How To Optimize Your Brain With 7 Simple Habits

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Popular belief states that humans only used a fraction of their brain’s power. However, studies have shown that humans use ALL of their brains to function, even if not all parts activate simultaneously. The problem is that you might not optimize your brain to its full potential. A well-nurtured and optimized brain can do so many things in life. Conversely, if it lacks care or attention, it’ll be slower and less effective than you’d like.

In other words, you need to know how to optimize your brain. By learning this, you can make better decisions and improve your quality of life. It’s not easy, but it is a life-changing decision. Here’s why you need to learn how to optimize your brain and how you can start today!

What does it mean to optimize your brain?

First, let’s clarify what it means to optimize your brain. Simply put, it’s when you maximize your cognitive and mental abilities. As you can imagine, the brain is responsible for all different aspects of our lives. It can keep focus, retain memories, decipher problems, and do other cognitive tasks. In addition, the brain regulates emotion and stress.

When you learn how to optimize your brain, you’re learning how to maximize its abilities. Treating the brain well can help you survive today’s fast-paced and competitive world. For example, you can learn to socialize with people and adapt to unexpected situations. You can discover how to answer challenging dilemmas at work and home. You could even learn how to focus your mind on tasks that require all your attention, drowning out all the noise around you.

In other words, learning how to optimize your brain helps you use its potential powers in life. With a well-functioning mind, you can learn to manage your stress and control all your mental faculties. It’s not just about being smart or cunning. An optimized brain gives you the ability to make the necessary adjustments you need to survive.

What are the signs of an optimized brain?

Now that you know what it means to have an optimized brain, you’ll need to understand its signs. Anyone can use their mind, but an optimized brain has specific tells. When you start to notice these signs in your life, it’s a sign that you’ve learned how to optimize your brain. Here are the different signs of a well-functioning mind and why they can benefit you.

You’re curious about different things.

They may say that curiosity killed the cat, but being curious can be a sign that you’re alive and well. Studies show that highly intelligent people stay curious in their lives. Even if they know a lot, they want to know more. According to psychotherapist Christine Scott-Hudson, intelligent people like to engage their passions and discover more about things. Whether it’s about historical facts, strange tidbits, or philosophies, they like to learn new things.

The reason why curiosity is good is the way it affects your mindset. Many people in the world think they have it all figured out. However, the most successful people are the ones who actively seek new experiences, challenges, and information. By learning how to optimize your brain, you’ll want to upgrade and update your knowledge. Highly successful and intelligent people look for new information in any part of their lives.

You’re observant and perceptive.

When you learn how to optimize your brain, you’ll start to observe things in a different light. According to PubMed Central, studies show that working memory is strongly connected to fluid intelligence. In other words, people who can recall and use specific pieces of information have healthy and well-functioning minds.

So, why is it important to be observant and perceptive? When you’re observant and perceptive, you gain the ability to notice subtle details. Things that may seem unimportant or menial can reveal much more information. Like Sherlock, you can be more aware of your surroundings and pick up on vital clues that others might not see.

An observant and perceptive mind can also use this information to solve problems. Whether you’re a leader or a team member, you might see issues or concerns that others don’t see. This way, you can also learn to solve problems and fix things before they get worse. In other words, once you learn how to optimize your brain, you can notice signs of trouble and stop them before it’s too late.

You’re self-aware.

Understanding how to optimize your brain is also a way of understanding your strengths and weaknesses. One of the most telling signs that you are intelligent is when you are observant of yourself. It’s not noticing other people or learning new details. A highly intelligent and wise person knows and accepts that they aren’t perfect.

According to Shane Snow, who wrote Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success, intelligent people prefer to get constructive feedback over praise. While knowing the good points can be a mood booster, they don’t necessarily make you better. However, someone who wants to know their faults and learn from them is willing to make better choices. By being self-aware, you can start to see where your skills lie and where you need work. You can use this to your advantage and make better choices as a result. By knowing where your limits are, you can discover how to push the boundaries and better yourself. Only then can you understand how to optimize your brain.

