Cognitive functioning typically refers to a person’s mental abilities. It has to do with things like memory, learning, ability to think, reason, and solve problems. People with high levels of cognitive abilities can make better decisions under pressure, pay close attention to complex topics for longer, and remember things more quickly and for longer.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that cognitive functioning and how they perform cognitively is something they are born with. Smart people are smart, and dumb people are dumb. That, however, is anything but true. Cognitive performance is something that you can improve with work, the right diet, exercise, supplements, and a host of other means.
While it’s true that everyone is born with different levels of cognition, the range of performance is usually in a tight range. With some focus and dedication, you can see meaningful improvement in cognitive performance that will help you in your job, at school, and in social settings. Doing work to improve cognitive performance will also help you age better because it will fight back against the creep of so many age-related mental health issue
Here’s some information on how you can improve cognitive performance starting today.
Get a Good Amount of Sleep Each Night
This could be the thing that people are really missing. Today, people go to bed and then spend the next hour on their phones looking at bright screens and interacting on social media. It’s stimulating, so when they turn off the lights, they toss and turn for hours without getting restful sleep. Robbing your body of sleep is a huge mistake. When you’re asleep, your body and brain are regenerating. They’re building up energy stores that you’ll need throughout the day whether you need to write code for a new application or make critical health decisions in a healthcare setting.
If you want to improve cognitive performance, start by getting more sleep every night. Your memory and your ability to handle stressful situations will improve.
Peptides & Cognitive Performance
Lately, peptides have been getting a lot of attention for their mental and physical health benefits. A peptide Semax from Peptide Sciences is a synthetic peptide popular for its neurorestorative properties. It’s approved for clinical use in Russian and is undergoing evaluative tests in many other countries. In Russia, Semax is tied to benefit people struggling with cognitive issues like dementia and stroke. Research out of Canada, the U.S., and China shows that ACTH, the natural protein up which Semax is based, protects learning and memory function in rodent models. Semax is not yet FDA approved for human use. More research is needed to determine future medical possibilities.
Eat a Healthy Diet
In addition to taking peptides and other supplements, eating a healthy diet is a very effective way to boost cognitive performance. The right foods fuel your brain in a way that promotes learning, memory, and mental stamina. You can stay mentally sharp for longer with the right foods. Eating a diet that is high in protein, vitamins, healthy fats for your brains, and other good minerals promote good mental function. Foods that are high in sugar, on the other hand, drain your brain of resources it needs to perform at a high level.
Exercise Your Brain
Getting decent amounts of physical exercise is great for your brain. You don’t need to lift a ton of weights or engage in high-intensity workouts. Daily walks and using other ways to stay active are great ways to improve and maintain cognitive performance. As you get older, staying active is crucial to maintaining memory and learning performance.
In addition to moving around, you also need to exercise your brain. How? Well, you can keep learning new things. You have to challenge your brain to keep it sharp. Many people take up chess, start learning to play the piano, study a new language, or keep working part-time after they retire. Take a look at older people who stay active mentally and physically after they’ve retired, and compare them to people who don’t, and the benefits of staying active are clear.
If you want to improve your cognitive performance, you can practice. For example, people who want better memory can improve their memories by practicing. Whether it’s playing games to remember random facts or trying to remember everyone’s name after introductions at a party, you become better and doing what you practice. If you need to make better decisions in stressful situations, find a way to put yourself under duress more often. Your brain will grow and take on the added stress so it becomes easier to think clearly when you need to most.