Dr. Farhana Shaheen provides 16 tips for training your brain and keeping it in perfect working order. The tips include reading books, playing brain training video games, meditating, getting plenty of rest, exercising regularly, eating a healthy breakfast, speaking a new language, expanding your vocabulary, and challenging your brain in other ways like blindfolded walking. Regular mental stimulation through these various activities can help improve brain health, performance, and delay cognitive decline.

1. TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
Dr. Farhana Shaheen
Yanbu University
College, KSA

2.  How do you keep your brain in perfect
working order?

3. Improve your brain health and
performance

4. 1. Reading brings minds to life
 Reading a book stimulates the imagination.
Your brain can’t keep from drawing mental
pictures when you read. Reading gets your
mind set to work. Always have a book or
some reading material with you while
travelling or even waiting for your turn in a
clinic, or else.

5. READ…
 It is true that Islam not only encourages but
also requires man to seek knowledge and
live in the light of learning. Our Prophets are
the sources of divine knowledge, and the first
divine revelation to Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) begins with the word
“IQRA” meaning “READ”.
 Chapter:96 Surah Al-Alaq

6. Reading increases our knowledge
 Because of the importance of knowledge,
Allah commanded His Messenger to seek
more of it. Allah says Rab-e-Zidni Ilma
(which means): "and say: My Lord!
Increase my knowledge"
 [Quran, 20:114]

7. Read with focus and concentration
 Many readers read only with their eyes, not with their
minds, and they do not focus their minds and make
an effort to understand and research. The reader
may let his mind wander all over the place, thinking
of all kinds of worries and other business, then
suddenly notice that a long time has passed and he
has not learned anything worth remembering. For
this reason when we recite the Quran we are
advised to read with concentration and focus.

8. 2. Try Big Brain Academy
 Video games have a bad reputation for
causing brain rot, but there are some that will
actually help you strengthen your mind. I like
Big Brain Academy. It is a collection of brain
teasers that tests your mental acuity. Big
Brain Academy trains your brain with a
course load of mind-bending activities across
five categories: think, memorize, analyze,
compute, and identify!


10. 3. Practice Meditation
 There are a lot of different forms of
meditation. To me, in its most simple form,
meditation is about spending a little time
alone to relax and center your thoughts. It is
amazingly therapeutic. If you haven’t tried
meditation before, we would highly
recommend reading some guide to
meditation.

11. 4. Get plenty of rest
 A lack of sleep can interfere with your ability
to assimilate new information.
 Your brain needs rest to operate at its peak
performance. This may be why things
always seem clearer and brighter after a
good night’s sleep.

12. Sooooo…..DON’T BE LIKE THIS

13. OR THIS….

14. 5. Exercise regularly
 You didn’t think you were going to get away
without a little time on the treadmill, did
you? Cardiovascular exercise improves
blood flow to the brain which improves brain
functioning. One study found that physical
exercise actually helped to increase the
volume of the brain. So, if you want a bigger,
better brain, then get to exercising!

15. Exercise Regularly
 Physical activity is as much a workout for your brain
as for your body. Exercise actually stimulates growth
in brain cells. Schoolchildren who exercise three or
four times a week get higher than average exam
scores. People who walk regularly perform better on
memory tests than their sedentary peers. In fact, as
they age, walkers show far less cognitive decline
than that of non-walkers.

16. Green space is important for mental
health

17. 'Green' exercise quickly
'boosts mental health'
 Just five minutes of exercise in a "green
space" such as a park can boost mental
health, researchers claim.

18. Green as well as Blue
 A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an
area that also contained water - such as a
lake or river.

19. 6. Eat a good breakfast
 It is not a myth. Eating a good breakfast
does get you off to a better start. You should
eat a breakfast high in protein and good
carbohydrates. A couple of pieces of whole-
grain toast with peanut butter will fit the
bill. Eggs are also an excellent source of
protein. Nuts, milk, and fresh fruit are also
great ways to feed your brain.

20. Think beans for breakfast
 Eating the right morning meal can have a big
impact on brainpower. Kids who have fizzy
drinks and sugary snacks for breakfast
perform poorly on tests of memory and
attention. You can get the biggest brain
boost from—believe it or not—beans. High-
protein beans up cognitive test scores by a
wide margin.

21. Get your nutrients
 Unlike muscles, the brain cannot store energy; it
must be constantly replenished with nutrients.
Studies show that a diet rich in antioxidants and
vitamins boosts memory and cognition. The best
way to meet needs is by eating a variety of foods. In
fact, healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet
rarely need supplements. So load up on foods like
nuts, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and fish.

22. Too much intake of coffee
 Caffeine may make
 you feel awake and
 vigorous for a short
 period of time, but it
 can harm the brain
 in the long run,
 especially for those
 who consume caffeine
 regularly.

23. Caffeine and Adenosine
 Adenosine is a chemical that the brain
releases when the body needs to slow down
nerve cell activity. In other words, it is a
natural sedative that reminds us we need to
rest or sleep. When we consume caffeine, it
blocks adenosine and tricks the body into
feeling awake.

