How can I make my brain sharper, smarter, and lightning fast?

 14 Ways You Can Make Your Brain Sharper, Smarter and Lightning Fast

1. Play An Instrument Or Listen To Music

Many people enjoy playing or listening to music. However, a mere pleasure is not the only benefit you can get; it also improves one's memory function, especially in older adults.

2. Learn A Foreign Language

Learning a new language is beneficial since it can improve one's cognitive functioning and sharpen the brain.

3. Exercise

It's a well-known fact that our minds and bodies are interconnected, meaning oftentimes, what benefits our bodies also benefits our brains.

Regular exercise, even a relatively light one like a simple walk, can improve your cognitive skills and memory.

The foot’s impact during the walk keeps sending pressure waves through the arteries which then increases blood flow, resulting in a much healthier mind.

To boost blood flow to the brain, incorporate physical activities in your weekly or daily routine. Some of the best and most efficient ones include:

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• Walking your dog
• Yoga
• Water aerobics
• Weight lifting
• Functional fitness
• Hiking
• Tennis

4. Read To Intellectually Stimulate Your Brain

Regular writing, as well as reading, can reduce the rate of one's memory decline by 32% while providing your brain with the intellectual stimulation it requires.

5. Write

Writing can improve your communication abilities and working memory.

And it doesn't really matter what you write because even by simply expressing yourself, you will be boosting your brain activity.

Some of the most popular writing "brain workouts" include:

• Creative stories
• Poetry
• Letters
• Blog posts
• Song lyrics
• Journaling

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6. Eat Healthily

To make your brain sharper and boost its power, enrich your diet with the following:

• Fatty fish, especially salmon. They contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which functions as the building blocks of your brain.
• Walnuts. Great sources of healthy fats as well as protein, walnuts contain a type of omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid that helps in lowering blood pressure and protecting arteries.
• Green tea. Rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, green tea sharpens your focus and increases alertness. It also reduces the risks of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.
• Eggs. They contain the nutrients which are important for keeping your brain in a healthy shape, such as folate, choline, B6, and B12.
• Berries. Flavonoids, which are the natural plant pigments giving berries the hues, also help in improving memory.
• Leafy green vegetables. Vegetables like collards, broccoli, spinach, and kale contain brain-heathy nutrients such as folate, vitamin K, beta carotene, and lutein which may help in slowing cognitive decline as you age.

7. Draw or Play Games To Stimulate Your Brain

Try drawing or coloring in an adult coloring book. It doesn’t matter if you are good at drawing or not; even a mere doodle can be considered as a creative workout and serve as a nice intellectual activity for the brain.

Games are also an amazing and efficient way for sharpening and stimulating your mind. Some of the best ones are:

• Trivia
• Chess
• Scrabble
• Sudoku

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How can I make my brain sharp and fast?

You probably spend at least a couple of hours each week training your body--doing cardio, weight training, or even just walking. You're training your muscles to stay pliant and strong, your joints to stay fluid, and your body's physical systems to run optimally.

But how much time do you spend training your brain?

Brain training isn't a new concept. It can help us retain information, recall facts more quickly, and sharpen our focus. Even a brief course of brain exercises can help older adults improve reasoning skills and processing speed for 10 years after the training ends, according to a recent federally sponsored study on cognitive training.

Here's the thing, though: You need another thing to do like you need another hole in your head.

Article continues after video.

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We're busy--we're entrepreneurs. We're exercising our brains all day long!

Even so, adding just a few deliberate brain exercises to your daily routine can help you reap the benefits of brain training, and it doesn't have to be another item on your daily to-do list.

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Here are seven simple daily habits you can work into your routine to sharpen your intelligence:

1. Follow ideas through to various outcomes.

Entrepreneurs are often plagued with more ideas than time to deal with them in. Make it a habit to do idea exercises--come up with three possible outcomes for your next idea, even if there's only one way you expect it to turn out. Visualize your idea in different ways. Make it a habit to consider more alternatives.

