Brain-healthy habits
If your concentration is becoming clouded, there are some simple steps you can take to refocus your mind
Eat a healthy diet – what you eat directly effects your brain and how it functions. The best diet to follow to keep your brain and body in good shape is a Mediterraneanstyle diet. Eat plenty of daily veg, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and olive oil as well as fish, eggs, beans, poultry and limited red meat. And don’t forget to keep hydrated
– your brain is a thirsty organ. Prioritise sleep – sleep deprivation can make you forgetful, clumsy, irritable, moody, depressed, demotivated – and hungry! Aim for seven to nine hours and no less than six or more than ten.
This can be broken up into a night-time sleep and a daytime nap if that suits you better.
Go with your natural rhythms
– your circadian rhythm works best with regular sleep habits so try to go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day, even at weekends.
Get organised – make life easier for yourself by setting some systems in place. If you keep forgetting to make payments, set up some direct debits, book in a regular weekly shop, add reminders on your phone, and stick to a bedtime routine.
And make lists of everything!
Avoid multi-tasking – focus on one thing at a time and you’re less likely to make mistakes, and feel stressed or overwhelmed.
Try mindfulness instead of autopilot – consciously give things more of your attention rather than doing things without thinking.
Slow down – relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, self-massage and meditation can all help you to put the brakes on a bit. Know your limits – taking on more than you can handle is a recipe for stress. This might seem impossible when you’re overloaded with work and responsibilities, but you have the power to make different choices when it comes to your responses and thoughts.
Do activities that challenge the brain – learning a language, a new skill or an instrument is linked with changes in the brain. Increased cognitive activity helps preserve the volume of your whole brain and the size of the hippocampus, the part of your brain involved in memory and learning.
Adapted from Beating Brain Fog: Your 30-day Plan to Think Faster, Sharper, Better by Dr Sabina Brennan (Orion Spring)