Cognitive and Mental Health

23 Ways to Think Better and Get Healthier in 2023

Stimulate your brain and sharpen your mind with healthy approaches and tools to improve cognitive skills joyfully.

Having a strong interest in the body and mind connection, I pay specific attention to both physical and mental health. Unless we have a strong body, having a sharp mind can be challenging. The opposite is also true.

This article might look like a simple listicle, unlike my previous essays. However, I’ve got a specific goal of giving you a memorable and doable checklist in 2023 to inspire you and give you practical tools to stimulate your brain, sharpen your mind, and improve your health with daily practices joyfully. This is a new year's gift for my readers.

As I committed to including 23 items, I kept explanations short, linking to relevant stories to make this a reasonable size piece. Even though it has 23 headings, there are many more actions encapsulated under each heading. This is a condensed list from my decades of experience in brain health.

Turning these into action items in a printable spreadsheet or table can be helpful. You might also add the relevant items that you choose to your daily task list or smartphone apps to remember and act on them regularly.

These tools and principles are based on lifestyle modifications. Thus, instead of copying them as is, you can personalize them based on your goals, needs, and capabilities.

Rather than having new year’s resolutions that usually don’t work, creating an action plan, consistently executing them, and gaining new habits can significantly improve your physical, cognitive, and mental health.

Please don’t give up on the chosen actions before trying them for at least 60 days. It is because the brain can usually create solid neural connections after two months, based on my experience and observations in the field.

However, some people can gain habits as short as 21 days. So it is a bonus for you if you can create a habit in under a month. Then, celebrate it!

Here are practical tips to stimulate your brain and improve your physical and mental well-being holistically in 2023.

1— Take care of your physical and mental health

Start paying attention to your physical health, as it has a significant impact on your mental health. Focus on fundamentals such as a healthy diet, exercise, rest, fun, and restorative sleep for your brain to function at its best. Consider time-restricted eating or fasting to initiate autophagy and mitophagy, and boost BDNF and growth hormone. Get regular health checkups with help from your family doctor to identify potential problems.

2 — Practice gratitude, a growth mindset, positive thinking, and optimism.

Gratitude involves focusing on the things you are thankful for. It can have a positive impact on mood and overall well-being. Practice writing down or sharing things you are grateful for each day. Look at things from a positive angle and remain optimistic. Optimists live longer than pessimists. Your mindset determines your success or failure in life.

3— Get enough sunlight or try light therapy.

Getting enough sunlight or using light therapy can help improve mood and brain function. The seasonal affective disorder occurs during the winter months. Looking at the sun first thing in the morning for a few minutes and getting 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure unless you have skin disorders can increase vitamin D (a critical hormone) and balance your neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and GABA.

4 — Take breaks and give your brain time to rest.

Your brain needs time to rest and recharge. Take regular breaks throughout the day to give your brain a chance to rest. Stay away from screens and electronic devices during your breaks to give your eyes a break. Consider a social media fast.

5 — Practice self-care and manage stress.

Oxidative and emotional stress can lead to chronic inflammation and can adversely impact your brain functions and overall well-being. Practice self-care activities to lower stress. Some of the following steps can help.

6— Practice deep breathing and other relaxation techniques.

Relaxation techniques can help reduce stress, improve focus, and help you build new memories. Breathing can activate your critical vagus nerve and oxygenate neurons. You can also try muscle-relaxing techniques, hot baths with Epsom salts, and dry saunas. Cold showers can boost your mood and energize you to be creative and productive.

7 — Practice mindfulness and start meditation.

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Practicing mindfulness can help you stay focused and avoid distractions. Visualization of a desired outcome or solution can be a powerful tool for thinking on your feet. If you don’t meditate, it is time to start it, as you might reap many benefits, as I explained in this story.

8 — Work and study in a flow state.

A flow state is a psychological concept that can be practiced by following mindfulness principles such as living in the moment, clearing mental clutter, self-compassion, focusing, paying attention to one thing at a time, and smoothly switching tasks. You can explore it in this story.

9 — Take online courses or attend workshops to learn new things.