2. Add 10-20 minutes of aerobic exercise to your day.

Aerobic activity slashes your lifetime risk of Alzheimer's in half and your risk of general dementia by 60 percent, according to John Medina, PhD, director of the Seattle Pacific University Brain Center for Applied Learning Research. (See AARP.org.)

Hopefully, you're exercising already for the physical benefits, but if not, the fact it can keep you sharp and even enhance your creativity should be great motivators!

3. Engage in stimulating conversation.

In real life--outside the computer or mobile phone screen. The art of conversation requires that we think on our feet, and conversing with someone smarter than you can be a fantastic exercise in quick thinking as well as an opportunity to learn something new. Seek out interesting people and engage them in conversation, however brief.

4. Take online courses.

You can learn just about anything online--even on a mobile device. Commit to learning something new every day, whether it's during your transit to work, on your lunch break, or in the five spare minutes you have between meetings. Better yet, make it something super useful, like coding.

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5. Give your brain a break.

You can't be "on" all the time. Make productivity apps a part of your daily routine, to automate redundant tasks that take up your time and brain space.

6. Practice a hobby.

Make sure you're doing something you love every day. If your brain is constantly bogged down in work, it has no time or space to explore creative, fun ideas and concepts. In fact, some hobbies--like playing video games or practicing a musical instrument--can help sharpen your intelligence as well!

7. Look, Listen, Learn.

Try working a variety of media types into your day. Read reports, listen to podcasts, watch video clips where you can, and use gamified apps or sites when possible. Switch it up so you're using more of your senses to take in information, and staying more engaged to retain more of it. If you're finding yourself bored with reading or bogged down in audio files, take a break and try a new media type.

Do you have a favorite strategy you use to stay sharp? Share yours in the comments.

How can I make my brain sharper, smarter, and lightning fast?🤔🔥

Do you feel overwhelmed when looking for information about improving your brain?

Don’t worry.

You’re not alone.

I went on a deep dive and picked my favorite tips from over 100 answers on Quora. Here are ten strategies you can implement right away to make your brain sharper, smarter, and lightning-fast.

1. Write Down 10 Ideas a Day

Many people write about this idea from James Altucher. Yes, it sounds simple, but often simple solutions are precisely what’s needed.

The basic idea is that you can train your idea muscle like any other muscle. To develop it, you have to exercise it every day, no excuse. The goal is not to come up with 3,650 good ideas a year. You might come up with three good ideas a year.

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According to James, your brain will become an idea machine within 3–6 months. Imagine doing this for a year. You will become the go-to person for problem-solving, and you will start making serious money off of your ideas.

— James Altucher

2. Take a Step Back

Your brain is sharp and quick. But you’re the one holding it back.

The solution is simple. Allow the brain to work on its auto-mechanism — it will guide you beautifully. The brain can form new connections and thus come up with unique solutions. Your job is to stay focused on one task and to stop anticipating the future.

If you try to imagine the future, the brain starts using its power of permutation and combination to give you many possible outcomes. But that’s not where you want the energy to flow. Stay in the now and let the brain do its magic.

— RN Sreenathan

3. Play a Variety of Different Games

Video games have a terrible reputation. I remember my parents complaining about me playing for hours.

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As it turned out, I didn’t get permanently damaged. And as Andrew Ferebee points out: The opposite may be right. Many studies have shown that specific games ranging from Call of Duty to Sudoku can have positive cognitive benefits when practiced in moderate doses.

While the correlation is still under investigation, there’s enough evidence present that Andrew recommends everyone should play some sort of game for 15–30 minutes a day.

You could try a smartphone game called Dual N-Back. It’s not as fun as playing Call of Duty, but it challenges your brain.

