy circulation within the brain. Those who are able to cry are actually cleansing the
inside of their brain, which is another very healthy way to increase brain power.

34) Eat Less: Eating too much food has the effect of decreasing blood-flow to the brain and
increasing blood-flow to the digestive system. Therefore, if you are able to cut-back on the total
amount of food you consume, you will have enhanced brain functioning. In several lab studies, rats
on a calorie-restricted diet had increased blood flow to their brains.

35) Eat Breakfast: When kids who hadnt eating breakfast for awhile, began to eat breakfast, their
math grades went up an entire letter grade (on average). Breakfast is probably the most important
meal of the day it provides your body with fuel for the rest of the day. If you dont have time to eat
an entire breakfast in the morning, at least have some sort of snack It could give your brain a
powerful edge!

36) Go For A Walk: Exercise definitely benefits the
brain, and walking is a great form of exercise that is easy and very effective for boosting brainpower.
Walking puts your mind in a relaxed state of clear thought and brain function. Walking gives your
brain a chance to wander and free itself from any troubling thoughts.

37) Mimic Others: Being able to mimic others actions and talk activates several areas of the brain
that are usually inactive. Mimicking others, if done in a fun, playful manner, can improve your brain
power and the brains natural ability to adapt quickly when faced with new situations.

38) Solve Puzzles: Solving puzzles is a great way to stimulate your brains ability to critically think
and process information. Puzzles are thought provoking, challenging, and a fun activity. The great
thing about puzzles is that they require activity in the left-hemisphere of the brain to work with, and
transfer information to, the right hemispheres visual center of the brain. Want a more integrated
brain? Solve a puzzle!

39) Do Neurofeedback: Neurofeedback is a great way to learn to consciously control your brain
wave patterns. Neurofeedback builds brain structure and helps promote flexibility within a brains
neural network. Though neurofeedback is somewhat costly, if youve got enough money it may
very well be the best investment you can make for your brain!

40) Reduce Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol in moderation isnt terrible for the brain, too
much alcohol is damaging to brain health and function. If you want to boost brain power, cutting
alcohol is a great way to do it. Alcohol can cause memory problems and encourage foggy,
disorganized thinking.

41) Live A Drug-Free Lifestyle: Everyone knows that drugs are bad for them. Drugs do not foster
creativity, they kill creativity and deplete brain cells. Depending on the drug, effects can range from
brain bleeding, to cell loss, to impairments in neural growth. Live drug free and keep your brain more
powerful!

42) Drink Freshly Squeezed
Juice:Drinking fresh pressed vegetable juice revitalizes the brain and provides cells with a
refreshing jolt of nutrients. Most juices provide your brain with vital nutrients which in turn, provide
you with more mental energy and focus.

43) Be Self-Aware: When you learn to let go of ego-driven and emotional aspects of life, rational
thinking kicks in. Rational thinking will allow you to become self-aware, which in turn allows you to
make better future decisions to achieve optimal brain health. Activities like meditation, self-hypnosis,
and introspection allow us to increase our self-awareness.

44) Take Gingko Biloba: Gingko Biloba has been scientifically researched and documented to
significantly increase blood-flow to the brain. Gingko Biloba is a fairly inexpensive way to pump up
your brains blood-flow. Increased blood flow to the brain is correlated with an increase in focus and
problem solving. Try some Gingko Biloba and allow your brain to reap the benefits!

45) Have Sex: Having sex is a great way to naturally release vital hormones in the brain. When
involved in a loving relationship, having sex improves social connection as well as emotional
intelligence. Sex is connecting, stress-relieving, and a great way to give your brain a boost. Chances
are that sex will also improve your confidence and ability to think positively!

46) Sniff Some Basil: I personally havent tried this method, but there seem to be many claims
testifying for Basils effectiveness at improving overall brain function. Either way, certain fragrances
actually change brain functioning. Taking a whiff of peppermint speeds up brain functioning, while
other fragrances actually slow things down! Since scent is the strongest thing tied to memory, some
good fragrances can definitely help out brain functioning.

47) Stay In School: If you are in school, chances are good that you will boost your brain power
more than the average dropout! Keeping up with school work, means giving your brain a good
workout in areas of self-discipline, learning, and mental processing. Stay in school, or do something
to always be learning something new!

48) Ask Questions: Asking questions is a phenomenal way to keep your brain in shape. Get in the
habit of questioning others and their thoughts. Questions can provoke new thoughts and ideas and
asking them is a great way to build up brain power!

49) Re-Read This List: Want to boost your brain power? Start by re-reading this list and highlighting
several methods that you can apply to your life. As a matter of fact, print this list out and staple it up
someplace that you will view everyday. That way, when walking past the list, you can take a glance
and randomly choose an activity to boost your brain power!