Online courses and workshops can be a great way to learn new skills and expose yourself to new ideas and perspectives. Try to learn a new language or play a musical instrument to boost your brain functions. They can improve focus, memory, problem-solving skills, task switching, and overall cognitive performance.

10 — Play brain-training apps, games, and neurobics.

Many apps and games might help you improve brain function. While the effectiveness of these games is debated, studies suggest that they may positively affect specific cognitive skills. I introduced ten popular apps and tools in this article. You may also try neurobics.

11 — Seek out new experiences and challenges.

Trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone can keep your brain active and engaged. New experiences can create new neural pathways and enhance your comprehension and joy. The brain loves novelty and grows by creating new neurons and strengthening neurocircuits.

12— Move the body with joyful workouts daily.

Regular physical activity can improve brain health and cognitive performance. The amount of exercise is up to you. But moving your body with chores, walking, dancing, yoga, or trampoline, within your capacity regularly, can improve both physical and mental health. Movement can stimulate the brain, clear toxins, increase BDNF, and boost growth hormones. Always remember to smile and laugh while exercising.

13 — Get restorative sleep each night.

Sleep is essential for attention, learning, memory consolidation, and overall brain health. Make sure to establish a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine to help you fall asleep. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants close to bedtime. Create a sleep-friendly environment. You might check how I solved my sleep issues.

14— Stay curious and talk to yourself.

Keeping an open mind and being willing to learn new things. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out answers. Try reading various materials, including books, articles, and blogs, on various topics. Surround yourself with curious people who are open to new ideas. Besides, talking to yourself regularly can stimulate your brain, help you solve problems, and can be therapeutic to lower your stress, anxiety, fear, and depression.

15 — Learn to prioritize your time.

Time management is an important skill, but managing time can only be easy with prioritizing critical tasks. Sort out your tasks based on importance and urgency and tackle them accordingly. You can create a backlog for tasks that can wait. Always schedule your task and perform them in a flow state with no distractions.

16 — Stay organized and declutter.

A cluttered environment can be distracting and make it harder to think clearly. Make an effort to keep your physical space organized, and use tools and calendars to help you stay organized and on top of tasks. Make a quick plan for every activity. Break your goals into smaller and more manageable tasks. Here is an inspiring story about how decluttering helped an obese person to 80 pounds.

17 — Practice asking open-ended questions and prompts to stimulate critical thinking.

Open-ended questions cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” response. Asking open-ended questions can help stimulate critical thinking and encourage more profound conversations. You can also narrow the options down with closed-ended questions.

18— Practice problem-solving and energize your brain with problem-based learning.

Problem-solving is one of the most critical skills for our survival and well-being. Problem-based learning is a method that involves learning by solving real-life problems hands-on. These approaches can improve thinking, communication, interpersonal, and other essential skills.

19 — Improve your memory and use various techniques to remember information.

Mnemonic is a memory technique to help you remember information by associating it with interesting objects or events. Try spaced repetition, reviewing information at intervals over time rather than trying to learn it all at once. Use the chunking technique to remember large amounts of information. Improve your working memory by using the 12 methods that I introduced in this article.

20 — Practice focusing your attention and removing distractions.

Attention and focus are the mental processes of registering specific pieces of information while ignoring other distractions. These are limited resources. They can be quickly depleted by multitasking or other distractions. Set aside a specific time and place for work or study, and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Remember to set emotional boundaries to keep your sanity in frenetic environments.

21 — Use your reticular activating system (RAS).

Even though the RAS is not directly related to cognitive capabilities, it can significantly contribute to the achievement of our tasks, and it is closely related to focus, attention, task switching, planning, and problem-solving.

RAS comprises a cluster of nerves in the brain stem. The primary role of RAS is to filter unnecessary information and only allow essential content. Thus it relates to focus and attention.

RAS can achieve filtering excessive information based on fixed parameters. These parameters are our safety, survival, and other factors which have supreme importance coded in the old brain that the cognitive system perceives. I explained it in this story.

22 — Get mentors or coaches and engage with them.

Surrounding yourself with experienced and knowledgeable people willing to share their expertise can stimulate your mind and help you learn and grow. Seek mentors, coaches, or teachers who can guide you in your journey and help you gain knowledge and develop your skills.

