Eight easy ways to boost your brain health (without leaving the sofa!)
Happily, you don't have to work hard to improve your brain health, and boost your focus and concentration. Here are ten expert-approved ideas that will deliver results - without leaving your sofa!
Find your ikigai
Residents of Ogimi, a village on the Japanese island of Okinawa, have the highest life expectancy on the planet. Part of the reason is thought to be their focus on ikigai – their purpose, reason for being or ‘existential fuel’, as it’s described in Ikigai: The Japanese Secret To A Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (Hutchinson). The inspirational book aims to equip you with the tools for seeking out your own ikigai to find contentment, and explores other habits of mental and physical longevity, such as eating until you’re 80% full and being active every day.
Cuddle a pet
The therapeutic benefits of pets are well known, according to Mental: Everything You Never Knew You Needed To Know About Mental Health by Dr Steve Ellen and Catherine Deveny (Head of Zeus). Stroking a cat or dog is proven to lower stress levels, which in turn improves cognition and memory.
Treat your brain to some variety
‘Giving your brain a regular workout can help to increase the number of brain cell connections, making it more resilient should some connections be lost in later life,’ says Jackie Pool, director of memory care at Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare. ‘A range of cognitive stimulation activities that give the whole brain a workout are proven to support this ability to cope. Do a Sudoku, a crossword, a creative activity, a musical activity and a physical activity that involves muscle control and balance.’
Value rituals
We find rituals comforting, and recent research shows that they also desensitise the brain’s reaction to making mistakes or failure, thereby buffering anxiety. A ritual is a series of actions performed in order – this could be anything from doing a stretching routine upon waking then writing in a gratitude journal to making a coffee and sitting down to listen to Woman’s Hour.
Prioritise sleep
‘When you sleep well, you’re making a long-term investment in your memory health,’ says Dr Erla Björnsdóttir, a psychologist and sleep specialist at sleephubs.com. ‘Research strongly suggests that high-quality sleep during middle age may help guard against age-related cognitive decline. To calm your nervous system when trying to fall asleep, try 4-7-8 breathing: exhale through your mouth fully, making a whoosh sound. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold the breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your mouth, making a whoosh sound, for a count of eight. Repeat this process 10-20 times.’
Learn a language
Ever fancied being able to chat away in Spanish or converse in French? Now is the time to start – research is overwhelmingly positive about the effects on the brain. According to multilingualism expert Thomas Bak, it’s never too late to learn – even short periods of learning can have positive effects on cognitive abilities. This persists if you practise for more than five hours a week.
Go green
So powerful is the effect of nature on mental health that GPs in Shetland are giving out ‘nature prescriptions’. A Stanford University study found that a 90-minute walk in nature reduced rumination, a risk factor for mental illness; but wven looking out of a window into a garden has been proven to boost your mood.
Use your memory
If you struggle to retain information, try this tip from hypnotherapist Nick Davies (ndhypnotherapy.com): Find an object that smells of lemon (shown to create the most mental alertness). Relax and take deep breaths. Read what you have to remember while smelling the lemon scent and name the topic. When you need to recall the memory, relax and sniff the lemon scent.’
Meditate
Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can cause impaired memory in middle age, a recent study found. Try to take 10-15 minutes a day to meditate. ‘Focus on the quality of breath,’ says leadership coach and mindfulness teacher Ivor Twydell (alquemy.co.uk). ‘It is important to access the full potential of our breathing system. Put one hand on your belly and one on your chest and breathe slowly and deeply from the diaphragm – your belly should expand in an exaggerated way on the inhale while your top hand stays still.’
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