YOU Docs Daily The online edition of their daily newspaper column
Get Smarter in 6 Minutes
For a quick and easy boost to your brainpower, shut your office door, close your eyes, and sleep on the job. Just for a few minutes.
On memory exercises, people who take daytime naps outperform non-nappers. And, surprisingly, a mere 6 minutes of shut-eye is enough to refresh the mind. Earlier studies showed that a night of sleep helps you remember things, but in a busy world, it’s handy to know that even a micronap has brain benefits. (But for benefits to your waistline, your heart disease risk, and your driving abilities, you’ll want a full night’s sleep. too).
How does a catnap power up your thinker? It seems that the mere act of falling asleep activates a brain-boosting process (really, boss, it’s a performance enhancer!). Since the boost takes place at the onset of sleep, it doesn’t matter whether you get 6 or 60 winks.
No office door, and no cube-mate you can trust? Then consider a few minutes of meditation in the morning -- people who meditate have fatter brains (that’s a good thing) in areas involved in attention and sensory perception than people who don’t meditate. (You also want to get your brain some fat, as long as the fat is omega-3 DHA.) Exercise regularly to increase circulation to all your organs (including the brain), and engage in mental challenges such as learning a new language or completing crossword puzzles. While you’re making your brain healthier, eat a teaspoon of cheap mustard or a curry dish daily, and ask your doc about a non-brain-crossing statin drug (like Lipitor or Crestor) or about high-dose niacin. Both of these contribute to keeping you sharp enough to challenge people 12 to 16 years younger.
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