In a recent article by Cynthia R. Green Ph. D. eight simple techniques for improving brain performance are outlined. The article focuses on activities which are both practical and actionable and attempts to create exercises which can be accomplished in 5 minutes or less between other tasks during a typical day. By exercising the brain, the article asserts that recall, learning, and overall brain health can be improved over time. The beneficial activities include:
1. Rearrange your workspace: Clearing clutter and creating organization allows people to remember more by eliminating distractions and pushing your brain to operate more efficiently
2. 5 minutes of yoga: Besides the physical benefits to strength and stamina, short yoga sessions can increase focus and create emotional balance
3. Doodle: The small drawings and absentminded sketches can actually lead to improve focus and memory, studies have shown that those who doodle perform better on memory tests than those who do not doodle
4. Be social: Studies have shown that people with higher levels of social interaction are at a lower risk for memory loss, so interacting with others often can maintain the health of your brain
5. Play a game: Timed games require focus and quick thinking, playing online games are a quick and easy way to practice these brain skills and keep them sharp
6. Flip your watch: Simply turning your watch over forces your brain to think outside its comfort zone and keeps your brain flexible, small challenges like this are called neurobics and are a great way to keep your brain in shape
7. Learn a Name: By utilizing techniques such as repetition, mnemonics, or word association when meeting new people you can improve your brain’s ability to learn and remember quickly and permanently
8. Jumping Jacks: Studies have shown that by doing 5 minutes of basic exercises which get your heart rate up you can increase your current brain performance and decrease your long term risk of dementia