23 — Practice joyful learning techniques to increase your comprehension of essential topics daily.

I left this to the end as there are many techniques. I outline ten of them and will write a detailed post adding many more. In the meantime, you can do a Google search to explore the details if you are unfamiliar with them.

1 — Use “the Feynman” technique to help you learn and understand new concepts. Explaining a concept to someone else in your own words, as if you were teaching them.

2 — Use “the Einstein{“ technique to help you solve problems. The critical question is “what would happen if…?” to help you approach problems from different angles.

3 — Use the “Zoom out and zoom in” technique. It involves taking a step back, looking at the bigger picture, and then focusing on the details.

4 — Use the 5 Whys technique to understand the root cause of a problem. This involves asking “why” five times to gain more information and new perspectives about a problem.

5 — Use the “Four Ps” technique. It involves approaching problems with a structured approach using the actions like Prepare, Plan, Perform, and Perfect. But refrain from perfection and remain pragmatic.

6 — Ask different questions using “what, who, where, when, why, and how?” to generate new ideas.

7 — Use the “6 Thinking Hats” technique. It involves approaching problems from different perspectives by considering different points of view including facts, emotions, caution, benefits), creativity, and organization.

8 — Use the “6–3–5” technique to generate new ideas by writing down six words, then combining them into three ideas, and finally expanding each idea into a paragraph.

9 — Practice the “3Ms” technique approaching problems with a structured, methodical approach: using mission, methods, and measures.

10 — Use the “Get Self-Sufficient” technique. It involves coming up with your own solutions to a problem before asking for help. This can help you develop critical thinking skills and become more self-reliant.

Final words

The amygdala, a complex physiological structure in the emotional brain (limbic system), plays a crucial role in survival management.

However, excessive amygdala stimulation can result in unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, fear, and anger affecting your cognitive and mental performance.

One viable solution is strengthening your neocortex (thinking brain) by using the practical solutions mentioned in this post.

The stronger the neocortex, the less disturbing the amygdala and emotional brain get. I explained and provided practical tips to tame the amygdala.

Once you tame your amygdala and empower your neocortex, you can stay calm and composed even amidst crises. This capability portrays the secret behind the behavioral distinctions between those who are typically calm, composed, and focused versus those who are prone to aggression and distraction.

These practices can be invaluable for healthy people. However, those with underlying health conditions need to give priority to the healing process with support from loved ones and qualified healthcare professionals.

Please remember to hug and kiss your loved ones at every opportunity, as the limbic system and the body crave touch and meaningful connections and intimacy. With self-love, you can attract loving people to your life.

activities to shrink. Food, movement, sleep, and rest are the primary lifestyle factors affecting metabolic activities positively or negatively.

Our metabolic rate is so critical that it determines the size of our waistlines, muscle mass, fitness levels, and overall well-being.

Understanding the basic metabolic rate (BMR) concept can be helpful. It refers to energy expenditure during resting time caused by bodily activities such as digestion, breathing, blood circulation, and cellular activities.

The higher the BMR, the more calories the body burns in a rested state. Unfortunately, as we age, BMR tends to get slower. Sedentary life and losing muscle mass also cause further slowing of BMR.

Apart from age, various other factors affect BMR. The well-documented ones are diet, activity levels, stress levels, medical history, weight, height, sex, ethnicity, and genetics.

Our physical and mental health depend on well-functioning metabolism to survive and thrive. Metabolic health is tightly coupled with mental health.

Conversely, when our metabolism slows down enormously, we might face metabolic issues that adversely affect our health span, lifespan, and overall life satisfaction.

Unfortunately, metabolic disorders affect millions of people. Common metabolic disorders include metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and some cancers.

The solution to optimally functioning metabolism requires addressing metabolic risks with healthy lifestyle changes. Additionally, solving underlying conditions with the help and support of qualified healthcare professionals is essential.

Hormonal balance is the most critical aspect of boosting metabolism. Insulin and glucagon are two crucial hormones in speeding up or slowing down the metabolic rate.

Here are the seven practical tips to boost metabolism and shrink waistlines.

