One of the best things that you can do for your life is to increase or improve your mental performance. This means improving your ability to concentrate, focus, think critically as well as increase your overall intelligence. When you focus on improving this, you will start to perform much better at work, school and even at home. As a result, your entire life will become better, which is something you should strive towards. So, with that said, we will now look at some specific ways that you can improve your mental abilities.
1. Meditate
Meditating is not just reserved for monks or religious practitioners, but everyone. This is not a religious act, even though it can be. Meditation is all about learning to quiet your mind and teaching it to focus on one thing at a time. Many studies have shown that when you practice meditation over some time, your overall IQ and intelligence increases. You will be able to be more productive and focus better on any task you set your mind to.
One simple meditation that you can start with is to sit in a quiet room and try to empty your mind of all thoughts. Of course, this is very challenging, and you should not be angry with yourself every time a new thought pops into your mind. Instead, try to become like an observer, and as soon as you observe any thoughts, simply dismiss them. You should strive to do this meditation starting with 5 minutes per day and slowly increase to 30 – 45 minutes.
2. Play Video Games
There has been a lot of research on the effect of video games on the mind. Problem solving type of video games such as Mario Kart have been found to very effective in improving focus and mental performance. As a result, it is highly recommended that you play Mario Kart or any other problem solving game that you enjoy for at least 20 minutes per day. It can greatly improve your ability to make smart decisions and solve problems in other areas of your life.
3. Get Active & Exercise
Next, another great way to improve your mind and mental acuity is to start exercising regularly. If you look at the habits of the most successful people in the world, you will learn that they make time to exercise regularly. Most of them exercise at least 30 – 60 minutes every day and many of them often start their day with exercise. When you exercise, you will increase the blood flow throughout your body, which includes your brain. As a result of the increased blood flow to your brain, you will start to function at peak performance.
Now, you don’t need to start with an extreme amount of exercise if you’re not currently active. Instead, simply start by walking at least 20 minutes per day and then work up to a jog. You can also join a gym, start doing a sport or even go hiking regularly. The point is to find some physical activity you enjoy and make sure and do it at least 3 – 4 days per week.
4. Avoid Stress & Sleep More
Another way that you can increase the performance of your brain is to ensure you get enough sleep. Many people think that sleeping is wasting time, however, your body and brain need to rest and repair itself. It is highly recommended that you aim to get between 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night for optimum brain function. A well rested brain is much more productive and capable of complex tasks than a tired and sluggish brain.
Additionally, you should strive to reduce your stress as much as possible. Studies have shown that stress reduces mental performance, so you should find ways to deal with stress in your daily life. For example, you can go on regular vacations, spend time with your family, pursue a hobby etc.
Conclusion
In summary, we have just looked at four ways that you can increase your mental performance. Once you put these tips into action, you will increase the processing power of your brain and reach closer to achieving your true potential.