3 simple but highly effective tips to train your brain to be smarter

3 simple but highly effective tips to train your brain to be smarter3 simple but highly effective tips to train your brain to be smarterYou likely go to the gym to work your muscles, hike for endurance, and do yoga for flexibility- but how often does your brain get a workout?If you dont take care to exercise your brain regularly, it can wither, just like unworked muscles.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraThe human brain is made up of nerve cells called neurons, connected by synapses, which transport information from one neuron to the other. Just like other muscles and organs, the brain changes with age- synapses fire more slowly, some cells die off, and the overall mass of the organ shrinks.But studies have shown that any exercising of the brain may elend only stave off brain degeneration but can also reverse memory loss and improve mental agility.Here are some simple tips and tri cks that can make your brain faster, sharper and smarter1. Try using mental modelsMany of the most successful self-made billionaire entrepreneurs- Ray Dalio,Elon Musk, andCharlie Munger- all swear by mental models.A mental model is a concept, framework, or worldview that you carry around in your mind to help you interpret the world and understand the relationship between things. For example, supply and demand is a mental model that helps you understand the economy.Entropyis a mental model that makes sense of disorder and decay. And game theory is a mental model that helps you understand how relationships and trust work.The brain needs a variety of mental models to piece together a complete picture of the world. The more sources you have to draw upon, the clearer your thinking becomes. The best thinkers avoid looking at life through the lens of one subject or strategy.Here are some useful mental models you can use to improve brain functionCircle of competence.This mental model was de veloped by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger to describe limiting your financial investments in areas where you may have limited understanding or experience. More broadly, it recommends recognizing the limits of your knowledge to develop an edge over others. When ego drives your undertakings, you wind up with cognitive blind spots. But understanding your circle of competence improves decision-making and outcomes.Occams razor.Attributed to the medieval philosopher William of Occam, this mental model holds that simple explanations are more likely to be true than complicated ones. Instead of wasting your time trying to disprove complex scenarios, you can make decisions more confidently by basing them on the explanation that has the fewest moving parts.Inversion.Most of us tend to think one way about a problem forward. Inversion allows us to flip the problem around and think backward. Sometimes its good to start at the beginning, but it can be more useful to start at the end. Developed by the ancient Stoic philosophers, inversion is a powerful tool to improve your thinking because it helps you identify and remove obstacles to success.Hanlons razor.Named for Robert J. Hanlon, this philosophical razor suggests not attributing to malice that which is more easily explained by stupidity. By not generally assuming that bad results are the fault of a bad actor, you look for options instead of missing opportunities. This model reiterates that people make mistakes and forces you to ask yourself is another reasonable explanation?unterstellung are just a few ofthousandsof useful mental models. The quality of our thinking is directly proportional to the number of models in our heads. The more models we have, the more likely we are to keep our brains sharp.2. Play gamesThe brain can be lazy. Once it realizes it has mastered something, it stops trying.But there are steps you can take to increase the range of mental motion by activating different parts of the brain. The trick is to constantly push your limits. Brainteasers and other problem-solving games are useful here. Here are some optionsSodoku.To complete a Sudoku puzzle you have to look ahead and follow trails of consequences- if you put a six in this box, that one must be an eight and this one a four, etc. This planning helps improve short-term memory and concentration.Lumosity.Lumosity is one of the most-developedbrain training websites around. It provides fun brain training and mental fitness games, tests, and activities backed by science. Youll challenge your brain, and keep track of your results and improvement. In addition to the website, apps are available for iOS and Android, so you can train on the go.Crossword puzzles.Crosswords are a classic brain trainer, accessing not only verbal language but your memory from many dimensions of knowledge. Studies have shown thatcrossword puzzles may delay memory loss and preserve cognitive function.Peak. This free app provides more than 40 fun games to h elp you exercise your brain. Peak is designed to improve your memory, sharpen your problem-solving skills, and develop your mental agility. Each game has been developed by neuroscientists and the app offers in-depth insights to help you track your progress.You should also do mental math whenever possible. Instead of whipping out your calculator app, calculate the tip in your head or try to total up the amount for items purchased at the grocery store.Research shows that variation in our mental activity is the key to long-term success. By regularly putting your brain to work, you can improve memory and other types of cognitive function.3. Exercise, meditate, and dietRegular exercise, proper nutrition, and mindfulness meditation all increase blood flow to the brain, which helps to enhance cognitive reserves.In particular, research shows thatregular aerobic exercise boosts the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning. Other studies show that the par ts of the brain thatcontrol thinking and memoryare bigger in people who exercise than in people who dont.Diet is also an important component of brain health.AMediterranean-style dietrich in fish, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, olives, and nuts helps maintain brain health and may reduce the risk of Alzheimers disease. Fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon are rich in fatty acids that have been shown to help neuron function. And dont forget to take your Omega 3- ansicht fatty acids play an important role in brain function and development.Finally, mindfulness meditation is great for keeping your brain sharp. A recent UCLAstudyfound that long-term meditators had better-preserved brains than non-meditators as they aged. Likewise, a Harvard studyfound that eight weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory.Because nearly everything we do requires a sharp mind, these simple hacks are a no-brainer.This article first appeared on Minutes Magazine.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people