[Article] 20 Ways to Train Your Mind to Peak Efficiency

Do you find it increasingly difficult to concentrate or perform mental arithmetic? I hope you don't accept the claim that mental sharpness inevitably declines with age.

Many things can cause the mind to become less efficient, and I like to call one of the main factors the "use it or lose it" syndrome.

This article is a report by Jeff Nichols, author of *My Life Changed*. His mission and his blog focus on helping people find success and meaning in their lives. Jeff is a profound writer, and I encourage you to visit him after reading this.

Jeff used this great list to help us avoid the dreaded "use it or lose it" syndrome, and I'm happy to share it with you all.

20 ways to train your mind to peak efficiency

To stay sharp, it's important to exercise your brain. The less we think, the duller it becomes. Today, we focus a lot on maintaining physical health, but we should also pay attention to our mental health. Throughout our lives, our brains are constantly expanding and adapting to the stimuli they receive. The more we care for our brains, the wiser we become. Here are 20 brain training programs.

1) Read a good book. Reading stimulates the imagination. When you read, your brain can't continuously process images. Reading gets your mind working. I like to let books take me on a journey. I always have one, sometimes even three or four, books reading! Most of my books are borrowed from the library so I don't have to spend money to buy every single one. This also allows me to read a wide variety of books without any risk.

2) Brain Academy. The downside of video games is that they can rot your brain, but some can actually help improve your thinking. I like the Brain Academy game. It's a collection of brain-teasing jokes that test your mental acuity.

(Big Brain Academy for the Wii. This is the original game title; it's a Wii puzzle game, and it's quite good.)

3) Practice meditation. Don't worry, I'm not going to leave the deepest part of the New Age here. There are many ways to meditate. For me, the simplest form of meditation is spending some time alone to achieve relaxation and focused thinking. It's a wonderful healing method.

4) Get plenty of rest. Lack of sleep can impair your ability to absorb new information. This means that cramming all night in college is far less effective than you might think. Your brain needs rest to function at its peak. This is probably why things always seem clearer and more understandable after a good night's sleep.

5) Exercise regularly. Do you really want to get off the treadmill after just a short while? Cardiovascular exercise improves brain function by improving blood flow to the brain. One study found that physical activity actually helps increase brain volume. So, if you want a bigger, better brain, get moving!

6) Eat a good breakfast. This isn't unrealistic. Eating a good breakfast really does give you a better start to the day. You should eat a breakfast high in protein and good quality carbohydrates. Two slices of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter fit this bill perfectly. Eggs are also a good source of protein. Nuts, milk, and fresh fruit provide excellent nutrition for the brain.

7) Think positively. Encourage yourself. I believe positive thinking improves brain function and helps avoid disappointment. Think of your brain like a computer: garbage goes in, garbage goes out. Find the positive, encourage yourself to hang out, enjoy reading material, and do anything that makes you feel good. These things will help make your mind more productive.

8) Keep learning. Never stop questioning your world. Seek new experiences, skills, and knowledge. Write down things you've always wanted to learn and start doing them. A now-famous study shows that certain areas of the brains of London taxi drivers are more developed than those of the average citizen. This is because they need to learn how to navigate the maze-like city streets. We can use this brain-challenging technique to enhance our abilities.

9) Quit drinking. Alcohol is a cause of depression. It impairs mental function. There is ample evidence that alcohol can impair sexual function. If you want to have peak mental performance, then stop drinking. Another observable effect is that it impairs sleep, which we have already discussed, hindering your ability to think clearly.

10) Possessing romance (especially women).

11) Break your routine. Choose a new route to drive to work. Try writing with your other hand. Mix something different in. This will invigorate your brain because it requires you to think more. You can't just autopilot. Step out of your routine and challenge your brain; it will react. This is a great way to get your brain working.

12) Don't watch too much TV. Researchers have found that excessive TV viewing between the ages of 1 and 3 can lead to attention problems in children. Let's face it: TV can numb the mind. Get up from the couch and away from the TV. Of course, there are some good educational programs for both children and adults, but overall, Americans watch too much TV. If you want to be mentally sharp, turn off the TV.

13) Deal with numbers. Do mental math instead of using a calculator. Many of us either use it or lose it. We've become mentally lazy. We rely on tools instead of thinking for ourselves. Processing and memorizing numbers is a great way to rejuvenate the brain. Along the way, it can pay off substantial dividends.

14) Stop relying on GPS for walking. Remember the taxi driver example from point 8. Using your brain to figure out how to get from point A to point B is excellent mental exercise. You must use your brain's spatial reasoning abilities to improve your map reading efficiency and navigating cities. Even better when traveling in unfamiliar places!

15) Recall distant memories. Find old photos and start flipping through them. This will access your mental memory bank. The images will help you recall things you've forgotten. Dig deeper and you'll find everything you remember. If you have other methods to awaken your memories, such as old letters and family movies, make use of them as well.

16) Create beautiful music. Learning to play a musical instrument is a super transformative way to work your brain. It requires multiple different parts of your brain to work in coordination to create the melodies you want. Of course, if you're already a musician, learning something new forces you to learn new techniques. Music is a great exercise for the mind.

17) Speak a new language. Many people agree that learning a new language is a powerful way to expand one's thinking. If you've ever tried to learn even a few new words, you know it's difficult. Of course, the harder the brain is, the better! You have far more thinking power than you think. Give it a try!

18) Memorize a song. Many of us have a lot of old songs stored in our heads, but why not expand our memory by learning some new tunes? It will take a little time at first, but if you keep doing it, you'll find it gets easier and easier. This is how your brain recovers.

19) Walk around your room with your eyes covered. This may seem like an unfamiliar activity, but your brain is capable of handling it. Once you try it a few times, you'll likely find it fun and challenging. Plus, it engages your memory, motor skills, and reasoning abilities. What a great workout!

20) Expand your vocabulary. Decide to learn one new word every day. There are many websites that can help you with this effort. You will not only expand your mind, but you will also impress your friends and colleagues when you introduce a new word into conversation.

Take action today, and you'll be smarter tomorrow!

You already know! I've just given you 20 very practical methods to sharpen your thinking. These suggestions will immediately get your brain back to its optimal state. What are you waiting for? It's time to train your mental nerves!