What can you do to optimize your brain?

Now that you know the different signs of an optimized brain, it’s time to put that all into practice. The key isn’t just doing one thing, however. It’s about being consistent and making these actions a part of your life. In other words, you need to develop the right habits to improve your mind. Here are seven habits you can use to learn how to optimize your brain.

1. Eat brain foods.

You can learn how to optimize your brain by eating better food. A healthy diet affects more than your waistline. Remember, your brain needs nutrients to develop and work at its best. If you rely on processed foods or unhealthy, fattening snacks, you risk depriving your mind of good nutrition.

To start, you can research the kinds of healthy foods that can help your brain. For example, studies on omega-three fats show that it can improve the brain’s longevity. You can find these kinds of fats in salmon, sardines, and other types of fatty fish. Other options to explore include nuts and seeds, berries, leafy greens, and whole grains. Once you pick a better diet, you’ll quickly learn how to optimize your brain and unleash its full potential.

2. Think positively.

Understanding how to optimize your brain isn’t only an exercise for physical health. It’s also about training your mindset and philosophy in life. One of the biggest struggles your mind encounters is negative thoughts. While feeling sad or worried is normal, it’s not good to consistently feel that way. If you frequently panic or overthink, you put your mind through a lot of stress, which can literally change your mind. More importantly, if you keep obsessing over negative thoughts, you risk damaging your mood and stability. Studies show that over 90% of our thoughts are negative toward the self. So, how do we curb this?

One of the best ways to fight back is to start thinking positively. Now, a lot of people might scoff at that, but that’s because they don’t understand what positive thinking means. It’s not simply wishful thinking or blissful ignorance. A positive mind stays motivated and hopeful even in the toughest circumstances. To stay positive and learn how to optimize your brain, start by meditating every day. Spending ten minutes a day to refresh and destress your mind can do a lot for your brain. That way, you don’t dwell on your fears; instead, you bring yourself back to the moment and focus on what is now, not what is in the past or future.

3. Exercise regularly.

Consistent exercise is a great way to stay in shape and help your body. However, did you know that it can also improve your mind? Like an engine looking for fuel, our brain needs oxygen to regulate and refresh itself. Through exercise, you can improve your heart rate and pump more blood oxygen into your system. This way, you can strengthen your brain and give it more energy to go through the day.

To start exercising, you need to know what kind of workouts fit your lifestyle. Some prefer to go with intense routines, like Tabata or High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Others prefer to go at a slower pace for longer periods, like a long jog or a nice swim. In any case, the important thing to remember is to pick an exercise that you can do consistently. By picking one that you feel comfortable with, you learn how to optimize your brain and stay fit at the same time.

4. Stay clean and organized.

Being organized and maintaining a clutter-free environment does more than help in spring cleaning. The brain uses all five senses to get information, especially sight. If you stay in a place that’s a constant mess, the visual information gets muddled. In other words, while you might not care about the mess, your brain does. Without a proper structure or a clean space, the visual will leave your mind out of sorts. In addition, clutter can make you feel anxious and overwhelmed, especially if your mess is full of unfinished projects or plans.

To learn how to optimize your brain, you need to add structure back to your workspace. Whether at a cubicle or a home office, the desk is your altar of productivity. Treat it right and you’ll find yourself working faster and better than ever. Start by tidying up any necessary items or documents, like pictures and calendars. Make sure to keep them somewhere visible and free of any clutter. In addition, take the time to filter through the mess and throw away any unnecessary things. These can include unused documents, scratch paper, and post-it notes of finished or expired concerns.

5. Sleep well, sleep regularly.

Of all the ways to learn how to optimize your brain, the most enjoyable one could be a well-maintained sleep schedule. Your mind works like a phone, especially when it needs to recharge. If you give it enough time, you can have a fully-energized mind capable of doing all the various cognitive tasks. Ideally, you should get at least seven hours of proper sleep every night. With this much rest, your body and mind can refresh and restabilize for the next day.

