3 Habits To Increase Brain Power!

The Summer is not over yet but now is the time to start kicking in good and healthy habits to get your brain primed and ready for the new school year. You have about 3- 4 weeks left which is enough to make any activity a habit ingrained in your daily routine.

Remember: Patience + consistency = results.

Here are 3 natural and healthy habits you should apply to your daily routine for the next couple of weeks to help you increase your brain power and CRUSH your classes. Start small and build up.

(Side note: We won't go into too much detail however I want to provide you a general guideline then some resources that, if you're serious, you can dig deep into)

1. Nutrition - The most powerful medicine

What you eat and drink has a massive effect on your lifestyle - how you move, think, sleep, and feel. Your physical, emotional, and mental health is all predicated on what your body consumes. After eating a big mac after 30 days of eating healthy, my body completely shut down and wouldn't allow it to process the big mac. You're body is like a sponge. It may seem like it'll be hard to change your diet but after 30 days your body will adapt and wont want anything else - just as how if you eat crap for 30 days your body will get used to it.

Yes, eat and consume enormous amounts of greens and vegetables, healthy proteins (Fish, grass fed beef), and drink water (Alkaline water). Yes do that! But here's something that is overlooked or people just don't know about - Omega 3 Fatty Acids (your oil change). If there is the so called "Magic pill" this is it.

Many great effects of Omega 3 but here are the main ones:

- 60% of your brain is made up of Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Makes sense why you should intake what your brain is made of)

- Reduces depression and anxiety

- Builds immune system

- Reduces Heart Attack and Stroke

For more in-depth, check out the Ultra Mind Solution by Mark Hyman.

2. Get Your Sleep on Point

I never knew how much sleep was important until I watched Arianna Huffington's (Founder of the Huffington Post) interview on sleep deprivation and how much sleep can impact your day to day life.

There's this notion going around that you're busy and you sleep less that it's cool or that you're grinding and hustling. Yes I believe that to be in some cases but it shouldn't be a routine. In fact grinding yourself to the ground as a habit is the worst thing you can do. Why do students often fail their exams that they crammed for? It's just not the smart way.

Everybody is different thought. Some function the best at 6 hours, some at 7, 8, or even 9. You have to find what works best for your body. I know that if I over sleep, my body won't function properly and would get a brain fog right off the bat.

Here are the major benefits of sleeping:

- Memory improves

- Creativity

- Emotional Health

- and of course you just live longer

I recommend Arianna's Huffington's book if you want to dig a bit deeper on how sleep can you help and how you can start implementing this habit better right away.

3. Meditate - Don't Stress Your Brain Out

We've all heard of nutrition and sleep of course because those are the fundamentals. But the most overlooked, underrated activity that provides and enormous upside to your brain is meditaion. Be ready to hear a lot about this space within the next 12 - 24 months. Everyone right now is hopping on baord and as they should be.

This inst about being a monk or being 'zen' its about exercising your focus and attention. Literally that's what you during the exercise. This is a long term thing so results are very gradual over time.

For those who are unfamiliar, here's how you practice mediation and then here's why you NEED it.

- Sit in a quiet location (morning or night - find what works best)

- Sit up right in a chair or on your bed

- Place your attention on your breathing

- If your mind wonders bring your attention back to your breathing

- Key: Notice your thoughts and let them pass objectively. Don't try to stop your thoughts from happening but rather observe them.

- Start with 5 min a day then push to 10 min a day. Then 10 min per session twice a day.

Think of mediation as an exercise to actively practice your brain's focus and attention. And as a by product you enable good positive emotions out of now where. I highly recommend digging deep into this area and studying it. There's a reason why this has been practiced for thousands of years.

Mediation increases focus, attention, awareness, self-awareness, decreases anxiety and pain, as well as depression. It's an excercise that has a direct influence on your mental health.

Go google all about the science behind mediation and if you want a good beginner's book as guide, I highly recommend reading Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now.

These three main pillars, nutrition, sleep, and mediation, may all seem general and generic but my point is to start now. Start now when it's easy so you're ready when its not. The new school year is right around the corner and I know many of your could improve in all of these areas.

Again start small and light and gradually build up a habit which will be ingrained in your daily lives so you'll be ready to kick butt for the next school year!