brains, everyone loves brains

& if you don’t, you should

this is the thing, writing is a higher level brain activity

what i mean is, it’s an activity in which you use a lot of brain power. you’re using memory, language skills, making choices, and trying to create something coherent for another person to understand and hopefully enjoy.

i recently read a few books on staving off dementia, and here are a few of the tips that i learned. anyone can benefit from these tips, but i think it’s especially important for writers (or anyone doing higher level brain work). i’ve implemented a few of these and i have been feeling much more focused and present. i won’t go into it, but post-Covid, i had been feeling like there’s a shroud over so many things. my concentration and focus was all over the place.

so I implemented a few of these tips and i’ve been feeling much more awake, like my brain is functioning again

some tips on keeping your brain in tip-top shape:

SLEEP, is pretty important. aim for about 8 hours a night. (if you snore loudly or are constantly tired, get checked for sleep apnea)
EXERCISE, like sleep this is also very important and self-explainable, try going for a walk/jog/bike ride if you ever feel stuck in your writing. make sure you’re doing cardio and strength training!
FOOD, what is good for your heart is good for your brain, i don’t have the space to go into the ideal way to eat for your brain (also i believe food can be a highly individual thing), but i will say sugar and simple carbs should be avoided as much as possible (some doctors consider Alzheimers a form of diabetes). go easy on the alcohol and anything that causes inflammation! (dairy, processed foods, etc.)
SOCIALIZE, yup, even if you’re an introvert like me, socializing and friendship is so important for your brain and well-being, a lot of us likely fell off from our social game post-covid
BRAIN GAMES, playing games with friends is the best thing to do, but there are a slew of brain games out there that are supposed to help your brain by exercising it (brainhq, lumosity, etc.). sure, the studies haven’t proven that these games actually work, but i’ve been playing them and i’ve been feeling more together and focused. Neuroplasticity! you can also play games like wordle, crossword puzzles, sudoku, etc.
LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE, like the brain games, the studies on this are a little inconclusive, but as a writer i think it can only benefit you to understand and study other languages
READ FICTION, i’m a fiction book coach, I had to put this one in there. but seriously, reading fiction is supposed to be a great way to exercise your memory.
MEDITATION, helps with focus

do you have any tips for keeping your brain in tip-top shape? do you have any problem or impediments to keeping your brain fine-tuned? did i forget anything? feel free to post below in the comments 👇🏼