Getting your body to a healthy state is one of the most rewarding things you can do; not only do you feel great in yourself, but you’ll be able to see the changes too. Perhaps the physical rewards of looking after our bodies outweighs the physical rewards of looking after our brains, but that’s no reason to neglect them. Your brain is a muscle and it needs workouts, and indeed rest days, just like any other muscle. Here are some ways to keep yourself fit and healthy to ensure you lead the longest, happiest life possible.
Teach Yourself a New Card Game
If there’s one thing that’s great for improving memory long into old age then that’s keeping things fresh. Research has shown that those who pick up new skills, try new hobbies and have plenty of novel experiences will have better memories into later life. It helps us to create new synapses (the bits that help us retrieve and store memories), as well as boosting our grey matter. So, if you’ve always been a lover of games of wit, then now is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby. Teaching yourself to play poker will get that grey matter working and you’ll have some fun doing it too. If you’re willing to learn how to play and to find people to pitch your new skills against then you can check out some US poker sites that have plenty of information, like PokerNews. Maybe once you’ve found your feet online you could venture out to a local poker night and try out your strategies face to face
Learn a New Language
Perhaps you’ve just never quite clicked with cards, maybe you’re not a ‘games person’ or you prefer to spend your time on something a little more practical. If so, the next bit of advice is going to be right up your street: learn a language. It’s useful for people who love travelling, and if you get really good it can also open up a whole new world of culture (think foreign films and books). Most importantly though, it’s another great way to build up those new experiences that your brain needs to thrive. There are lots of ways of going about learning a language. A good one is to download an app to your mobile as, that way, whenever you’re available for a few minutes, you can be learning instantly. Both Babbel and Duolingo are excellent choices that have proven effectiveness. For those who don’t have a smartphone or prefer more passive learning, then setting your subtitles to a language of your choice and bingeing your favourite shows is a good way of learning, albeit somewhat slower. Of course the quickest and most enjoyable way of learning is to visit that country and get on with it! Book yourself the holiday and throw yourself in at the deep end – why not?
Embrace Meditation and Mindfulness
Caption: Not all of us have a view like this to meditate in front of, but anywhere comfortable and quiet will suffice One of the biggest problems facing our brains nowadays is the increased stress we put them under. The need to be switched on every minute of the day in order to field phone calls and ping back emails isn’t good for our brains, it wears them out. The fact that we see stress as a part of everyday life is seriously unhealthy and keeping the body in ‘fight or flight’ mode will eventually lead to burn out unless you take serious action. Practicing meditation is one of the most effective ways of relieving stress. For some people meditating can come very easily; just find a quiet and comfortable place to sit still and try to empty your mind. A good way of achieving this is by paying close attention to what you can hear, eventually you’ll be able to stop listening and just embrace being in the present moment. Of course, for some people meditation is a little more difficult and if you fall into that category then don’t worry. There are apps, websites and even trainers that can help you to reach a meditative state. Practicing for just ten minutes a day has been proven to have a tangible impact on our daily lives, so it really is worth considering.
