For convenient access, explore online platforms and make enhancing cognitive abilities a regular part of your routine. Your brain will thank you for the workout! Neuroplasticity may mean your brain can grow and heal on its own.

If you're living with a mental health condition, your brain's ability to regenerate…. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can change your brain. Research says yes. Researchers have found that years of meditation can change the structure and function of the brain.

Here's how. Creating a schedule and managing stress are ways to make your days go by faster. Changing your perception of time can also improve your overall….

Experiencing unwanted and difficult memories can be challenging. But learning how to replace negative memories with positive ones may help you cope. There are many reasons why spider dreams may occur, like unresolved feelings or chronic stress. Learning how to interpret your dream may help you cope.

Tornado dreams are manifestations of the subconscious mind that may indicate various interpretations, such as personal fears or major life changes. Work burnout occurs due to chronic stress and other factors, such as long work hours or toxic workplace culture.

But help is available for you to cope. If you dream about someone dying this may occur for various reasons, such as life changes or dealing with grief. But support is available to help you…. Domestic Violence Screening Quiz Emotional Type Quiz Loneliness Quiz Parenting Style Quiz Personality Test Relationship Quiz Stress Test What's Your Sleep Like?

Psych Central. Conditions Discover Quizzes Resources. Medically reviewed by Tiffany Taft, PsyD — By Traci Pedersen on November 27, New language Active reading Mindfulness Chess Dual n-back Crosswords Sudoku Go Bridge Recap Engaging in brain exercises, such as completing a sudoku puzzle, enhances cognitive abilities, boosts memory, and promotes overall mental well-being.

Learning a new language. Active reading and note-taking. Mindful breathing meditation. Strategic online chess. Dual n-back training.

Crossword puzzles. Anderson J AE, et al. Effects of bilingualism on white matter integrity in older adults. Role of prefrontal cortex during Sudoku task: fNIRS study. Computerized games versus Crosswords training in mild cognitive impairment.

Mind sports: Exploring motivation and use of cognitive strategies in bridge. Does mindfulness-based intervention improve cognitive function? Impact of note-taking mediums on memory recognition. Cognitive reflection and theory of mind of Go players. Do the benefits of chess instruction transfer to academic and cognitive skills?

A meta-analysis. Dual n-back training improves functional connectivity of the right inferior frontal gyrus at rest. Mindful breath awareness meditation facilitates efficiency gains in brain networks: A steady-state visually evoked potentials study.

The game of bridge as an exercise in working memory and reasoning. The effect of mindfulness-based programs on cognitive function in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Read this next. What Is Neuroplasticity? Medically reviewed by Heidi Moawad, MD. Do Words Have the Power to Change Your Brain? READ MORE. How Meditation Changes the Brain Medically reviewed by Nicole Washington, DO, MPH.

How to Make Your Days Go By Faster Creating a schedule and managing stress are ways to make your days go by faster. Changing your perception of time can also improve your overall… READ MORE. Direct your focus here like a beam and notice when thoughts or sensations pull it away: a memory bubbling up; a reminder that you need to reply to a text; an itch.

After three days, I start to notice when I am being pulled away from trying to focus on something reading is trickiest for me. I am noticing when my focus is ruptured, which feels new. The first step to better focus is accepting a key truth, says Jha: you cannot just decide to have unfettered attention.

You have to practise. The problem is that we now have far more sources of distraction. We are not just recipients of content, but willing participants. More unsettling is how we need our phones to rescue us from our phones. But in stepping back and learning why our attention can feel so slippery — rather than reaching for another attention-sucking app — perhaps we can assuage some of the difficult emotions associated with being distracted.

Using the flashlight to move through the body, from toes to scalp, you are encouraged to notice what physical sensations are there. Whenever the mind wanders, return it to the area of the body where the attention was before the wandering.

Even in three-minute bursts, my mind fizzes with words, people, places and feelings. I tell Jha that I have to move my flashlight back so many times, I wonder if it will ever feel easier.

But know that it will get better. After a fortnight of doing the exercises, I notice that being able to carve a little sliver of space between myself and the contents of my mind means I am able to divert my attention back to what I need to do more easily.

The body scan exercise has given me a new awareness of how distracted I am by physical sensations a cramp; a gurgle; an itch. I am going to carry on with the exercises, with a view to building up to the minute daily dose, because something is shifting in my relationship with my thoughts.

It takes me 23 minutes to open Twitter. Do this for three minutes a day, for a week. Focus on the sensations. This article was amended on 25 October Peak Mind by Amishi Jha Little, Brown Book Group, £ To support The Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.

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How do we find my it again? This article is more than 2 years old. View image in fullscreen. How to meditate when it feels like everything is out of control. Read more. Reuse this content. Comments … Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion.

