Wondering what you can do to improve your brain health so it is easier for you to focus and remember things? While we often hear about people taking care of their physical body as well as their heart health, we do not hear as much about the ideal ways we can support our overall good brain health.
Why brain health is important
Brain health is very important, making it a good idea for everyone to live a brain-healthy lifestyle. What does a brain-healthy lifestyle entail? Generally speaking, a brain-healthy lifestyle requires one to make smart food choices, exercise on a regular basis, get plenty of sleep, have a fulfilling social life and understand how to manage stress in a healthy manner.
The following is a list of seven brain tips anyone can follow that can help them improve their focus and memory.
- Never stop learningit is important to keep learning, as learning new things challenges the brain. Also referred to as being mentally active, there are many ways people can continue learning, such as taking a community college class or starting a new hobby.
- Use all sensesWhen someone uses all of their senses, i.e. sight, sound, smell and touch, it helps the brain remember certain events with much more clarity.
- Repeat, repeat, repeatWhen it is important for someone to remember or memorize something, repeating it over and over again is a great way to reinforce what needs to be memorized.
- Get plenty of sleepGetting enough sleep is essential to one’s ability to think properly, making it necessary for those who want improved brain health to get their recommended amount of sleep every single night.
- Choose foods wiselyThere are many foods to choose from that are known to boost brain health making it a good idea to add a few of these food choices to one’s everyday diet. A few brain foods that are known to promote focus and memory include spinach, blueberries, salmon and almonds.
- Meditation, relaxationUsing meditation and relaxation techniques not only improves blood flow throughout the brain, it actually changes the brain structure allowing for improved memory.
- See a medical professional regularlySeeing a medical professional on a regular basis helps to find and control any medical risks someone may have that can be getting in the way of their being able to focus and remember properly.
Our first line of treatment is always medication. A variety of drugs can relieve the pain or spasms, but if they prove ineffective, the next step is surgery, and most often we turn to microvascular decompression.