Brain Helpers, Part 2b

Besides everything listed in Brain Helpers Part 1, science has found a number of other ways we can repair, protect, and grow our brains. I’ve collected some of them and divided them into Physical and Mental for posting purposes. Here are the Mental ones. (And here are the Physical ones.)

Mental ways to repair, protect, and grow your brain

Reduce stress. Too much stress kills neurons, alters brain structures, impairs memory, and leaves us more susceptible to mental illness. In bipolarites, it triggers episodes. The conversation around reducing stress won’t fit here. For now, this Harvard Health article and this NAMI list cover a lot of ground.

Do puzzles. This isn’t a global fix for brain health, but it has been shown to help with attention, reasoning, and memory.

Be happy. I know, I know, but happy brains are better at memory and learning, and they kick ass at neuroplasticity. There is a huge (like 30%) global increase in function in happy brains. All of this means a big increase in our mental reserve/resilience. “Be happy” isn’t a realistic goal for all of us, but we can try to build a positive foundation by working on self-acceptance and self-nurturing habits.

Don’t multitask. Shifting between tasks that require focus causes frontal lobe fatigue which decreases cognitive efficiency and performance. Chronic multitasking has been linked to increased impulsivity, distraction, and lower executive function control. If you’re looking for efficient processing, do one thing at a time.

(More! Brain Helpers, Part 1 and Brain Helpers, Part 2)

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