1 — Increase resistance workouts or high-intensity training.

From my experience and observations, resistance training makes the most significant impact on improving metabolism. The reason is the effects of this type of training on our muscles.

The more muscles we have, the more energy the body burns. Therefore, when performing resistance training and lower calories from food, muscular people can lose fat faster than less muscular ones.

The muscle is an energy-hungry organ. Even when we don’t eat food, the body still needs to supply energy to muscle cells by burning fat molecules and turning them into glucose to feed and protect muscles using the gluconeogenesis and lipolysis processes.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is known as a better muscle-building workout than prolonged cardio. For example, in general, athletes performing high-intensity training, such as sprinting, have better body composure than long-distance runners.

HIIT and resistance training are not exclusive to men. Women can also utilize them, as I explained in a recent story titled Here’s Why Resistance Training Can Be a Gamechanger for Women Too.

2 — Reduce excessive cardio.

Even though aerobic exercises are helpful for cardiovascular health, blood flow, and activating the lymphatic system to clear toxins, too much cardio might cause metabolic problems.

Excessive cardio might slow down metabolism by causing catabolism in muscles. During long cardio sessions, the stress hormone cortisol elevates and burns the glucose from muscle cells.

Lowering calories with excessive cardio and calorie reduction using fad diets might lead to starvation, muscle loss, and metabolic disorders.

The body cannot tap into fat stores when the cortisol levels get elevated for a prolonged time. Rather than fat, we might lose precious muscles due to excessive cardio. Fewer muscles equate to lower metabolism.

3 — Stop restrictive diets but consider time-restricted eating if it suits your needs.

Some diets restrict essential macronutrients like proteins and healthy fats. However, the nine essential amino acids we get from protein sources are necessary for muscles and many other metabolic activities.

Some fats are also essential for the body. For example, the satiety signaling hormone (leptin) comprises fats and functions based on sensing fat intake and stores in the body.

When we don’t consume enough fat, the body can face leptin resistance, causing us to eat more than necessary and accumulate visceral fat.

Interestingly some diets ask people to eat less but frequently. Even though digestion of food might slightly increase metabolism, frequent eating causes insulin spikes and prevent fat loss.

Therefore, frequent meals might not work for some people. But they do for some. Therefore, we need to try and make necessary adjustments with support from qualified healthcare professionals.

The vital point to remember is that when frequent insulin spikes happen for a prolonged time, the body might get insulin resistance, causing the metabolism to slow down, accumulating visceral fat, and leading to metabolic disorders.

Time-restricted eating for healthy people can be more effective due to hormonal effects. During the fasted window, insulin stops, but glucagon and growth hormones increase. Glucagon helps with fat burning, and growth hormone protects muscles.

4 — Adjust macronutrients and increase the density of micronutrients.

As mentioned in the previous section, the ratio of macronutrients affects the metabolism directly or indirectly. Protein-containing food can speed up metabolism due to digestive energy expenditure and muscle-building activities like activating mTOR.

Cutting protein and healthy fats and increasing carbohydrates for energy might slow down metabolism indirectly. Too many carbohydrates spike insulin and prevent fat burning.

Macronutrient requirements might differ from person to person based on numerous factors. Therefore, support from qualified healthcare professionals can be valuable. Certified dieticians or nutritionists can assess the factors and provide a personalized plan.

In addition, micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins are also necessary for metabolic activities serving as co-factors for various enzymes and hormones. Therefore, consuming nutrient-dense whole foods can be more valuable than food with empty calories, also known as junk or processed food.

Staying hydrated is also essential to speed up metabolism. Drinking adequate clean water is crucial to keep the metabolism active.

5 — Improve sleep quality and recover timely.

Sleep and recovery are also critical for metabolic health. The main contribution of sleep is to lower stress, balance hormones, and support metabolic activities.

Sleep deprivation adversely affects fat burning, as the elevated cortisol puts the body in sugar-burning mode, raising insulin and breaking the balance of metabolic activities. Sleep deprivation might also delay recovery.

Even though the metabolic rate slightly lowers during sleep, such as around 15%, after restorative sleep, the rate significantly increases, making favorable effects in the metabolic pathways and through excitatory neuropeptide hormones orexins, as explained in this paper.

