Write things down. Use a journal to write down ideas, thoughts and inspirations. Journaling helps you to focus, seek answers to problems and generate creative solutions. Try journaling in pictures, sketching memories and ideas, which stimulates the areas of your brain that handle complex reasoning. Draw diagrams to represent problems you are trying to solve.
Play computer games. Many games force your brain to think logically and strategically. Because they keep the challenges coming, games force you to think, respond and choose faster than you have to in the real world. Play competitive games that require strategic thinking, such as chess.
Take vitamins C and E. Their antioxidants clear away toxins and protect the integrity of your brain cells. Vitamin C is good for clearing away mental fog and improving focus. Vitamin E's antioxidant effects are stronger than those of Vitamin A, and help clear the way for nutrients to reach your brain. Add alpha-lipoic acid to the mix to increase the memory-enhancing effects of vitamins A and C.
Breathe deeply. Good brain health requires plenty of oxygen. Brain function is improved with relaxation and oxygenation, and low oxygen levels have been linked to decreased brain function. Try focused breathing or meditation. Breathe very slowly and deeply while directing your awareness to one specific area of your body at a time. This relaxes and focuses your brain. Stretch the parts of your brain that might be rarely used by focusing deeply and imagining experiences that use all your senses. Try having a dialog with yourself while meditating.
Do the crossword puzzle. Puzzles that demand creative solutions extend the dendrites, your brain's nerve cells that carry electrical impulses from one part of the brain to the other.
Get some exercise. Aerobic activity helps blood circulation, which helps brain function.
Try something new. Find new hobbies that require parts of your brain that you don't normally use. Try activities that are vastly different from one another so you exercise as many areas of the brain as possible. Practice new skills without worrying about mastering them.
Drink coffee. According to Genius Intelligence, college students who drink coffee or take in other forms of caffeine before tests get higher scores than those who don't.
Get sleep. Lack of sleep has a detrimental effect on brain function. The brain needs good quality sleep, not just lots of sleep.
Read a book. Find material that makes you think and challenges your assumptions. Choose material outside your normal interests to stretch your thinking and make your brain work harder.
Find new connections. Let your brain float wherever it wants for a few minutes each day. Try to find connections between seemingly unconnected objects or ideas, forcing your brain to form new neural links. Think about how information you know fits together with new things you are learning.