— Andrew Ferebee

4. Surround Yourself With Youth

As we get older, our thinking tends to become more rigid. Since our peers grow older as well, we often lack innovative perspectives. This is why you should spend lots of time with the youth, preferably college folks or kids. They have creative minds, different viewpoints, and wild ideas.

— Satish Kumar PN

5. Focus More

Lack of focus is one of the biggest challenges for our generation. We’re bombarded with information and often lose ourselves in this flood.

🌟 MAKE YOUR BRAIN SMARTER EVERY DAY @ ANY AGE | Improve Focus Memory IQ & EQ | Dr Michael Merzenich

As Niklas Göke puts it, there are lots of ways to improve your thinking. Train your memory, set goals, think definite, eat right, meditate, the list goes on. But they all pale in comparison to relentlessly using your best asset: your attention.

If you want to do your brain a service, fully dedicate it to the task at hand.

— Niklas Göke

6. Avoid Passive Entertainment

The best way to use the maximum potential of your brain is to avoid passive Entertainment!

It’s easy to understand: mindless consumption slows down our minds because we don’t think — just like a muscle, your brain needs time to regenerate between workouts.

But besides sleep, which is the best strategy anyway, we give our brain too much time to relax.

If you want to make your mind sharper, faster, and more effective, then you have to start using it!

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Stop mindlessly consuming and start being intentional with the things you do. Work, play, and think, but do give it your full attention.

— Lukas Schwekendiek

7. Write More

A healthy lifestyle that’s both socially and intellectually stimulating combats average, age-related mental decline.

Writing is a great way to order your thoughts, train your working memory, and has both an intellectual and a social aspect.

I found reading to be extremely efficient when it comes to deepening your understanding of a concept. It’s one thing to read an idea and understand it, but it’s much more challenging to take this idea and integrate it in a new context using your own words.

— Varun Gupta

8. Compete and Reflect

Start competing with yourself. If you read three pages today, read 3.5 pages tomorrow. If you did five pull-ups today, aim for six pull-ups next week. This progress is what will keep your fire alive.

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Reflect often. Not only on your progress but also on what worked and where you could do better next time.

If you start doing this, you’ll learn, grow, and improve.

— Loy Machedo

9. Surround Yourself With Smart People

I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times: You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Because something gets thrown around often doesn’t mean its automatically wrong.

If intelligent people surround you, it will help you to become smarter yourself. You’ll have to stretch yourself to be part of a conversation, and you’ll learn something new and exciting every day.

I’m not only talking about academics here. There are many shades of intelligence. I talk about interesting, passionate people that love to share interesting stories and have in-depth conversations.

— Aieken Haley

10. Build Cathedrals of Knowledge

An organized mind is the basis to thinking clearly.

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William Beteet III suggests the following: First, learn the history of disciplines. The lexicon of the domain. Then the competing theories. The biographies of the forefathers and mothers. As you build a cathedral of knowledge in a particular field, you’ll notice yourself making credible inferences quickly and understanding why certain things took place. It may take a long time to build, but once it’s finished, you will be able to navigate your mind quickly and efficiently.

The Takeaway

Your brain is a wonderful organ. It has more connections than there are stars in the universe. If you implement the strategies above, you are on your way to making use of this limitless power between your ears.

Ready to become limitless?

If you want to become limitless and speed up your learning dramatically, check out my cheat sheet:

1. Like every organ in the body, create optimum conditions for your brain to work at its best.
2. Just like muscles, the brain needs regular training to stay in good condition. Math, puzzles, riddles, etc could be a way out.
3. A good routine. Including a good sleep, a good diet, some physical workouts, meditation also helps
4. Learn something new and recall it every day. Consistently doing mental work increases the brain’s sharpness.
5. Create a short movie inside your brain of a moment that you had a few days earlier. Recall as many details as possible.
6. Quitting bad habits like smoking is very beneficial not only for the body but for the brain as well.
7. Link things. Like to remember someone’s birth date just save their name on your phone along with the date.
8. Eliminate the trash in your mind. Make space for good things to remember, in your mind.

