Training your mind is just as important if not more important than training your body. (please train both for overall health and well-being) Many of us don’t ever truly think about how we process things on the daily. We just go with the flow and hope for the best. Our minds are our most powerful tool and I believe it’s mission-critical to learn how we as individuals learn and take in information.
The tricky part is that we don’t come with a user manual like our cars. We don’t have a guide for dummies on how to navigate life using our brains that are directly built in. That means that we need to become aware of the things we need to nourish and maintain our brains along the way. Well, I gotta tell ya my momma never told me anything about all this jazz.
Our minds are malleable and there are so many things we can do with them. It is important to keep the mind sharp because over time it will break down. We need to boost our concentration, our memory, and our focus. To do this we need to create a mental exercise regiment. This will take some work on your part. Yes, this is an all-hands-on-deck type of thing! Stop looking for super shortcuts. Develop mental fortitude.
Mind Training Tips
- play card games
- using all 5 senses (sight, taste, smell, hearing, and touch) Figure it out!
- learn a new skill or craft
- rely more on your brain to problem solve (ex when GPS navigating to a destination try to use your memory on how to get back, do the addition math problem in your head instead of the calculator, and so on)
- mindfulness and meditation
- train your focus (ex pay attention to a friend in conversation and when you notice you get distracted bring your attention back. Awareness is key)
Some significant benefits of having mental fortitude are that we can have emotional strength when facing many of life’s challenges. For example, coping with the death of loved ones, facing adversity, dealing with danger and being courageous, or dealing with temptations. We don’t want to crumble when we need to be strong. It is absolutely ok to not be strong and being vulnerable at times, but when we build up and train our minds we can better deal with unexpected things.
Additionally, it’s important for us to help maintain cognitive functions. Our brains have the ability to learn and grow as we get older. Many of us just believe the whole learning thing is during adolescence and during our college years. Nope, we should always be learning! As we grow our cognitive skills will diminish, so it’s a good idea to challenge ourselves more and more.
Conclusion
Train your mind, train your body, eat right, sleep right, learn and grow, and always evolve! You got this!
Question
How did you train your mind when you were younger?