To do so, start by maintaining a consistent hour to sleep at. If you go to bed by 10 PM, make that your official sleep time. Put your phone away as you rest, since the blue light can activate your mind and keep you awake longer than necessary. Spend at least one hour away from any devices before you call it a night. If you have to use an alarm, keep it at a place where you have to get up and stop it. That way, you can still learn how to optimize your brain and wake up without feeling too disoriented.

6. Keep learning.

One of the biggest lessons you can learn is that you never stop learning. No one has it all figured out, not even the smartest people today. Geniuses like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett don’t even settle for what they know. They like to go and read up on new lessons and reports. They like to update their skillset and learn more. In other words, the smartest people in the world don’t stop learning. Rather, they continue to seek out information and learn more as time goes on.

If you want to know how to optimize your brain, you have to be ready to learn new things. There’s always going to be another lesson or study about something that may captivate you. Start by looking back at your interests or at things that amaze you. It can be about someone’s lifestyle, mindset, occupation, or investments. Once you see them, look into those things one step at a time. You can read books about what interests you and learn something different. You can go online and watch documentaries or listen to podcasts designed to teach you more. There are many ways to start learning. The best way to begin is to seek it out for yourself!

7. Manage your stress.

Lastly, learning how to optimize your brain means learning how to regulate your emotions. As mentioned before, positive thinking is about getting rid of negative or unwanted thoughts. However, it’s also about managing stress and handling it in healthy, productive ways. Stress can be dangerous, especially if you let it overwhelm you. The brain can impair your cognitive functions, such as memory and concentration. To learn how to optimize your brain, you have to learn to manage your stress well.

One of the ways you can redirect your stress is by meditation. Deep breaths bring more oxygen to the brain and help you slow your heart rate. Instead of using up precious air, you regulate it to slow down and think things calmly. You can also journal all your thoughts to process and express your emotions. That way, even if you’re unhappy, you can release all that tension without doing something dangerous or drastic.

Lastly, you can go for a nice movie or read a good book to take your mind off things. Sometimes, you need to step away for a bit to let your temper cool down. Follow these tips, and you’ll learn how to optimize your brain without losing control.

Takeaways:

Perfectionism can severely impact your finances and health. In a 2016 study conducted by Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill, the authors talked about how the proportion of people who exhibited traits of perfectionism rose by up to 33 percent from 1989 to 2016. Perfectionists don’t just want the task done. They want it perfectly done, leading to more work hours rendered for a single activity. Eventually, you lose plenty of time trying to perfect something rather than moving on to an equally relevant activity.

Learning how to optimize your brain means maximizing your cognitive and mental abilities to enhance various aspects of your life.
Signs of an optimized brain include curiosity, perceptive observation, and self-awareness.
An optimized brain involves a constant desire to learn and update knowledge.
Paying attention to small details and noticing subtleties can indicate a well-functioning mind.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and welcoming constructive feedback, is a sign of intelligence and self-awareness.

There are seven ways to optimize your brain:
You can eat healthy foods, like leafy greens, and whole grains, to improve brain function.
You can learn how to optimize your brain by training it to think positively. This can help you overcome stress and negativity.
You can do regular, consistent exercise to provide more oxygen to the brain and improve its functioning.
You can organize your environment to reduce visual clutter and maintain mental clarity.
You can stick to a consistent and adequate sleep schedule to refresh and recharge your body and mind.
You can continue searching for new knowledge to keep the brain active and updated.
You can manage stress through meditation, journaling, or other forms of relaxation. These practices can help prevent cognitive impairment and promote brain health.

Article Sources

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Cherry, K. (2023, March 3). How Much of Our Brain Do We Use? Verywell Mind.
Fellizar, K. (2021, July 1). Highly Intelligent People Have These 10 Traits — Here’s How To Tell If You’re One Of Them. Bustle.
Hjalmarsdottir, F. (2022, May 17). 12 Foods That Are Very High in Omega-3. Healthline.
Raypole, C. (2022, June 22). 11 Signs of Intelligence Proving There’s More Than One Way to Be a Genius. Healthline.