Beyond Glasses and Classes! 4 Ways To Keep Mentally Sharp

There seems to be an increase in attentional problems, perhaps due to the way of the world and the pandemic. There’s been a lot of talk about “pandemic brain” but also the fact that using devices has made a big impact on our ability to focus. We all need to keep our brains sharp, especially as we get older and the world appears to become more challenging. What are the ways to do this?

Keep Learning

If you are looking to keep your brain functioning better, especially if you are concerned about cognitive decline in old age, learning is crucial. It keeps your brain mentally active. Some people have jobs that keep them mentally active, but a lot of people pursue new skills and hobbies that can help them function the same way. Little things that you can do every single day like crosswords will make a big difference. If you’re looking for crosswords you can see more here, but there are also plenty of other opportunities such as sudoku and millions of other brain training games. 

Believing in Yourself

It’s a very understated notion, but there are a lot of myths about getting older that can cause us all to think that we may as well just stop using our brain because we’re going to give in to cognitive decline anyway. Many people who believe they’re not in control of their brain function are less likely to work at looking after it. It sounds simple but having that positive attitude that you can improve your brain will help everything as you get older. 

Be Economical With Your Mental Energy

While we all need to use our brains, there may be a lot of mental energy sapping our resources, especially when we look at something like decision fatigue. You may want to take advantage of calendars and shopping lists to keep your focus on the things that will help your brain in the long run. Learning a language can take a lot of mental energy, and if you are already feeling tired due to other aspects of your life, there’s no shame in removing irrelevant information from your brain, especially if you can write it down somewhere! It’s also important to remove distractions where possible so you can focus on the information you want to remember. 

Using the Right Tools

There are a number of excellent tools out there to help you remember. It is important for you to look at what you believe are the inadequate parts of your brain. For example, if you find that remembering things is difficult, there are a number of memory courses that can help you. There are also little tools such as speaking information out loud or creating mnemonics. 

Keeping your brain sharp is incredibly important especially as we’re all glued to our phones which has been shown to have negative impacts on our abilities to focus. But the fact is there are plenty of games and opportunities to ensure that everything can stay sharp.