Your brain needs exercise just like your muscles. If you use your brain often enough and in the proper ways, you will become a more skilled thinker and improve your ability to focus. Here are 5 simple ways anyone can squeeze a bit more productivity out of the old gray matter:
- Minimize television watching: Watching television doesn’t use your mental capacity or allow it to recharge. It’s like having the energy sucked out of a muscle without the health bene fits of exercise.
- Exercise: Time spent exercising leads to greater learning because it improves productivity during the time afterwards. Using your body clears your head and creates a wave of energy. Afterwards, you feel invigo rated and can concentrate more easily.
- Read challenging books: Many peo ple like to read popular suspense fic tion, but generally these books aren’t mentally stimulating. If you want to improve your thinking and writ ing ability, you should read books that make you focus. Once you get used to read ing challenging books, you’ll find that you aren’t tempted to go back to page-turners. The challenge of learning new ideas can be far more exciting than any tacky sus pense-thriller.
- Early to bed, early to rise: Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation. You’ll be most reju venated if you go to bed early and don’t sleep more than 8-9 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleep ing late, you’ll wake up lethargic and have trouble focus ing. If you have the opportunity, take 10-20 minute naps when you are hit with a wave of drowsiness.
- Take time to reflect: Spending some time alone in reflection gives you a chance organize your thoughts and prioritize your responsi bilities. Afterwards, you’ll have a bet ter under standing of what’s important and what isn’t. The unimportant stuff won’t bother you as much and your mind will feel less encumbered.
