6 Secrets to Boosting Your Brain Power

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body, and it’s not hard to understand why — it controls just about every thought and movement you make! To achieve success as a student (or even later in your working career!), it’s important to learn new information quickly, retain knowledge and refine critical thinking.

Take advantage of our six secrets to boost your brain power and see significant results in your cognitive abilities — at any age!

1. Feed Your Brain

There’s a reason why experts are always recommending that we maintain a healthy diet. You might already know that fruits and veggies are good for your body, but did you know that your brain appreciates them, too?

Just like every other organ in the body, the brain prefers carrots to chicken nuggets. A healthy diet keeps the brain focused and alert, and ready to tackle whatever lies ahead! Avoid candies and super sugary energy drinks — they’ll keep you awake, but not necessarily focused. Just a few hours after the initial sugar rush, you’ll end up crashing. Instead, choose healthier snacks full of protein and good fats, like nuts and almonds, to stay awake and aware.

And don’t forget – breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! Eating breakfast in the morning helps the body metabolize the food into energy, and that’s super important for staying focused throughout the day.

2. Exercise Your Brain

The best way to stay sharp is to make sure that the brain is never still  for too long. Instead, find ways to keep thinking! Challenge your problem-solving skills by joining new clubs and organizations and taking on leadership activities. This will ensure that your brain is active and stimulated, without feeling bored or drifting.

Also, keep your brain active by challenging it to keep learning. Read a book about something you didn’t know before, dive deeper into a subject or class that interests you, or learn a new instrument. Even solving math problems can help keep your inner cognitive functions sharp!

The important thing is to just keep learning. Just like muscles, a brain has to train to think critically and logically. By continuously encouraging new information and problem solving skills, the brain will stay as sharp as a tack!

3. Exercise The Rest, Too

It makes sense that to maintain a high level of brain activity, you’ll need to do a lot of thinking. But did you also know that old fashioned exercise is a great stimulant? 

Exercise releases endorphins into the body and serotonin into the brain. This keeps the entire body feeling good, and it positively impacts mood, as well. Regular physical activity, like a go-to sport, will also keep the blood flowing throughout the body, which has been shown to improve memory. By exercising regularly, the brain is not only ready to learn, but it’s ready to retain information, as well!

4. Manage Your Stress

While it’s entirely possible to multitask, our brains do tend to prioritize some information over the rest. This is especially true during high-stress times. We tend to get sidetracked or lose our ability to focus when we’re especially anxious or tense. When your schedule gets overloaded with classes, homework, and other commitments, it’s time to take a breath and step back. 

Keep a clear head by allowing your brain time to decompress. Spend time on your favorite hobbies, or with supportive friends and family. Develop tactics to compartmentalize and handle stressful situations, so that it doesn’t interfere with regular cognitive function. By managing your stress, you’ll free up a lot of energy and instead use it to learn and retain information.

5. Be Mindful

This is a tactic that Steve Jobs frequently used, and consistently credited as one of the best techniques to boost his brainpower. He would often sit and meditate, and highly recommended it to the people around him. Mindfulness not only helps to direct and focus the mind, but it will also alleviate stress and insomnia — both of which have negative impacts on cognitive function.

Stay focused throughout the day, in class, and even in stressful situations by making mindfulness a daily practice. There are lots of different techniques to use, so do some research and trial and error to find out what works best for you. While Steve Jobs would meditate, other people have found that journaling is a better practice for them.

However you decide to practice mindfulness, it will help you direct your focus to things like learning and critical thinking. You’ll feel much more capable of tackling whatever lies ahead!

6. Rest Your Brain

Sleep is vital to maintaining top-tier cognitive function. Without the recommended 8 hours per night (especially for students!), the sleep-deprived will have a hard time concentrating. This often results in worse short- and long-term memory!

Getting plenty of sleep is the easiest way to increase concentration, retain information, and boost brain power! This is also why experts recommend getting a full night of sleep before a big test — and why those late night cram sessions as a student never really result in better grades. 

Sleeping is the easiest way to boost brain power, but this doesn’t mean that you should neglect this necessity! Make sure to get in your full 8 hours of sleep, and you’ll have the energy to learn new information. You won’t forget the things you already knew, either!

The Big Takeaway

From when our alarm clock first goes off in the morning all the way until bedtime again, what we do (or don’t do!) for our brains affects how quickly we learn — or how easily we forget! 

By exercising these methods to improve comprehension skills and by avoiding anything that can negatively affect cognitive abilities, our focus and problem solving skills will be significantly enhanced. Use our six secrets to boost your brain power, and then reap the benefits!

What’s Next?

Ready to apply your brain power to your next challenge?

Here are a few solutions we offer at MEK Review for ambitious students!

• • Free Test Events: Join our monthly test events! Discover your baseline scores by taking a free SAT/ACT test! 
  • Expert Courses: Whether your focus is test prep or school success, we have something for everyone! Find the right program for your child here. 

To inquire or register, call us at 855-346-1410 or contact us here!