10 ideas how to make the brain smarter and sharp in 15 minutes – How to boost brain power

How can I make my brain work faster and smarter?

It’s common to think of intelligence as something that you’re simply born with. Some people, after all, make being smart look effortless.

Intelligence isn’t a set trait, though. It’s a changeable, flexible ability to learn and stimulate your brain that can improve over time. The key is to practice lifestyle habits that support and protect your brain.

Practicing certain lifestyle habits may help improve your overall intelligence, which includes two types:

Crystallized intelligence. This refers to your vocabulary, knowledge, and skills. Crystallized intelligence typically increases as you get older.

Fluid intelligence. Also known as fluid reasoning, fluid intelligence is your ability to reason and think abstractly.

Read on to learn what science has to say about the different ways you may be able to boost both your crystallized and fluid intelligence.

1. Exercise regularly

Staying physically active is one of the best ways to improve brain functioning.

According to a 2018 studyTrusted Source, light exercise promotes activity in the hippocampus, which is involved in memory. It also enhances the connection between the hippocampus and other brain regions that regulate memory.

A 2014 studyTrusted Source also found that exercise increases the volume of the hippocampus. The authors of the study speculated that aerobic activity promotes the growth of neurons, which boosts brain structure and function.

To enjoy the cognitive benefits of exercise, it’s important to do it regularly. The good news is that you don’t have to exercise vigorously to reap the benefits.

Beginner-friendly exercise ideas include:

walking

yoga

hiking

bodyweight workouts

2. Get enough sleep

Sleep is also essential for supporting optimal cognitive function. When you sleep, your brain consolidates memories you created throughout the day. It also enhances your brain’s ability to learn new information when you wake up.

In fact, adequate sleep is so important that a 2019 studyTrusted Source found that even mild sleep deprivation negatively influences working memory.

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3. Meditate

Another way to become smarter is to practice meditation.

In an older 2010 study, meditation was associated with better executive functioning and working memory. These effects were observed after just four days of meditation.

A 2019 studyTrusted Source found similar results. After participants completed 8 weeks of 13-minute guided meditation sessions, their attention, recognition ability, and working memory increased. The participants’ anxiety and mood also improved.

The researchers speculated that these cognitive effects were due to the emotional benefits of meditation.

There are many ways to meditate. You can:

use meditation apps

listen to guided meditation videos

attend a meditation class

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4. Drink coffee

Adenosine is a brain chemical that stops the release of stimulatory substances in your brain. However, the caffeine in coffee blocks adenosine, which allows these substances to give you a boost of energy. This could help promote learning and mental performance.

A 2014 studyTrusted Source also determined that caffeine intake can enhance attention, which may help you stay focused, and better able to take in new information.

It’s best to consume coffee in moderation, though. Drinking too much caffeine can increase anxiety and make you jittery.

5. Drink green tea

Sipping on green tea can also support your brain function. Some of these effects are due to the caffeine in green tea, which is present in small amounts. Green tea is also rich in a chemical called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

According to a 2019 reviewTrusted Source, EGCG may facilitate the growth of the axons and dendrites in neurons. Axons and dendrites make it possible for neurons to communicate and complete cognitive tasks.

Additionally, a 2017 reviewTrusted Source concluded that green tea increases attention and working memory. This is likely due to the combination of beneficial components in green tea, rather than a single substance.

6. Eat nutrient-rich foods

Another way to boost your brain health is to eat foods with nutrients that support brain function. This includes foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, and vitamin K.

Omega-3 fatty acids

According to a 2017 reviewTrusted Source, omega-3 fats are major components of the brain’s structure. Rich sources include:

fatty fish

shellfish

seaweed

flax

avocados

nuts

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are beneficial plant compounds with neuroprotective benefits.

