5 replies to this topic

[Zakariah]

I am already taking a great nootropic stack, therefore, I am not looking for any more things to consume.

I am looking for different avenues of activity that you do on a regular basis that have proved to effectively improve your concentration, alertness and energy.

 

Can't wait to hear the responses!!

[Gerrans]

For the last couple of years I have been actively trying to develop my brain by doing things that require a slightly uncomfortable mental effort. I have always regarded myself as mentally active, but it finally occurred to me that I preferred mental activities that were easy for me, such as reading, or such as doing things I was already good at, and that therefore my brain was actually operating in its comfort zone. I decided therefore to do some mental arithmetic each day and learn some aspect of foreign languages, both of which activities I felt could develop some new neural pathways. I also now spend about half an hour a day writing jokes, which I then put on Twitter. I combine some of these habits with my regular passive forms of entertainment--so I always watch online football matches with a French, Italian, or German commentary--even matches from Britain. I also follow mainly foreign-language accounts on Twitter and read and watch the news in these three foreign languages.

 

The idea behind these strategies was purely theoretical; but I have been surprised how much I have learned and how my mental processes seem to be speeding up at the age of 60. In particular, my ability to extend my foreign languages has surprised me, because I assumed I would not be able to learn as well as when I was young.

 

I do not know if all this will help me stave of the cognitive impairment of old age, but that is what I am hoping. To develop one's brain, I think it is necessary to exert tangible mental effort, but I am finding it easy to motivate myself to that end by focusing on areas that interest me and by committing myself only to short doses of effort, before my attention can tail off. My mental alertness seems to be improving all the time, though understanding certain contributors to Longecity remains a long way off (my aim is to get there by the time I am one hundred).

Edited by Gerrans, 24 March 2015 - 07:08 PM.

[Zakariah]

Hey Gerrans, 

 

Thanks for the reply! You make great points:

* Focus can be developed like a muscle as well, it can also deteriorate like one

* Engaging in activities that push your mind outside of its limits will potentiate its abilities

  - This point is very important for me, because I need to find activities that potentiate the ability of my mind to focus w/o any distractions

       To this degree, you used language acquisition as a gateway for potentiating your mental abilities.

              - I can only wonder what specific mental facilities were expanded through language acquisition. (I don't know for sure, but I think i'm looking for activities that are more specific to the facilities of focus - rather than memory, or communication) 

 

Thanks for your share!! Keep them coming, please !!!

[blood]

A bit of exercise (brisk walking) & plenty of sleep.

 

Coffee & black tea in the morning.

 

[Zakariah]

Hey Blood,

 

I already exercise and I definitely can tell a concentration boost when I do it consistently. Although, it definitely drops when I go overboard.

As for coffee, I feel like it depletes my energy in the long run when I consume it daily. Tea is a great addition to the day though, since it has L-theanine and some anti-oxidants.

[Manwhoworkstoomuch!]

Worship your sleep schedule no matter what. Drink 4 cups of caffeine every morning and nothing after that. Take 1h walks every day on top of your exercise routine. Eat one or two small dark chocolate pieces every day.