6 Simple Memory Boosting Activities That Will Help You Grow Your Brain

Life can be hard. It's easy to fall into bad sleep patterns--staying up too late, working too much--eating poorly, watching too much TV; but you can build your brain if its feeling...well...sluggish. 

Harvard Medical School put out an article laying out a number of ways to improve your cognitive functioning. Basic things such as eating well, not smoking, limiting your alcohol consumption can increase cognitive function. But here are some more concrete things you can do in the long term to enhance cognitive function. We know with neuroplasticity that the brain can create more neurons, which is what happens when you are stimulated in your brain with new information or performing a new task. 

1. Learn Learn Learn: Reading books, taking university or college courses, or even taking up a pastime or hobbies or volunteering activity that encourages you to learn new things. Cognitive dissonance, that is bringing together different ideas, reading several books at once, can get your brain fired up.

2. Use All Your Senses: With rampant technology, it's easy shut down your senses by staring down at a mobile phone screen with earbuds stuck in your ears. This modern form of sense-deprivation can make the brain lazy. Getting off your computer, pulling out your earbuds, and walking through nature, stopping to smell the flowers and touching nature is important to activating your brain. 

3. Mindset: I have written about mindset in previous posts. What you believe about yourself will stick. If you believe you can improve your brain, and you put the work in, you will improve brain function. 

4. Prioritize Brain Use: If you're using most of your brain energy trying to remember your mother's birthday or where you put your keys, your brain will be working at a suboptimal level. Take advantage of calendars, and orderliness to keep your brain freed up to focus on more important tasks.

5. Repeat What You Want to Know: If you need to remember something you've read, write it down, read it out loud. If you want to remember the name of someone you've just met, repeat their name to them, "So John, are you new the city?" 

6. Space Learning Out: If you're on a heavy learning curve, space your time out--don't cram. Engage in intense periods of study, say over a full day; then review essential elements every hour, then ever several hours, then every day. This will bring the information into your long-term working memory.

You can increase your brain functioning. Even by reading this post, you are taking steps to enhancing your brain and thought patterns.