TRAIN YOUR BRAIN AND BOOST YOUR THINKING

Dr Rachel Taylor is a cognitive neuroscientist

Creating a healthy cortex through stimulating and training the brain can help us to think and feel better. The more we read and learn, the more our brain increases its cognitive functioning. The brain will be stimulated by things that interest and captivate us.

Keep learning and you’ll create a positive, active and supercharged brain. Because doing this gets more oxygen and blood flow, which helps to keep it healthy. Try to do the following:

Read It’s a fantastic brain workout.

We’re not hardwired to read, so when we do it’s a challenge, which leads to positive changes in our brain, improving our memory. Magazines, books – they all count!

Set a goal It doesn’t really matter what. Achievements have such a positive effect on our self-esteem, self-value and self-confidence. We need to start celebrating more.

Learn something new It means you create more connections between neurons, a process called synaptogenesis. The more connections we have in our brain, the more cognitive function we have.

Dedicate time to improve your learning It helps you feel valued, which boosts your central nervous system by reducing stress responses that arise when we feel that we’re putting ourselves to the back of the queue.

And remember You’re never too old to start training your brain. If you’re out of practice, just begin with short bursts of activity and build up. We would never go into a gym and start lifting 100kg weights. The brain is similar, so make sure you start light and build up – that’s the best way to train our brain.