Your brain is like a wondrous and powerful muscle and if it is in shape it can do wonders to improve workplace wellness. However, just like all the other muscles in your body, if you don’t keep it in tip-top shape, it will never function to the fullest of its capabilities.
Obviously, exercising your brain is going to look a little different, but it’s just as vital if you want to:
- Boost your memory
- Increase your ability to concentrate
- Make your workplace tasks quicker and easier to do
- Keep your brain sharp no matter how old you are
The good news is that you don’t have to invest thousands of dollars in a home gym in order to keep your brain strong. All you need to do is invest a little bit of time to train your brain.
Workplace Wellness:
Here are some quick and easy ways to boost your brain power that you can start right away.
Take a Moment to Meditate
Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated. You can begin simply by just closing your eyes for a few minutes and concentrating on your breathing. Whichever way you decide to meditate, making meditation a habit can change the actual structure of your brain and increase your concentration and productivity.
Write It Down
You don’t have to sit down to write the great American novel, but writing is a way you can improve your analytical skills and creativity. Doing anything from writing a blog, keeping a diary, or writing in a bullet journal can help give parts of your brain a boost.
Have a Life Laugh
Whether you pop in a favorite comedy video or watch a stand-up comedian on Netflix, having a laugh releases endorphins in your brain, lowering your stress levels and increasing your long-term brain health.
Make Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day
Fueling your body right at the beginning of the day will increase your metabolism and overall energy throughout the day. Choose whole foods like eggs, fruits, and vegetables over bagels and sugary cereals to keep your insulin levels from spiking.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
A good sleep routine can help you stay refreshed and invigorated during the day. A good sleep routine includes making physical exercise part of your daily routine, avoiding bright lights when winding down for bed, including televisions and cell phones, and getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night if you’re a healthy adult.
Get More Exercise
Staying physically active during the day is going to benefit just about every organ and system in your body, including your brain function. Regular exercise not only helps dispel brain fog, but it also helps your brain safeguard thinking and memory skills.
Have a Cup of Coffee
A lot of people start their morning (or afternoon or evening) off with a good cup of coffee. The caffeine in a cup of coffee not only helps you stay alert, but it also increases your ability to stay focused on repetitive or tedious tasks. Try it black and not with added sugars, fats, and dairy.
Get Some Sun
A lot of people have a love/hate relationship with the sun. Sure, too much sun exposure is bad for your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer. However, too little sun can cause your vitamin D levels to plummet. Getting some sun and boosting that vitamin D can help slow down the aging process in your brain. Consider a high quality Vitamin D supplement if you are indoors a lot or live in northern states.
Play a Game of Tetris
Remember the addictive puzzle game Tetris? Chances are, you haven’t thought about it in years, but it would benefit you to go ahead and download it on your phone today. Playing Tetris has been shown to increase the gray matter in your brain for a short amount of time while also helping with performing spatially related tasks.
There you have it, 9 ways you can boost your brain’s performance to make sure you are staying alert and productive while on the job.
Senior Star prides itself on its high standards of care and expert knowledge in its senior living communities. Senior Star has put together a helpful guide for CNAs and other caregivers: Self-Care for the Caregiver, which you can download here.