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According to a 2015 reviewTrusted Source, flavonoids are associated with positive cognitive outcomes, including increased executive functioning and working memory.

Rich sources of flavonoids include:

berries

tea

cocoa

soybeans

grains

Vitamin K

According to a 2019 reviewTrusted Source, vitamin K plays a role in brain cell survival and cognitive performance. It’s primarily found in leafy greens, such as:

kale

spinach

collards

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7. Play an instrument

Playing an instrument is a fun and creative way to boost your intelligence. It involves skills like:

auditory perception

physical coordination

memory

pattern recognition

This challenges your sensory and cognitive abilities, according to a 2013 reviewTrusted Source. As a result, playing a musical instrument may help increase your cognitive and neural functioning.

If you’re an experienced musician, challenge yourself by learning new songs or genres. If you don’t know how to play an instrument, remember that it’s never too late to start. You can find plenty of free how-to videos online to get you started.

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8. Read

Research shows that reading may also help boost your intelligence.

According to a 2015 review, reading stimulates every part of your brain, along with the neural connections between them.

That’s because it requires multiple cognitive functions, including:

attention

predicting

working memory

long-term storage memory

abstract reasoning

comprehension

visual processing of letters

A 2013 studyTrusted Source also determined that reading enhances connectivity between brain regions involved with comprehension. This effect can last a couple of days after reading, suggesting long-term benefits.

9. Continue learning

If you’d like to increase intelligence, aim to be a student for life. A longer duration of education is linked to higher intelligence, according to a 2018 reviewTrusted Source.

Another 2019 reviewTrusted Source found that continuing education also increases cognitive function and protects your brain.

Continuing your education doesn’t mean you need to get a degree. You can:

listen to podcasts

watch TED talks

attend lectures or workshops

pick up a new hobby

learn a new language

read books on a new subject

10. Socialize

Since humans are social creatures, staying social may also enhance your mental fitness. That’s because socialization stimulates the mind and cognitive ability, according to a 2018 studyTrusted Source.

If you find it difficult to meet new people or create relationships, you may want to consider the following:

volunteer in your community

join a club, gym, or sports team

take a class

join a book club

reconnect with old friends

The bottom line

Remember, intelligence isn’t about knowing more than other people. It’s about stimulating your brain, being able to solve problems, and learning new things.

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By staying curious and following the tips outlined above, you may be able to boost your brain health and enhance your intelligence over time.

How can I become intelligent and sharp minded?

Career-oriented professionals often hear about the necessity of continuing education and goal-setting to advance within a profession. But in order to improve your skillsets and increase knowledge, it's critical that you keep your mind healthy and sharp.

Why Should You Keep Your Brain Sharp?

Challenging your brain regularly can have incredible long-term effects. Below are three reasons why it's important to keep your brain sharp:

1. Increased Memory Capacity

When you keep your mind sharp by challenging it to learn new things, your brain works harder. As a result, your memory capacity increases.

In a 2006 study, it was discovered that London taxi drivers had a larger hippocampus (the area of the brain that forms and accesses memories) than London bus drivers. This was because the taxi drivers had the daily challenge of finding and navigating numerous streets on demand, unlike bus drivers who follow a set route.

2. Enhanced Cognitive Capacity

By regularly challenging your brain, you're improving and strengthening the connective tissue in your brain's neurons which helps them perform better and quicker.

This process, known as neuroplasticity, is how your brain expands its capacity. Put simply, neuroplasticity, which is also called "brain plasticity", is your brain's ability to go through physiological or structural changes.

3. Delayed Mental Decline that Occurs from Aging

Although cognitive decline is usually inevitable with aging, it's possible to delay the symptoms and beat the odds for developing dementia and other forms of memory loss.

Just by doing some simple, well-constructed brain exercises, you can improve neuroplasticity. As a result, you stand a greater chance of overcoming the decline of mental functioning that naturally occurs with aging.

