As you know, I am a podcast junkie. One that I listen to consistently is Jim Kwik’s “Kwik Brain” which describes itself as a fun fast paced show to help busy people learn and achieve anything in a fraction of the time. I first started listening to his podcast beginning with Episode #4 which talked about how to read a book a week. Turns out it is really not that difficult although I have still yet to rise to that level. His podcast is quick hitting, generally less than twenty minutes. I highly recommend it to everyone.
His latest Episode #56 really resonated with me. It is titled “How to Keep Your Brain Ageless”. As I seem to be getting older and older by the minute this is a concern of mine. Jim’s podcast speaks to the process of literally stimulating your brain to improve cognitive function through specific activities such that the effective age of the brain gets younger. Or stated another way, by doing some of these things you can help stave off the crippling effects of brain function deterioration over time.
It’s a fascinating discussion and centers on Jim’s collaboration with Dr. Daniel Amen on his book “Use Your Brain to Change Your Age”. So here is a short synopsis of some of Jim’s recommendations for how to create improved brain functioning.
- Learn a New Language – I keep trying to do this but have never quite succeeded
- Lose the List – study memorization techniques. In the regard, I highly recommend the book “Moonwalking with Einstein” by Joshua Foer. Great book!
- Board Games – chess, Scrabble, cribbage all stimulate your brain
- OnLine Brain Training – I am starting to use the app “Elevate” which is an app for your smart phone specifically designed to train your brain and improve productivity
- Be Curious – read, study, actively try and learn new things
- Learn to Play an Instrument – I do find that learning guitar is terribly stimulating – and frustration at times
- Try a Brain Sport – again, things like trivia quizzes, Jeopardy (my favorite), crosswords (another favorite), sudoko
- #8 Try a Brain Healthy Recipe – certain foods promote brain health such as blueberries, avocados, wild salmon
- #9 Break Routine – literally change your routine such as driving home a different way, or altering your morning routine.
Again, go listen to the podcast as you’ll get a whole lot more out of it than just reading my notes. And if you subscribe, leave a review and comment and let Jim know you heard about it here.
P.S. I don’t know Jim Kwik personally. Never spoke to him. Have no affiliation. This post is because I liked what he had to say.
