6 Simple Ways to Improve Brain Function
Do these things and take your creative expression to the next level!
Optimal brain function is key for every aspect of creating and overall performance. Whether you are a writer crafting the perfect script or song, director or videographer mapping out that fire treatment, producer or engineer sculpting the soundtrack to your life, all of it is powered by the brain. We tend to prioritize maintenance of everything from our hair, cars and pets and often overlook ourselves, forgetting to feed what nurtures our creativity, the brain. Here are 6 easy ways to maintain optimal brain function and take your creativity to new heights!
1. Drink More Water
Because the brain is made up of 75% water, dehydration can cause the brain to shrink in size, leading to a variety of issues including headache, confusion, moodiness and fatigue name a few. For creators some of the more detrimental effects include short and long term memory impairment and a decrease in overall brain function. Brain function is the driving source of creativity and inspiration, inhibition of these due to dehydration may be an underlying cause of your lingering brain fog. Luckily hydration is quickly restored within 20 minutes of drinking as little as 16 ounces of water, so be sure to keep your water nearby at your next photo or video shoot.
2. Stand/Sit Up Straight Like Your Elders Taught You
Unfortunately most of us suffer from some degree of “text neck”; a persistent forward head position with a downward tilt, most common from the use of our cell phones, tablets and computers. Poor posture including slouching and forward head position can decrease blood flow to the brain which leads to cellular death resulting in impaired cognition. While poor posture may seem like a small part of the creative process, in reality it has subtle but marked effects on the brain, in turn hindering creativity and productivity. So for all my producers and engineers hunched over the mixing boards, straighten yourself up, you’ll appreciate it in the long run!
3. Step Away From the Drawing Board and Move Some
When in the creative zone it is easy to get caught down a rabbit hole of ideas and expression. Many times we spend hours on end in a room with little physical activity, only mental gymnastics. Stepping away for a second to get some fresh air and get your blood flowing can be more beneficial than one may think. Studies have shown that extended sedentary periods cause thinning of the medial temporal lobe of the brain which has effects on memory and overall cognitive function. Break up your next writing session into sections with dedicated time to get up and move around in the world for a spark of inspiration and to keep your mind fresh.
4. Replace That Soda With a Smoothie
The food we eat plays a large part in the level of performance our bodies, and more importantly brain, exhibit. Some of your favorite foods and drinks are in fact the worst things you could be feeding your brain. Beverages such as sodas, juices and sports drinks contain high levels of processed sugars which can cause brain inflammation and impaired cognition. Other processed foods containing refined carbohydrates and trans-fats can also have a deleterious effect on brain function. Next time you are gearing up for a long studio session try adding a green smoothie, fresh fruits and trail mix to your care pack instead of the traditional chips and sodas.
5. Get Checked by a Nervous System Expert
Brain function is dependent on receiving and transmitting information to and from every part of the body and integrating those signals into instructions for maintaining homeostasis, or balance in the body. Signals from your brain travel along the nervous system to affect every cell in your body. Interference in this transmission can cause a myriad of issues from physical manifestations of pain and dysfunction to impaired mental performance and disability. Having your nervous system regularly checked and cleared of any interference by a Chiropractic Physician can minimize symptoms of dysfunction and maximize overall performance, just ask your favorite entertainer or athlete.
6. Get Some Quality Sleep
As a creator the ability to think outside of the box and invision something unlike the world has seen, heard or experienced before it paramount. Working to the point of exhaustion, or not properly resting before beginning a project, can directly affect brain function, and thinking outside the box, or divergent thinking, is the first thing to go. Inversely, more sleep tends to increase overall creativity. Not to mention lack of sleep can lead to everything from depression to attention to detail and decision making. So before you stay up all night on social media, rest up and be ready to create the dopest work of art possible.