Signs of aging can manifest in many ways. We can see it on our skin, our hair starts to become gray, and we can definitely feel it in our bones. For others, aging can be a scary transition, which is why anti-aging creams and treatments are always in demand. Movies like In Time are inspired by people’s craving for the fountain of youth.

They say that wisdom comes with age but memory loss also comes with age. Just like the aging prevention in beauty and aesthetic, the mental aging can also be slowed down. The only difference? It doesn’t need any surgical operations and expensive concoctions. The brain is a smart organ that’s why it only needs a little bit of training and we’re on our way to a healthier mental state.

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Altruism and volunteering can provide an individual with a life-changing experience, opening their eyes to how individuals live in other parts of the world

So what are these activities exactly? Here’s a list of them.

Mental stimulation

Just like swimming can increase our lung’s performance, mental exercise is found to be the most effective way in keeping our brains healthy. No, we don’t have to put our brains under strain to make it work. Simple things like answering puzzles can be a very great help. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and even reading books can give a healthy stimulation to our brain. One tip also in stimulating our brain is to do the mental computation. That’s right, doing basic math can be a very good brain exercise. So ditch the calculator the next time we do our weekly budget and just use the most powerful computer instead, our brains. It’s simpler than it sounds so no need to feel hesitant.

Be sociable

Being a part of a good community is a proven way to boost overall health since it keeps us happy. One perk of being surrounded by friends is the free motivation we get from them. We have a free shrink that we can always talk to about our problems and give us nonstop support.

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Friends can have a huge impact on how we live our lives

Being sociable and finding true and lasting friendships is also one of the secrets of the people living in the blue zone. Happiness is directly related to our health, which is why it’s good to surround ourselves with a company who can make feel this emotion.

Exercise more

Exercise is probably the one thing we can always turn to if we want maximum performance. It has many benefits, looking good on pictures is just a bonus.

When we exercise, we regenerate the production of new nerve cells. A healthy amount of oxygenated blood flows into our brain which is responsible for enhancing our thought processes. Exercise also shows to be a major cause of slowing and fighting neural damage and disorders like Alzheimer. When we exercise, we not only help our body be fit, but we also elongate our life expectancy and brain plasticity.

Be a health buff

Our food intake not only affects our body but our brain as well. Watching the food that we eat is found to be a good way to prevent mental decline. Food high in calories, sugar, and cholesterol are culprits in our system. They may taste good, but lying in the hospital bed years from now is not how life should be lived.

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Consumption of food high in saturated fat like beef and cheese is linked

Eating food high in B vitamins are found to decrease the production of homocysteine, a non-protein amino acid. High homocysteine levels are linked to a higher risk of having dementia and other related disorders. Foods high in B vitamins include whole-grain cereals and green, leafy vegetables.

Enjoy the silence

The hustle and bustle of our everyday lives can get too overwhelming at times, which can lead to some nasty emotions. Having negative emotions impacts the brain and our health. We constantly find ourselves being in a crowded situation. People always use social media as an escape from the temporary loneliness. We scroll down to be an audience of other people’s “perfect” lives, rather than face an empty bed. But guess what? Having a silent time every day is a good and inexpensive way to keep our brain at its maximum.

Social media is proven to be one of the major causes of depression and anxiety. We voluntarily put ourselves under the lens by comparing our lives to others. So next time that a social media stalking spree is about to happen, just put the phone down and enjoy the silence. It’s way better than the former.