The secret to improving brain power is all about making smart decisions with respect to your brain health. Smart decisions about nutrition, developing healthy habits and managing stress levels all contribute to one thing: keeping your brain in peak condition so that you can stay sharp, alert and ready to tackle any challenge life may throw at you.

Like it or not, all of us are getting older. And as we age, we start to notice some changes — some physical, some mental. Some of these changes can be rather distressing.

The thing is most people think of habits as bad things you need to conquer, good habits are the ones keeping you on track, like reminding yourself to brush your teeth every morning or to drink water throughout the day.

Did you know there are habits you can add easily to your daily routine that will boost your brainpower? Let’s look at five changes you can start making today and get you on track to creating the best version of yourself.

1. Sleep

This one should almost go without saying. Sleep is how you recharge and prepare yourself to face the new day. What you might not realize is sleep is what helps you to process your day. Without deep sleep and the dream state, you would never be able to deal with whatever trauma you went through during your waking hours. By getting enough sleep, you’re hitting the reset button on your brain, allowing it to work through the rough stuff so you can start the next day with a clean slate.

2. Get Up When the Sun Does

Pay attention to Circadian rhythms. By starting the day at dawn, you’re putting your body in sync with the world around you. People who are out of sync are those who experience all manner of problems, from obesity to depression. To keep your mood stabilized, start the day early, and go to bed when it gets dark.

3. Use Fish Oil

If you’re not into eating a lot of fatty fish in your diet, a fish oil supplement will give you the Omega-3s so crucial to your good health. That is what’s needed to repair your brain cells, with the added benefit of guarding you against memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

4. Practice Mindfulness

You might already know meditation will help you reduce stress, and give your brain a break. Were you aware meditation is also responsible for stopping loss of brain cells and even reversing the effects of aging? Meditate for at least 5 – 10 minutes every day to see a positive benefit.

5. Do Weird Stuff

To grow new connections in your brain and keep your neurons firing, you need to challenge it regularly. Take up a hobby, learn a language, or try something new for a definite jumpstart to get your brain going. Even doing the same old routine in an alternative way can have a positive benefit. So, brush your teeth with the opposite hand or try going a different way to work to jump-start the process.

As with any habit, the key is to do these things every day for the best benefit. Boosting your brainpower is very simple. Commit to building new habits starting today. After all, there’s no time like the present!

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Hopefully, this post has given you some insights into the science of habit formation and what you can do to improve or create new habits for yourself. No one is totally immune to these trends, but if we work hard and remain conscious of our daily actions, we might just be able to rewire our brains to work for us instead of against us. You might even notice improvements in your overall health and well-being in no time at all.