Your brain is an incredible structure that is capable of so much more than you give it credit for. It controls a variety of functions that happen without conscious thinking, such as your breathing and your beating heart. Your brain is command central for your balance, your sensory systems, your thoughts, beliefs and your emotions. It’s fair to say that when most people think about training the brain, they tend to consider strategy games, such as Sudoku, or even literacy activities. But in order to help brain and body work together so that you feel optimally alive and well involves far more than sharpening your puzzle-solving skills or broadening your vocabulary.
There are things you can improve within your lifestyle, your daily habits to significantly improve that essential brain + body connection.
Don’t be a spectator of your life. Train your brain
Your thoughts matter. The way you think can greatly affect your chances of success in life. Negative thoughts can hold you back from striving and achieving. Thankfully, you can reverse the phenomenon by training your brain for success. Indeed, as evolution has trained human beings to recognize risks, your brain notifies you readily if danger is detected. But this warning mechanism is not as much needed as it was for the cave-person running from a saber tooth tiger. You can use positive psychology to rewire your negative patterns into positive, effectively turning an obstacle into an opportunity.
Help Brain & Body Work Together with H2O.
Did you know that your brain is made up of around 75% of water? When you’re dehydrated, your brain suffers . You can experience difficulties to concentrate or to remember. It only takes an 8 ounce glass of water to fairly quickly regain your full potential. Drinking water on the regular improves your mental focus, your memory and helps to balance your emotions. More importantly, there are additional benefits of drinking water that can indirectly affect your mind in the long term. When your brain is well hydrated so is your skin. And your ligaments. And your muscles. And your eyes. Your help brain and body work together when you drink plenty of H2O everyday.
Fuel Your Brain & Body with Certain Foods.
You can train your brain to focus on the bright side. But unlocking the secret to happiness requires more than happy thoughts. Indeed, you can encourage your brain to regulate your mood and lift your spirit with the right food. Avocados are naturally rich in tryptophan, a precursor to the feel-good brain chemical serotonin that helps with mood regulation. Your brain is made up largely of fat and so your brain needs for you to eat healthy fat in order to be fueled to function. Eating wild caught salmon is a great way to ensure you’re doing what you need to do to help brain and body work together.
Let Nature Nurture You.
Science and research shows that spending time in nature profoundly impacts your brains and habits, helping to reduce anxiety and stress, while increasing focus, creativity, and the richness of our relationships. Get outside and go for a walk without being on your phone. Look up at the tree tops, the sky. Listen to the birds and the rustle of the Autumn leaves. Feel rain drops or snow flakes land on your skin. Breathe in all that fresh air and allow yourself to feel connected to all the majesty of Mother Nature.
Laughter Lights Up Your Brain.
One research study shows that when you engage in meaningful social laughter, your brain reacts as if you have taken an opioid narcotic without the harmful side effects. Life is too often too serious so working in some time to find the funny side and get some belly laughs happening, your brain and body are going to feel the positive effects. Play is for all ages! Find ways to laugh every day and your brain and body will benefit.
Striving for and achieving what you want for your life and career requires you have healthy habits everyday. Your cognitive abilities and meaningful happiness hinge on the quality of what you are taking in mentally, physically and emotionally. You have the power to turn up the dial to have the best life possible. What’s stopping you? Need some encouragement? Contact me and let’s chat.