5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Brain
Spring always feels like such a time of renewal andawakening. People often use it as a reason to “spring clean” their homes – to tidyup and make things feel fresh and new. Reorganizing all your closets,cupboards, and drawers can help you feel re-energized, but doing a cleanup inyour brain can really help you feel like you are starting the season with aclean slate If you are looking for a fresh start, why not begin by doing alittle spring cleaning on your mind.
1. Get a good night’ssleep.
A good night’s sleep can certainly leave you feelingrefreshed, but getting regular sleep is actually critical to your brain’shealth. Sleep has been shown to improve memory, and one study even found thatsleeping after you learn something new results in actual changes to the brainand better retention. Some other important benefits of sleep that researchfound has shown that sleep-deprived people handle stress lesseffectively and that chronic lack of sleep might even contribute to obesity.One study even found that sleep deprivation might even result in serious andlasting brain damage, killing off cells in important regions of the brain. Soif you are trying to refresh your brain, start by getting a good night’s rest.
2. Get out andexercise.
Exercise obviously has a wide range of benefits, butresearch is increasingly demonstrating that being physically fit is vitalto your brain’s current and future health. One recent study found that beingfit early in life at age 25 is linked to better cognitive abilities duringmiddle age. Another study revealed that people who were in poor physical shapein middle age experienced a greater loss in brain volume in older age than didthose who were very fit at age 40. Exercise has also been linked toneurogenesis, or the formation of new brain cells. In experiments, rats whoexercised not only grew new brain cells - they were also smarter than rats whohad not exercised. Other studies have also demonstrated that exercise canindeed make people smarter. Those who exercise do better on mental tests, havebetter memories, and are better at paying attention.
3. Eat right.
A healthy diet can also help contribute to a healthy mind.Certain nutritional deficiencies can lead to mental confusion and memoryproblems, such as a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Fatty acids are also essential forproper brain function, since they help protect the brain and aid inoxygenation. Fish, nuts, and seeds are good sources of these fatty acids. Learnmore about some of the best foods for the brain and be sure to check out theNutrition site at About.com for more great information about healthy eating.
4. Meditate.
While people sometimes make the mistake of thinkingmeditation is just for relaxation, there has been plenty of research todemonstrate the powerful impact that meditating can have on the mind and body.Studies have found a huge range of benefits including lowering stress,improving memory, better sleep, and better attention. One study found that thebrain is able to process certain types of information better during meditation,and that letting your mind wander during meditation may be one of thebest ways reduce stress and increase concentration. If you want to reap some ofthese many advantages, consider become one of the 20 million people in theUnited States who practice meditation. Here’s a quick guide to practicingmindfulness meditation, one of the most effective types of mediation.
5. Manage yourstress.
Stress can wreak havoc on both your mind and body. It canimpede your memory, suppress you immune system, and make it difficult toget a good night’s sleep. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to helpkeep your stress levels in check and better manage the daily stresses you haveto deal with. Start by developing a stress relief plan that suits your life.Identify your sources of stress and think about some of the things you can doto minimize or cope with such pressure. You can also explore some quick stressrelief techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation. These are just afew things you can do to help keep your brain in tip-top shape. Be sure tocheck out some of the following links for more information about your brain.
Source: http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/5-Ways-to-Spring-Clean-Your-Brain.htm
Image: http://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/04/Spring-Cleaning-Tidy-Up.jpg
VOCABULARY:
tidy up - to make clean or neat
deprived - suffering a severe and damaging lack of basicmaterial
vital - absolutely necessary or important essential.
wander - move in a leisurely, casual, or aimless way.
supress - forcibly put an end to.
DISCUSSION:
1. Have you ever done spring cleaning? Is it a commonpractice in your ｃountry to consider spring a time of renewal?
2. Do you agree with the concept that we have to clear ourbrain once in a while?
3. What to you is the best way to clear our brain?
4. How important is a clear brain to you?
5. Can you say that you have a clear mind/cleansed brain atpresent?