How to Sharpen Your Brain

1. Challenge Your Brain with Mental Exercises.

One of the main ways to sharpen your mind is by doing mental exercises. This stimulates your brain cells, causing them to communicate with one another.

Solving the Rubik's cube can be an excellent cognitive exercise. You could also learn a new hobby or foreign language. Learning new skills, mentoring others and volunteering are some other ways to challenge your brain.  

2. Repeat Information

When trying to recall something you've just read or heard, repeat the information out loud as well as write it down. This helps to reinforce the new facts in your memory. However, don't just repeat the information several times and then not review it later. Instead, plan to go over it again shortly.

In other words: space it out. Review your new information every few hours throughout the day, every day, until it becomes embedded in your mind. When you space out periods of study, you're helping to improve your memory. Thus, repetition works best when it's timed correctly.

Alpha Waves | Improve Your Memory | Super Intelligence

3. Read More Books

People who read a lot of books are better at recalling information than non-readers. That's why you should read more books and publications on a wide variety of subjects.

Rather than wasting hours vegging out in front of a TV or texting on your phone, check out books to read at your public library. You can also find a vast array of books on virtually any topic from eBooks.

4. Engage More with People in Challenging Games

In addition to challenging yourself with games, include other people. When you participate in interactive, challenging games and activities with others you're 65% to 75% more likely to remain sharp and prevent memory disorders from occurring, such as Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Dancing is another type of social interaction that helps in sharpening your brain.  

5. Make Schedules

Consider how today's business world is exceptionally competitive and busy. That's why making schedules should be a requirement for your personal development growth rather than an option.

In short: time management is of extreme importance if you want to advance in your personal and professional development. What's more, learn to prioritize as some jobs require more urgency than others.

6. Get Quality Sleep

Even if you do everything possible to improve your cognitive abilities, your brain still won't function as well as it should if you fail to get enough sleep.

Getting quality sleep can help your brain recover after a hectic day at work. Try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep although everyone has different needs.

Key Takeaways

• Just as it takes effort to maintain a healthy body, the same principle applies to keeping your brain sharp and healthy.
  
  
• To get the most benefit from your brain, exercise your brain regularly with training and learning.
  
  
• In addition to benefiting your career, a sharp brain can also postpone cognitive decline later in your life.

1. First thing in the morning just put on your shoes and go for a run or cycling for atleast about 30-40mins.

2. Get rid of hot water baths. Cold bath refreshes your entire nervous system making you fresh in thoughts.

3. Play a lot of chess with computer at least two games a day.

4. Read, read and read a lot. Read things that are new to you and informative. Stop watching stupid movies and useless publicity news channel and page3 news.

Read simple physics or do some basic high school math exercises.

5. Spend lots of time with the youth, preferably college folks or high school buddies. They have the innovative minds.

6. Numbers, play a lot with numbers, try to memorize phone numbers of all of your friends and close people and make sure to dial their number rather than calling from the contact list or call log.

7. Learn the art of calmness and get rid of anger. Makes you a smarter decision maker. In any tense situation think before you react.

8. Make it a point to speak at least to one stranger a day at your office or surrounding and try to remember their names and what they do.

9. Learn a new language every year. Also speak in multiple languages through out the day.

10. Start playing a new sport and try to be at least an intermediate player in it.

11. Be curious be hungry, ask questions to yourself about everything that you are curious about and find answers to it.

12. Eat only what is required for your body in limited quantity. If possible eat foods which contain essential amino acids for brain development. (Ex - sea food and nuts.)

13. Take a stroll down your lane before hitting the bed. Do not use your phone just before sleep or when in bed. Finish all phone activities an hour before bed time. Have a 7-8 hour undisturbed sleep.

14. Go on a solo trip once in a while to a new place and stay away from phone as much possible. Adapt to the conditions of the place where ever you go.

15. Learn to play a musical instrument or simple start singing songs and get better at singing.

Thank you :)