Finals. This is the time of the year to eat well, rest and know the simple every day activities that enhance our brain’s performance.
1. When you first wake up, wiggle your toes. Start by wiggling all of them, back and fourth, and then just the fat toes. Almost a quarter of the bones in your body are in your feet, as well as hundreds of nerve endings and pressure points; activating these with slow and increasing movement will get your brain ready for the day. Then stretch your arms and legs, and then get up.
2. Meditate, don’t turn on your electronics. When you first wake up, give yourself at least an hour before turning on your TV, computer, videogames or whatever screens. Make time to sit and relax. You can try to meditate and/or you can visualize your day ahead.
3. Eat well and stay hydrated. Try not to get your vitamins, essential to ensuring your brain works properly, from supplements. If you can, eat ‘super foods’ like blueberries, avocados, oats, grains, tea, broccoli, salmon, yoghurt, oranges, tomatoes, walnuts, spinach, etc., which have excellent and diverse contents of vitamins and minerals to boost your mind and body throughout the day.
4. Do simple math problems, ones you can easily find the answer to and ones that might take you a second, while you take a shower, brush your teeth, etc.
5. Walk, run or ride your bike to class and work. Exercise is one of the most important things you can do, for your body, your self-confidence, and your brain. It’s important to get your endorphins going in the morning to feel good, enhance your mental circuits and foster your metabolism all throughout the day. Keeping your body in movement is just another way to make your neurotransmitters shine when you most need them to.
6. Listen to a podcast or something stimulating. If you can, tune into or download some stimulating conversations about whatever issue you want. This will get your brain activity going for the day.
7. Set time to get your work and studying done. Nothing prepares us for future success more than the feeling like we accomplished our daily tasks.
8. Drink tea or juices instead of coffee and soda. Teas such as green tea, black tea or chai have good does of much-needed caffeine in them, but they also contain antioxidants, which nourish your brain. Don’t give yourself a sugar or a caffeine crash, or load yourself up with free radicals—highly active oxygen particles that lead to brain damage.
9. Sleep. Don’t nap, but sleep for at least eight hours. I know this is hard to ask; most of us don’t have that luxury, but if your grades are worth it, then make the sacrifice and get some sleep.
These are only some of the essential everyday activities to get your mind into top shape and ready for finals. Good luck!