24.  Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
researchers have found that habitual caffeine
consumers usually have shorter and less refreshing
sleep than occasional caffeine drinkers do. As a
result, they need caffeine to stay awake again the
next day. And the cycle goes on like this day after
day, which is very harmful. Without adequate quality
sleep, the brain cannot replenish its energy and
function properly.

25. 7. Think positive thoughts
 Be optimistic. Encourage yourself. Positive thinking
increases the effectiveness of the brain and helps to
avoid things like depression. I like to say that your
brain works much like a computer, garbage-in,
garbage-out. Find positive, encouraging people to
hang around, read material that jazzes you up, do
whatever it is that makes you feel good about
yourself. These things will also help you to be more
mentally productive.

26. 8. Be a continual learner
 Never stop being curious about your world. Seek
out new experiences, skills, and knowledge. Think
of something that you’ve always wanted to learn to
do and then get started.

27. 9. Break your routines
 Drive a new way to work. Try writing with
your less dominant hand. Mix things up a
little. This perks up your brain because it
requires you to think more. You aren’t just
running on auto-pilot. Challenge your brain
by getting out of your routines and it will
respond. This is a great way to get your
mental juices flowing.

28. 10. Stop watching so much
television
 Researchers have found that too much television
between the ages of 1 and 3 leads to attention
problems later in childhood. Let’s face it, TV is mind-
numbing. Get up off the couch and away from the
television. Sure, there is some good educational
stuff for children and adults, but the average
American watches way too much TV. If you want
peak mental performance, then turn off the knob.

29. Limit watching TV
 When you watch television, your brain goes
into neutral. In one study, people watching
television had increased alpha brain waves—
their brains were in a passive state, as if they
were just sitting in the dark. No wonder TV
watching has been tied to low achievement.

30. 11. Work with numbers
 Do math problems in your head instead of on
a calculator. For many of us, it is “use it or
lose it”. We have become mentally lazy. We
rely on our gadgets instead of thinking for
ourselves. Working with and memorizing
numbers is a great way to get your brain
back in shape.

31. 12. Recall old memories
 Get out those old picture albums and start
thumbing through them. This taps into your
brains memory banks. Pictures will help you
recall things that you thought you forgot. Dig
deep to see just what all you remember. If
you have other ways to stimulate your
memory, like old letters or home movies,
then by all means use those too.

32. 13. Make beautiful music
 Learning to play a musical instrument is a
great way to super-charge your brain. It
requires a number of different parts of your
brain to work together to make the melodies
that you desire. Of course, if you are already
a musician, then learn a new piece. Push
yourself to learn new techniques. Music is a
great workout for the mind.

33. 14. Speak a new language
 Many people agree that learning to speak a
new language is a powerful way to give the
mind a stretch. If you’ve ever tried to learn
even a few new words, then you know this
can be difficult. Of course, the harder
something is for the brain, the better! You
have so much more mental capacity than
you might imagine. Give it a try!

34. 15. Walk around the house blindfolded
 It might seem like a strange activity, but your
brain can handle it. Once you try it a few
times, you will probably find it fun and
challenging. Again, this one draws on your
memory, motor skills, and reasoning
abilities. What a workout!

35. Motor Skills:
 The ability to perform complex muscle-and-
nerve acts that produce movement; fine
motor skills are small movements like writing
and tying shoes, gross motor skills are large
movements like walking and kicking, etc.

36. 16. Expand your vocabulary
 Decide to learn one new word a day. There
are several websites out there that can help
you with this endeavor. You’ll not only be
expanding your mind, but you’ll also be able
to impress your friends and co-workers when
you work one of your new words into a
conversation.

37. Master eloquence
 Verbal charm is a powerful tool—it can get
you that job you are seeking or that date you
are after. Each day, prepare flashcards with
a few new words and review them at least
four times a day. Content yourself with fewer
than eight new words per day; more than that
could inhibit retention. At the end of the year,
you will have increased your vocabulary by
2,000 words!

38. Play with your brain
 Learn a new language, master a new hobby
or engage in friendly debate. Playing with
your brain stimulates blood flow and
strengthens the connections (synapses)
between nerve cells in the brain. Read
challenging books, do puzzles—and
whatever you do, use your other hand to
comb your hair or brush your teeth.

39. Get started today and be
smarter tomorrow!
 There you have it! I have just given you few
very practical ways to sharpen your
mind. These suggestions will have your
brain back in tip-top shape in no time. Why
are you waiting? It is time to start exercising
your mental muscles!

40. THANK YOU

41. I asked myself how to
handle life’s affairs:
and my classroom gave me a perfect answer:
 Roof said - aim high
 A.C. said - be cool
 Clock said - value time
 Bulb said - eradicate darkness
 Book said - counsel every step
 Wall said - share others’ load
 Windows said - expand the vision
 Door said - push hard to achieve goals
 Floor said - always be down to earth