Boost Your Brain The Easy Way

Sure, you could spend months learning a new language to get your noggin in top form—or you could just adopt some

simple habits to maximize your mind right now. Here, three good ones to try how to boost your brain. Your

noodle will thank you!

1. MeditateYou’ll be more creative if you do so, particularly when you’re called on to think of new ideas, according to

a new study in the journal Mindfulness. People saw brain perks from a mere 20 minutes of meditating, even if

other thoughts popped into their heads while they were trying to Zen out, like “I need to start the dishwasher

after this.”

2. Let yourself reminisceGot a problem—say, how to deal with a pushy relative—that you can’t solve? Allow your mind to wander back to

how you managed a similar situation in the past. A recent study from Cornell University found that when folks

engaged brain regions associated with memory and reminiscing, they did better on the task at hand.

3. Daydream Perhaps you’ve seen someone staring out the window and thought, “They’re clearly not being

productive.” Turns out, daydreamers have a better working memory, which helps you retain and recall

details in the midst of distraction (like remembering a long coffee order at a loud café), shows University

of Wisconsin–Madison research.