Learning a new skill is not only fun and interesting, but it may also help strengthen the connections in your brain. Research from also shows that learning a new skill can help improve memory function in older adults. You now have one more good reason to learn that new skill.

After you learn a new skill, you need to practice it. Teaching it to someone else requires you to explain the concept and correct any mistakes you make. For example, learn to swing a golf club, then teach the steps to a friend. Do you want an easy way to increase your creative brain power?

The answer may lie in turning on some music. According to a study , listening to happy tunes helps generate more innovative solutions compared to being in silence. Which means, cranking up some feel-good music can help boost your creative thinking and brain power. And if you want to learn how to play music , now is a great time to start because your brain is capable of learning new skills at any point in your life.

Instead, be willing to try new ways to do the same things. Choose a different route to get to work each week or try a different mode of transport, like biking or using public transport instead of driving. Your brain can benefit from this simple change, and you might be surprised by how easy it is to change your thinking.

Daily meditation can calm your body, slow your breathing, and reduce stress and anxiety. A review of research has overwhelmingly proven the many cognitive benefits of being able to speak more than one language.

According to numerous studies, bilingualism can contribute to better memory, improved visual-spatial skills, and higher levels of creativity. Being fluent in more than one language may also help you switch more easily between different tasks, and delay the onset of age-related mental decline.

According to researchers, you can boost your memory and improve other mental functions by becoming a student of a new language at any time in your life. Plus, it can also help center you when life seems out of balance. Taking up a regular practice of tai chi can help reduce stress, enhance sleep quality, and improve memory.

A study found that long-term tai chi practice could induce structural changes in the brain, resulting in an increase in brain volume. Beginners do best by taking a class to learn the different movements. But once you know the basics, you can practice tai chi anywhere, anytime.

The next time you interact with someone, take note of four things about them. Maybe you observe the color of their shirt or pants. Are they wearing glasses?

Do they have a hat on, and if so, what kind of hat? What color is their hair? Once you decide on four things to remember, make a mental note, and come back to it later in the day. Write down what you remember about those four details. Focusing on your brain health is one of the best things you can do to improve your concentration, focus, memory, and mental agility, no matter what age you are.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Practicing certain lifestyle habits may help boost your intelligence and stimulate your brain.

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Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Sara Lindberg — Updated on February 17, Your brain has the ability to learn and grow as you age — a process called brain plasticity — but for it to do so, you have to train it on a regular basis.

John N. Morris, director of social and health policy research at the Harvard-affiliated Institute for Aging Research. Research has shown that regular physical exercise is one way to improve cognitive functions like memory recall, problem solving, concentration, and attention to detail. However, it is not clear if the physical aspect alone boosts your brain or if a combination of other factors — like the mental challenge of the activity, the frequency you do it, and the desire to improve — also contribute.

Take swimming, for example. It has obvious cardiovascular and muscle-building benefits, but also involves constant thinking, processing, and learning. You have to be mindful of your breathing rhythm and how to properly execute strokes and kicks.

You also can measure your expertise in terms of endurance and speed, which motivates you to practice your skills to be a better swimmer. A brain training activity doesn't always have to be exercise-related.

Much research has found that creative outlets like painting and other art forms, learning an instrument, doing expressive or autobiographical writing, and learning a language also can improve cognitive function. A study in Gerontologist reviewed 31 studies that focused on how these specific endeavors affected older adults' mental skills and found that all of them improved several aspects of memory like recalling instructions and processing speed.

Pick one new activity. Devote your time and attention to only one additional activity, so you won't be tempted by other interests. Sign up for a class. Classes are a good way to learn the basics of any new activity, especially one that requires specific skills, like painting or music.

Schedule practice time. Don't focus on the amount of time you practice at first, but rather aim for consistency. Devote what time you can, but be firm with your commitment. Schedule it and do it. No matter which new activity you choose, make sure it follows three guidelines in order to maximize brain training, according to Dr.

You have to always challenge your brain in order for it to grow. This is why choosing a new activity is so beneficial. It engages your brain to learn something new and offers the chance to improve. Not up for a new endeavor?

Raise the bar for an existing activity. For instance, if you are a casual golfer, commit to increasing your ability and aim to lower your handicap or shoot a specific score. A complex activity not only strikes a match of excitement, but forces your brain to work on specific thought processes like problem solving and creative thinking.

A study in Psychological Science found that older adults ages 60 to 90 who did new and complex activities, such as digital photography or quilting, for an average of 16 hours per week for three months scored better on working and long-term memory tests than those who did more familiar activities like reading and doing crossword puzzles.

Practice makes permanent, and that goes for brain function, too. Your activity should require some level of constant practice, but the goal is not to strive for vast improvements.

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