6+ Ways to Sharpen Your Brain In 15 Minutes or Less Each Day

Brain health is your well-being and you need habits that will help you keep it healthy.

A healthy brain is the foundation for everything you do. It’s command central for your nervous system, and responsible for every thought and action. The last thing you want is for the foundation to crumble!

Is it possible to boost the health of your brain with simple habits you can do in 15 minutes or less?

Yes! Simple habits that you do every day consistently can benefit brain health. Just as you train your muscles at the gym, you can condition your brain and make it more efficient.

More Movement and Brain Challenges

Your brain isn’t exactly a muscle but it still has some of the same characteristics as your muscles. The more you challenge your brain, the more you force it to adapt.

You can exercise your brain by forcing it to think in different ways. The verdict is still out about the effectiveness of playing brain games but there is some evidence that games that force you to think or challenge your creativity are effective.

Tease Your Brain

How can you do this? Play games that require concentration and strategy, like chess, online brain teasers, and word puzzles. You can also sign up for brain training programs, like Luminosity.

Neuroscientists created this site to improve core cognitive abilities such as working memory, attention, and processing speed. But other brain training sites are available online and some of are free.

I do the New York Times Spelling Bee game daily for a brain challenge. Google it and you can play it free once per day. They give you a grid of 7 letters and you use the letters to form as many words as you can. Some days it’s easy, but, occasionally, they’ll throw in a real brain bender.

Keep your body moving too. A 15-minute brisk walk may offer as many or MORE benefits than 15 minutes of a brain game.

Not only does regular physical activity help your brain form new connections, a study showed that the impact of your feet hitting the ground sends pressure waves through your body that increases blood flow to your brain.

Meditate

The benefits of meditation are well documented. People who meditate report less stress, fewer negative thoughts, and a greater sense of calm than those who don’t.

But there’s more. Studies even show that regular meditation may increase brain matter in regions of the brain associated with memory, learning, emotion regulation, and self-awareness.

Meditation may also improve your ability to concentrate and focus.You don’t need to carve out hours in your day to boost your brainpower through meditation — just 15 minutes will do the trick.

Take a Nature Break

Research shows that spending time in nature also boosts energy and enhance mental well-being. In fact, the Japanese recognize this and call it “forest bathing” or shinrin-yoku.

Here’s a quote to inspire you:

“I sat staring, staring, staring — half lost, learning a new language or rather the same language in a different dialect. So still were the big woods where I sat, sound might not yet have been born.”

– Emily Carr

Combine nature with exercise by taking an outdoor walk and you’ll get even more brain health benefits. Nature and movement is an excellent example of lifestyle synergy!

Reading

Reading for 15 minutes per day is also a brain booster. Reading improves vocabulary and comprehension skills and also enhances memory, concentration, and mental acuity. You’ll also be a better-rounded person for engaging in lifelong learning.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.”

— George R.R. Martin

Plus, reading allows you to escape into someone else’s life for a short period and opens your eyes to new ideas and concepts. Have you ever read a book that changed your life?

The right book can shift your perspective on living because you can experience things from another person’s point of view. Plus, you’re challenging your mind and forcing it to engage with new ideas and concepts.

Take Advantage of Your Commutes

If you take public transit to and from work, listen to audiobooks on topics that interest you such as business, politics, social issues, history, and more.

If you drive a car, listen to audiobooks while driving (as long as your full attention is still on the road). In other words don’t listen to a meditation audiobook!

If you’re interested in learning more about healthy living and eating habits, look up podcasts related to health and wellness.

But don’t get into too much of a rut. Shake things up by listening to podcasts on topics you aren’t familiar with, so your brain is forced to process new concepts.

Learn Something New Each Day

Spend 15 minutes learning something new each day. Learning novel things builds new nerve connections that make your brain more efficient. Plus, you’re opening your mind to new ideas, problems, and opportunities.

Here are some ideas:

• Learn a new word every day. The English language is rich with variety and nuance. Each day, choose one unfamiliar word to learn the definition of. Use it in conversation or in writing at least three times that day.
• Play an instrument. If you’ve always wanted to play the guitar, piano, or another instrument, set aside 15 minutes each day to practice. You may even discover a hidden talent!
• Read a poem aloud every day. Poetry has a meter and rhyme scheme that is easy to get lost in when you’re reading silently. Reading poetry aloud helps you focus on the meaning of the words as well as their sounds and rhythm.
• Do something creative each day. Paint, draw, create a collage, write a fiction story — the sky’s the limit!

The Bottom Line

Improving the health of your brain can help you live a more productive and happier life, so take 15 minutes out of each day to strengthen it!

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References:

“Trying New Things Boosts Your Brainpower.” 02 Jun. 2020, shondaland.com/live/body/a32732791/trying-new-things-boosts-your-brainpower/.

“Meditation May Increase Gray Matter — ScienceDaily.” 13 May. 2009, sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512134655.htm.

“Meditation: In Depth — NCCIH.” nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth.

Hansen MM, Jones R, Tocchini K. Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2017;14(8):851. doi:10.3390/ijerph14080851.

Lazar SW, Kerr CE, Wasserman RH, et al. Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport. 2005;16(17):1893–1897. doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19.

“How walking benefits the brain: Researchers show that foot ….” 24 Apr. 2017, sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170424141340.htm.

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