At some point in life, cognitive performance starts to decline. Your brain stops growing and your ability to learn new things, retain information, and perform under stress begins to wane. Most people certainly want to maintain their level of cognitive performance and, if possible, improve it. For too long, people have wrongly assumed that cognitive ability is something you’re born with, and nothing can be done about it. Well, that’s not the case.
While it’s true that some people are blessed with higher cognitive abilities than others, no one is static. You can take steps to both improve cognitive ability and slow its decline as you age. Small steps you take each day will give you the cognitive power you need at work while pursuing avocations, or in your interactions with other people.
But where can you start? While there is no magic pill to make you smarter, there are things that improve cognitive performance that can give you the edge you need to succeed. Here are some ways to improve cognitive performance that you can try today.
Stay Curious
The most basic thing that you can do is not let your brain atrophy. One of the best ways you can do this is to keep learning. Staying curious and expanding your knowledge base keeps your brain firing on all cylinders for longer. The more you learn, the smarter you’ll be. It may come a bit more slowly as you get older, but you’ve got to keep at it! Learn a new language, take a course at work to build your skill set, or learn martial arts. Stimulate your brain and send the message that you need it to keep you powered. The more you learn, the more cognitive ability you’ll have to call on when you need to perform.
Get High-Quality Sleep
Your brain needs rest to perform at its highest level. If you rob your mind of sleep, you can’t expect it to perform under pressure or for sustained periods. The bottom line is, you need sleep. And it’s got to be good sleep where your body restores its energy levels and your brain can turn off for a bit. Studying all night before a test might work once in a while, but it’s not a good long-term strategy for cognitive performance. Whether you’re competing somewhere or presenting something important at work, get a good night’s sleep the day before to stay on point.
How Peptides Help Cognitive Performance
N-Acetyl Semax is a peptide that has been shown to boost learning and memory. The results are good, particularly in those suffering from neurological impairment. Research out of the United States and Canada shows that the protein upon which Semax is based protects memory in mouse models and can be used in the treatment of epileptic disorders. More research needs to be done, but scientists indicate that even low doses given to animal models can prevent learning and memory dysfunction.
Eat a Healthy Diet
You also need to make sure that you’re feeding your brain good foods to keep it performing well. You can’t expect to fill your body with junk food like sugars and unhealthy fats and expect it to perform when you need it to. Your brain thrives on healthy foods and when things like blood sugar levels are in healthy ranges. Eating a lot of protein, mineral-rich vegetables, and taking the right supplements can ensure your brain is ready to go. You’ll likely also slow any sort of cognitive decline. Change your diet and see how it affects the way you think.
Maintain Social Connections
Your mental health and cognitive performance are closely tied to the social connections you keep. Social activities, family relationships, and friends keep up sharp. Not only do they give us something to do and stimulate our brains, but they also send a signal to the brain that it’s not time to check out yet. Just take a look at older people with few social connections who live solitary lives. They tend to experience much faster rates of cognitive decline versus people who have deep social connections and stay socially active for longer.
Get involved in your community, check in with friends, and reach out to people. Your brain and your mental health will thank you.
Improving cognitive decline doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something you have to keep at and build routines to accomplish. With time, though, you can see a meaningful improvement in cognitive performance and experience significant benefits in many aspects of your life.
