Engage in 30 minutes of exercise every morning, Monday to Friday and weekends, to boost focus, motivation, creativity, and happiness, and to grow new brain cells, establishing a consistent habit for brain productivity.
Regularly move your body throughout your lifetime to stimulate growth factors like BDNF, which helps new brain cells grow in the hippocampus, thereby improving memory, imagination, and potentially delaying dementia by making your hippocampus ‘big and fat and fluffy’.
Perform exercise to immediately sharpen prefrontal cortex functions like focus and attention, with effects lasting at least two hours, and to improve memory and writing ability over time.
View anxiety as an evolutionary tool designed to protect you, aiming to turn down its volume to a controlled level that can propel you to better performance and action, rather than being overwhelmed by it.
Transform ‘what if’ anxiety lists into practical ’to-do’ lists, recognizing that these worries highlight what you care about, and taking action can relieve anxiety and prepare you for challenges.
Practice meditation to improve mood by decreasing negative states like anxiety and depression and increasing positive states like optimism, while also strengthening your prefrontal cortex to enhance focus and attention by filtering out distractions.
Actively cultivate an optimistic mindset by reframing anxious situations and believing in your ability to improve through consistent effort, as this belief system fosters positive brain plasticity and helps you create a wonderful life environment.
Recognize uncomfortable emotions like anxiety, sadness, and anger as warning systems, allowing them to direct your attention more clearly to things that are important to you, rather than trying to get rid of them.
Walk for at least 10 minutes to significantly decrease negative mood states like anxiety and depression, and increase positive mood states, as this simple act can be as effective as some antidepressants by releasing beneficial neurochemicals.
Incorporate movement into your day at any time, as even small amounts like walking are beneficial for your brain and mood, rather than thinking you need to do an hour-long workout for it to count.
Decrease alcohol consumption, even a small amount, to optimize sleep quality, as alcohol acts as a significant sleep disruptor, and good sleep is critical for brain regeneration and working best the next day.
Understand that your brain’s plasticity means past negative experiences like chronic stress do not define its future; by making positive changes today, existing neurons can regenerate and get bigger, and new ones can be created in the hippocampus.
Engage in a ’tea meditation’ ritual by focusing on the process of brewing, pouring, and drinking tea without distractions like phones or paper, to cultivate a consistent and accessible meditation practice.
Listen to your favorite music, especially pieces that give you goosebumps, to activate reward areas in your brain, easily decreasing anxiety and increasing happiness.
Practice self-kindness and empathy towards others, as empathy is known to increase dopamine in your brain, contributing to overall well-being and positive mood.