Energize Your Mind This Winter
Winter affects people differently. If you feel like your brain changes and gets sluggish in the grey cold months, you’re not alone.
With less sunlight, our serotonin levels drop, and along with the bone-chilling temperatures, these factors can send our mental energy and clarity into hibernation. Call it a case of brain freeze of sorts.
Chase away the fog and fatigue. Keep your brain energized and healthy by exercising it – you’ll find yourself happier, healthier and more productive. Work out your mental muscles with these brain-building habits:
Take up yoga. 20 minutes of yoga actually beats out 20 minutes of treadmill jogging when it comes to boosting brain function. Yoga beats out aerobic exercise in terms of improving memory, attention, problem-solving, reasoning and decision-making, according to a study from the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
Not into yoga? Any exercise will do. Moving your body engages your brain for coordination and muscle function. Exercising also increases oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain – so you think better, faster and feel better. Regular activity is linked to increased attention and more stable moods.
Learn a new skill. Work out multiple areas of your brain by picking up something new. Learn to cook, salsa dance, or make wine. Commit to learning a language or musical instrument, or a new sport like skating or cross-country skiing. Go indoors for some pickleball or swim lessons. Your brain will form new connections and so will you.
Meditate. Calm the brain and maximize its potential. Meditation improves focus, concentration and mindfulness. Health benefits go beyond the mind including improved immunity and reduced stress and anxiety. It takes practice: Find a quiet place and dedicate 10-15 minutes to freeing your mind of thoughts, deliberately releasing each one until you achieve a state of pure mindlessness and peace.
Play games. Healthily engage your brain with games that improve brain speed and memory, including Sudoku, crosswords and jigsaw puzzles. Move on to a more difficult level to enhance your creative problem-solving and logic skills. Online brain training games help improve IQ and can even mitigate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Read lots. Challenge your brain by branching out to unfamiliar topics, and at a level that challenges you – this is exceptionally beneficial. If you’re not a reader, set a small goal of reading for just five minutes a day. Build up from there. Not only will you increase your knowledge and vocabulary, but your ability to retain and analyze will increase too, and you’ll have interesting stories to share.
Socialize. Gather often for mental stimulation and to fill your heart and soul. You’ll learn so much from others while increasing focus and the ability to analyze different situations. Prioritize active listening over talking. You’ll not only learn way more but make others feel important and good – and that is a mental and emotional boost for you too. In addition, having a good social network and meaningful connections reduces stress and dementia risk too.
Feed your brain power. Omega-3 is a healthy fatty acid that helps with brain function and cognitive performance. So be sure to include omega-3-rich salmon, along with tasty brain treats like nuts, seeds, leafy greens and avocado in your diet. Keep brains healthy with yogurt, tomatoes and pumpkin too.
