Building Cognitive Skills :
Exercise daily:
Exercise has a whole host of benefits for your mental and physical health, including warding off depression and bolstering the immune system. But physical fitness also has been shown to increase mental sharpness as people age.
Especially past the age of 40, daily exercise helps maintain acuity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. In one study, elderly men who were aerobically fit were able to outperform men who were unfit in decision making tasks.
Eat a healthy diet:
Brain and heart health may be key to maintaining memory stores as we age, and might even contribute to warding off dementia. Avoid saturated and trans fats, which damage brain blood vessels, and be sure your diet includes:
Healthy fats, such as olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon.
Antioxidants, which contribute to optimal brain functioning; even dark chocolate counts!
Plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, which can help reduce your risk for a stroke.
A moderate amount of alcohol. You heard that right: for adults, a small amount of alcohol can help fight off dementia by maintaining healthy cholesterol and insulin levels in the blood. But be careful to keep the alcohol to a moderate amount: too much alcohol has the opposite effect, and can even lead to a loss of memory (known as a "blackout").
Get enough sleep:
The fog of exhaustion will cloud your mental ability, but a well-rested mind is able to perform at its optimal ability.
Our brains store daily memories while we sleep, so you need rest in order to remember even mundane details of daily life.
You might even consider taking a short nap after learning something new or important, to help store it in your long-term memory.
Use your mind instead of a calculator:
Math helps strengthen reasoning and problem solving skills, and you can easily practice, especially simple things that you can easily total up in your head or on a piece of paper. Many people haven't done long division since grade school; give it a try sometime.
When you are in the grocery store, try keeping a running total of the items in your cart. You don't have to add the exact amount; round each price up to the nearest dollar. When you get to the check-out you'll find out how close you were!
Don't stop learning:
A study out of Harvard found that advanced education is associated with stronger memory as a person ages. Even if you didn't go to college, you can continue your education yourself throughout your life.
Go to your local library to gain more knowledge. It is a great place to relax, gather thoughts, and focus on studying. If you have any spare time, carry a book over to the park or stop in at a family restaurant. It all aids in building a sharper better mind, and improves your attitude.
Take a class at a local community college. The best courses are those that are both mentally and socially demanding, such as photography or quilting. You will also have the added benefit of meeting new people and forming new friendships!
Flex your mental muscles. You can improve your mental ability in domains such as logic, problem solving, mental orientation and corrective thought process by working puzzles and doing difficult mental tasks. Challenging yourself mentally can help increase your rational thinking skills, giving you more confidence problem solving in a given situation.
Try crossword puzzles. Older people who do crossword puzzles have better scores on a variety of cognitive tests than those who don't. Although researchers aren't sure if the puzzles cause better mental ability or if people with better mental ability just tend to do puzzles more because they can, it can't hurt to try!
Try computer games. In one study out of Harvard, a game called NeuroRacer was found to improve elderly participants' ability to multitask, retain working memory, and maintain attention.
Engage all of your senses:
Scientists have found that using all of your senses activates different parts of your brain, which can help you retain a memory. In one study, people were shown images presented with or without a smell, and were found to be able to recall the images with a smell better than those without.
In practical application, this might mean using mindfulness techniques to notice the sights, smells, tastes, feelings, and sounds around you in a given situation, to help recall the event more clearly later.
You can also try sucking on peppermint candy, as peppermint oil has been shown to help aid recall and alertness. Pop a mint in your mouth when you're reading new information or learning something you want to remember later.
Try using your opposite hand to do everyday things. This can be a real challenge, especially if you attempt writing and printing, but it is a great way to force yourself to focus while engaging both sides of your brain.
Sit down and start writing on a piece of paper using your off hand. It will probably start out like scrawl, but you will become more aware of your tense shoulders and gain more control with time. This exercise is also used for epileptic patients.
hope you enjoy
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