6 — Act mindfully and meditate daily.

Mindfulness practices like meditation can also impact metabolic activities indirectly. For example, meditation can lower stress and balance hormones.

In addition, meditation can lower anxiety and improve sleep quality. As mindfulness practices help us regulate emotions, our overall stress profile improves and puts the body in a metabolically advantaged position.

Meditation after exercise can speed up recovery. As it lowers stress hormones, the body gets a chance to tap into fat stores after meditation sessions coupled with fasting.

7 — Balance and optimize hormones.

I left this item to the end as previous ones contribute to hormonal balance directly or indirectly. Hormonal balance is crucial for metabolic activities. As I explained in a previous story, hormones are more important than calorie counting for fat loss and muscle gain.

Hormonal fluctuations can be both triggering and aggravating factors for numerous metabolic processes. For example, ghrelin triggers hunger and leptin signals for satiety. Growth hormone triggers muscle cells to grow and insulin fat cells to expand.

From my reviews, powerful hormones affecting our metabolism are insulin, glucagon, leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, cholecystokinin, growth hormone, sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen), and cortisol. I introduced the intricacies of six hormones affecting our metabolism.

Acquiring hormonal intelligence to optimize and balance them is essential. We can balance and optimize our hormones with lifestyle factors like restorative sleep, quality nutrition, regular exercise, rest, fun, and timely recovery.

However, underlying hormonal disorders require support from medical specialists such as endocrinologists. For example, if we have symptoms of slow metabolism, it can be helpful to get our hormones checked and treated by a specialist.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Understanding how metabolism works and taking corrective actions as lifestyle choices is the secret people look for in the wrong places, like expensive supplements and weight loss programs in magazines.

Most of the time, the culprit is slowing metabolism due to various lifestyle factors or underlying health conditions. More importantly, starvation caused by excessive calorie cutting is a critical factor we must keep in mind.

Fat loss and muscle gain for healthy people are not too complicated, but we overcomplicate and make them mysterious due to myths, misinformation, ignorance, and negligence.

Unlike misperceptions, time-restricted eating, and ketogenic diets do not slow the metabolism of healthy people. On the contrary, they do just the opposite. However, these diets and eating regimens might not work for everyone. Nevertheless, it worked for many people and me.

For example, like many healthy people, my metabolism significantly improved after I started skipping a meal and later adopted one nutritious meal a day. As a result, I don’t gain weight but keep my lean muscles.

Replacing excessive cardio, like long-distance running with calisthenics, high-intensity interval training, and more resistance workout, significantly boosted my metabolism.

I lost muscles in my younger years due to typical weight loss mistakes but not in my older years. Instead, as I got older, I gained a defined body with a well-functioning metabolism thanks to a personalized diet, customized workouts, restorative sleep, and mindful living.

Here are some takeaways to boosting metabolism. You might skip if some points are irrelevant to your situation.

1 — Move the body regularly and incorporate resistance training using body weight and weightlifting tools.

2 — Solve sleep issues and diligently strive to have adequate and restorative sleep daily and recover timely.

3 — Consider a personalized diet ensuring sufficient protein and healthy fats. Refrain from refined carbs and processed foods.

4 — Consider eating nutrient-dense foods, including essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins from nutritious and whole foods.

5 — Reduce stress by taking regular breaks at work, having fun with friends and loved ones, acting mindfully, and meditating daily.

6 — Rather than weight loss, focus on visceral fat loss and muscle retention. Measuring our waistline can be a better indicator than the scale.

7 — Improve social connections to boost the mood and enjoy helpful lifestyle habits like healthy eating, exercise, and sleep.

8 — Finally, address underlying health issues timely by seeking support from qualified healthcare professionals and others.

Based on my observations, I shared two case studies of friends, one male, and one female, to give perspectives to my readers. I hope these stories inform and inspire readers who face metabolic disorders.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

If you are a new reader and find this article valuable, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments.

Sample Health Improvement Articles for New Readers

I write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.

One of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.

To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.

Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, cardiac output, and major disorders.

I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:

Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Cod Liver Oil, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.

Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.

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