32 every day ways to keep your mind healthy

When you have a strong and healthy mind, you can survive the toughest times and endure life as it comes. And the good thing is, keeping sound physical and mental health is very much in your hands. Here’s a look at 32 every day ways to keep your mind healthy.

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Keep a diary

Researches have proved that writing a diary can really stimulate the working of the brain. When one goes back into the memory, and experience the happenings of the day to write down their feelings and opinions, it strikes a balance between the mind, body and emotions.

Deep breathing

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A form of relaxation, deep breathing also oxygenates the body, which in turn keeps the brain healthy. Dedicating at least fifteen minutes to deep breathing in the morning will recharge the brain cells to perform better and stay healthy for a long time.

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Make green tea a habit

Green tea, one of the healthiest drinks, is full of antioxidants and alkaloids that help the brain function better and efficiently. The consumption of the beverage is also known to reduce depression and stress levels.

Play Scrabble

According to a research by the University of Calgary, scrabble players have good visual word recognition, and can maintain a healthy mind successfully.

Spend some time with nature

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To rejuvenate yourself, spend some time away from technology. This will not only relax your mind but also the body.

Follow news

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Whatever your area of interest may be, develop a habit of going through current events regularly to keep the brain cells stimulated and active. Moreover, reading newspapers will inculcate a thinking spirit in you.

Meditation

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Dedicating at least half an hour daily for meditation can do wonders, including improving the level of concentration, empowering the brain’s health for steady focus, and stabilizing the general functioning of the brain.

Solve puzzles

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While solving a puzzle, you compare and match shapes and colors, which simply means you are flexing your mental muscles.

Solve basic calculations

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While grocery shopping or running errands, do the calculations without using the phone calculator. This will keep your brain muscles stimulated.

Exercise your eyes

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Stressing your eyes on the computer screen for long hours can tire the brain. Try the eye exercise called tromboning, which is helpful in improving concentration, stimulates the flow of nutrients to the eye and keeps the brain attentive. Another exercise to try is close your eyes and gently press your hands on them for 1-3 minutes. You should also periodically gaze into the darkness to relax your eyes.

The power of positive thinking

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• As Norman Vincent Peale said: “The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, and give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, and think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” Thinking positively empowers the brain and enhances the cognitive ability.
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• Learn to play music
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• Learning to play a musical instrument challenges the brain to remember the chords, the strings and notes — stimulating the cells to perform better.
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• Practice reading
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• Reading is an unparalleled exercise for the mind and the life. Apart from learning, you will develop the habit of remembering names and connecting the characters in the story.

Remember names

Remembering the names of your colleagues and team-mates will not only create a good impression, but will also keep your mental muscles flexing. One of the ways to remember the names is to use them every time you talk to them.

Adequate sleep

Proper amount of sleep every day is directly related to the effective working of the mind. Lack of sleep can cut down your ability to think and work.

Learn a foreign language

Apart from being added in your resume, learning a foreign language can flex your brain cells for healthy functioning. When the brain is learning new sounds and alphabets, its concentration level goes quite high.

Protect your head

Apart from practicing safe road habits while riding a two-wheeler or cycling, make sure to not jump lanes, be patient in a traffic jam and follow the traffic lights. Make sure that you wear a safety helmet while cycling or playing any sport to save your head in case of an accident. If the brain is damaged, it can cause irreparable cognitive impairment. 

Stay away from drugs

Apart from temporaryly diminishing the thinking capability and disrupting the attentive power, drugs can cause permanent brain damage.

Reduce stress

The stress you absorb through your career and relationships affects your mental and physical health in several ways. Share your problems with family and friends rather than curbing it because that will reduce the negative impact on the functioning of your brain.

Have antioxidants

Consuming foods such as avocados, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and beetroot — which are rich in antioxidants — can help improve your focus, problem-solving capability and memory. Antioxidants are known to slow down the aging process in your brain: they convert the free radicals, which are damaging to the brain cells, into harmless agents. 

Never miss your breakfast

According to a study published in the "Italian Journal of Pediatrics," regular breakfast leads to improved cognitive function and performance, including better memory and attention. No doubt that breakfast is considered to be the best meal for the brain.

Consume onions

Onions are rich in antioxidants, which help avoid any damage to the blood-brain barrier and foster stable blood flow to the brain. Prefer having them with at least one proper meal of the day.

Memorize lyrics of new songs

Our brains have the incredible ability to make neurons and new connections throughout our lives. Memorizing lyrics of various songs can actually get the brain cells stimulated, keeping them healthy for long time.

Have raisins and almonds

The fiber present in raisins and almonds regulates the absorption of sugar in your body; as a result, the brain doesn’t get overwhelmed with the sugar rush and it performs better. Also, the iron present in these foods enhances your mental alertness.

Switch hands

Try using your less dominant hand for simple tasks such as eating or writing. Switching hands seeks additional brain attention, thus stimulating the brain cells.

Solve crosswords

If you have a daily newspaper, attempt to solve the crossword puzzles every day. They usually get progressively more difficult as the week goes on, culminating in the most challenging puzzle on Sunday. You can also find many free crossword puzzles online.

A relaxed bath

After a hard day at work, a relaxed 15-minute bath can recharge your mind — relieving you of excess stress.

Keep blood pressure under control

Regular exercising, balanced diet and reduced stress can prevent the risk of cognitive decline. A stable blood pressure significantly helps in keeping your mind healthy.

Travel

Exploring new places and cultures is definitely challenging. Learning new ideas and experiences will keep your mind active and excited.

Exercise

Regular exercising increases the blood flow to the brain, stabilizes the heart rate and promotes the birth of new neurons, making your brain healthier.

Discussions

Engage yourself in healthy discussions over the table with family and friends to make your brain think faster and better. The more you discuss, the more you think and perceive, making it a healthy exercise for the mind.

Massage

A professional massage will not only relax the muscles of your body but it will also regulate the blood flow, including that to your brain.

Olive oil

Replace vegetable oil with olive oil because it will open up your capillaries and regularize the blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body.