A sea of decisions stretches out before us every day. Some are small and unimportant, but others impact our lives more. For instance, to which politician should I vote? Should I try the latest diet craze? Or will email make me a millionaire? We are bombarded with so many decisions that we cannot always make a perfect decision. But there are many ways to improve our chances, and one particularly powerful technique is critical thinking. This is a way of approaching the question that allows us to deconstruct the situation, uncover its hidden problems and make the best decision.
Your brain is the most forceful weapon in the world. Once you put away your phones, computers, and everything we have today, you will see the power of the brain. Your brain is the only thing you have when you are going through depression or hard times.
Everyone knows that you need to exercise if you want to stay fit. To increase pliability, develop strength, and keep balance, we need to challenge our bodies regularly. So, our brain also needs exercise for better performance. And the good news is that many brain-training exercises now can help you improve performance and stave off mental decline as you age. This article will look at cognitive and mental resources and five ways to improve your mental health.
What does cognitive health mean?
Most people describe cognitive health as staying sharp or in a good state of mind. And describe it as living to an advanced age with the following abilities; having good and positive mental health, having a good memory, and being alert.
Is cognitive health the same as mental health?
Cognitive health refers to the health of your brain, while mental health is your mental or emotional health. However, the two are linked because if cognitive health deteriorates, it will ultimately affect a person’s mental health. Therefore, for the proper functioning of the body, cognitive and mental health should be in better condition.
5 Tricks to improve the functioning of your brain
We know the most about aerobic exercises that increase the heart rate and the most positive effects of these exercises. Likewise, lots of exercise keeps your memory and mental health on track. For the Memory test, Memtrax.com is the free site. Here are some tricks to help improve your mental and cognitive health.
- Break a strict routine. We follow the same routine for many years and these routine jobs become automatic tasks. Brain activity decreases for automatic tasks such as those associated with routine. So, you can switch the time of these tasks to increase brain function.
- Use your non-dominant hand. Which hand do you prefer when doing basic everyday tasks? You probably do all of these things with the same hand unless you are ambidextrous. This way, your brain goes into autopilot mode and you don’t have to think about it much. So using your non-dominant hand can help your brain start thinking.
- Play observation or brain games. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to forget details or the brain chooses to ignore information it deems unnecessary? You can play daily observation games to improve your concentration and memory. You work it out by stimulating or strengthening your brain. Playing brain games increases your attention in part because of your brain’s working memory, which is the part of short-term memory associated with faster comprehension of concepts and languages, and is one of the most researched benefits of playing brain games. Now many sites offer brain games. Cognitive test decreases the rate of dementia in elders.
- Memorise your list. You should remember your list often, whether it’s a grocery list or a phone book. This will help your brain to start working. This observation will in turn increase your memory.
- Practise solving problems. This is an exercise in problem-solving and creativity. Think of an imaginary problem, let’s say you own a small business and have a thriving restaurant that is crowded during lunch, but a fast-food restaurant just opened up across the street. What would you do to avoid dropping your business? Be creative by inventing problems you’ve never experienced. This can improve your brain and cognitive health.
Final thoughts
If you do these exercises every day, you will gain coordination and increase your ability to learn, focus and engage in conscious thought. In one of his findings, a University of Michigan professor shares that a person can train their brain and increase short-term memory by playing brain games and taking cognitive tests.
Alicia Saville did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
