What is Mental Fitness and How can I Improve It?
The human brain is a very important organ. In fact, many would argue that it’s the most vital organ in the human body. Regardless of whether or not that’s actually true, one thing we can all agree on is the fact that we need to look after it. The brain, like the heart, can actually be compared to a muscle, in the sense that, without regular exercise, it will become weaker. Having a healthy body is important when it comes to physical health, but having a healthy mind is equally as important when it comes to psychological health. Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, which is why you should make an effort to get yourself mentally fit as well as physically. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about mental fitness.
What is mental fitness?
Mental fitness is not a difficult concept to understand. Basically, it is a term used to describe the health and wellbeing levels that your brain/mind is in. Mental fitness is well-being on a psychological level. It means having fast reflexes, it means having a good memory, it means being able to focus, concentrate, and think clearly, and it means having good mental health in general. Just as you need to go the gym and exercise to keep your heart healthy and your muscles strong, you need to practice good mental fitness in order to keep your brain in shape. Now, we aren’t saying that you need to train your brain to become the next member of MENSA, all we’re saying is that it’s important to keep the brain sharp with good mental fitness.
Now that we know what mental fitness is, it’s now time for us to look at a few ways in which you can boost your mental fitness. A few things to try includes the following:
- Exercise – We know we’ve said that physical exercise is not the same as mental exercise, but even so, physical exercise is renowned for its positive effects on mental health. To begin with, exercise boosts endorphins which elevate your mood. On top of that, exercise also increases blood flow to the brain, which means more oxygen is absorbed by the brain and utilized for neurogenesis.
- Read regularly – Another very useful tip when it comes to keeping the brain sharp is to read regularly. Regular reading will help to ensure that your brain remains sharp, and it will also help to improve your levels of mental focus and concentration. For best results, try to read different things to give your mind some variety.
- Increase vitamin B intakes – When it comes to mental fitness, B vitamins play key roles in numerous physiological processes relating back to the brain. As well as B vitamin supplements, you can also get plenty of B vitamins from whole grains, dairy, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli.
- Train your brain – Because of the importance of good mental fitness, there are now plenty of games, apps, and quizzes out there which are designed to train your brain and challenge your intellect. Either pick up a quiz book or download an app or two based around boosting brain health and function and your mental fitness will improve drastically.