Optimise your brain power: What we know from neuroscience

We all know the healthy habits of the body. Don’t smoke. Don’t eat too much sugar. Avoid processed food etc. The phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ typically refers to physical fitness. However, the latest advances in neuroscience have allowed us to examine the brain in more detail than ever before. And we now know that it is the mentally fittest that will survive. Physical fitness alone is not sufficient for an alert, creative and resilient mind.

But what about the healthy habits of the mind? How do we build a healthy brain? How do we create a full, creative, meaningful and zestful life? Let me start with some questions. When was the last time you took a long walk? Had a heart-to-heart with a close friend? How do you feel when you have constant interruptions at work? When are you not plugged in, connected, or being notified of something?

In the following article, I bring together the latest research on the seven known mental activities that are crucial for optimal brain power. My hope is to empower you with effective and practical tools to start improving and protecting your brain health today.

However, first – a word of warning. These seven activities may look simple and they used to be. But in today’s busy and 24/7 world, they are under threat. It is important to start with small, micro-steps or ‘micro-habits’.

You will also likely fall off the wagon several times. The trick is to get back on the wagon when this happens. True change that can sustain a lifetime comes from changing small daily habits one at a time, and if you give that one small habit your focus and – you get back on track each time you return to old habits – it will one day become second nature.

1. Sleep

To quote Professor Matthew Walker: “Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do for your brain and body.” And yet, sadly our culture views a person who needs sleep as weak whilst ‘burning the midnight oil’ is glorified through narratives such as “you can sleep when you’re dead”. As such, most of us are operating from a place of sleep debt and do not get the minimum of seven hours required for optimal brain health.

What we know from research is that a lack of sleep results in shorter life and a higher likelihood of many physical and mental health issues. It is essential that we give the brain the rest it needs to consolidate learning and recover from the experiences and stressors of the day.

Without seven hours of sleep, you are limiting your mental and physical resilience. Small changes like not drinking coffee after noon, setting regular sleep and wake times, making sure you find some time to move and get some light throughout the day, all contribute to a good night’s sleep.

2. Play

When was the last time you felt playful? Spontaneous? Creative? Silly? We tend to reserve playfulness for children but it is just as important for adults to engage in playfulness and here’s why. The research shows that playfulness enables us to develop flexible emotional responses to unexpected events where we don’t have much (or any) control; a major cause of stress. It keeps us agile, flexible, innovative.

Spending time with children is a great way to tap into your inner playfulness but other ways include doing something spontaneous, unstructured, creative or brand new e.g. dancing, singing, drawing, attending a comedy class etc.

3. Downtime

Many of us think of downtime as relaxing, watching a good film, or spending time with the family. However, in this case, downtime has a different meaning. It literally means doing nothing. Not mindfulness. Not meditation. Nothing. It is intentionally having no intention. Letting our minds wander off in no particular direction with spontaneity and freedom.

When we allow our brains to do this, it reboots and recharges the brain. It allows the brain to process the day’s events and the many, many pieces of information it receives throughout the day. This helps to consolidate memories, make connections, formulate meaning from events, and envision the future. It also facilitates autobiographical reflection and therefore improves our sense of self and emotional intelligence.

You might have noticed that it is during moments of downtime that true innovation, creative thinking and bright ideas are usually born.

“How do you ‘do nothing’?” I hear you ask. Well, you start with five minutes a day somewhere quiet – in the car, on the beach, in the garden, for example, and you just let your mind wander. Don’t judge it. Just notice what happens and build up from there.

4. Time-in

More than just relaxation, this is a conscious and focused attention on your inner world which can be achieved through journaling, therapy, reflection, mindfulness or meditation. It is checking in with yourself. It is knowing yourself honestly and deeply, and connecting consciously with your values.

When we understand ourselves better, we are much more resilient and compassionate towards ourselves and others. In fact, research shows us that those who think about their values before a stressful event (e.g. identifying courage as a value prior to public speaking) actually experience less stress and show a substantial reduction in the stress hormone, cortisol, compared to those who didn’t.

With this in mind, consider how often you check in with yourself and how do you do this? Can you build this into your schedule each week through journaling, mindfulness practice or therapy?

5. Connecting time

We know that social integration and perceived emotional support are directly and positively related to physical and mental health, including lower mortality. In the workplace, social support has a three-fold effect on work stressor-strain relations: 1) it reduces the strains experienced, 2) it mitigates perceived stressors and 3) it moderates the stressor-strain relationship.

Satisfying social relationships are associated with a more positive outlook on life, more secure attachments and interactions with others, better mental and physical health and lower mortality. Therefore, consider whether you regularly schedule time to be with friends and family away from technology.

6. Physical time

The research is clear. When we move our bodies, we strengthen the brain in many ways. Moderate aerobic exercise reduces stress, decreases anxiety, and alleviates depression. It also enhances learning and memory, improves executive functions, enhances our metabolism, protects the brain from damage and maintains brain health and plasticity throughout life. With this in mind, consider how you can prioritise exercise and movement throughout your week ideally 30 minutes of exercise three times per week.

7. Focus time

We love to believe that we are good multitaskers. However, I hate to break it to you but there is no such thing. In actual fact, multi-tasking actually impairs performance and often leads to a sense of overwhelm and incompleteness. Therefore developing the ability to focus on one thing at a time, to maintain focus and to refocus efficiently and effectively is crucial for optimal brain performance.

You can work on this by turning off your notifications on your phone, eliminating interruptions, scheduling your tasks each day and through regular mindfulness practice.