Have you ever gone into a room that hasn't been used in a long time only to find dusty surfaces, cobwebs in dark corners, and old memories in the drawers?

Well, some corners of our mind can be a lot like that unoccupied room when we don't take the time to clean out the gunk.

We take for granted the things we once knew, the skills we once learned, and what we once easily remembered at the drop of a hat. But if you don't keep your mind and memory active, it might be harder to locate information in the corners of your brain, when you need it the most!
 

Try out these 4 tips to help keep all your neurons firing and keep those pesky mental cobwebs from clouding up your mind:
 

1. Stay physically active

Physical activity has a lot of health benefits. But sometimes we forget how important it is for our mental health too. Exercise helps regulate your blood sugar levels and dramatically improves the body's ability to deal with stress. So are you exercising enough?

Both of these help the brain maintain balance and clarity. It might be surprising to learn that sugar is the brain's only energy source, so our bodies need to be proficient at producing, storing, and transporting sugar to the brain. And during this process, you'll also be reducing stress, which allows your brain to function better and operate at your peak!
 

2. Play mind games

Now I'm not talking about the kind of mind games a conniving person might use. Rather, the types of games that help keep your mind sharp. The internet is full of mind-numbing rubbish, but there are also plenty of good sites out there.

Word games help with your language skills and enhance your ability to remember people's names. Number puzzles and card games keep your mental math sharp. And strategy games help with general brain function while quizzes keep you curious!
 

3. See new places

The world is as big or as small as you make it, and the same can be said for the universe. Monotony numbs the brain and allows it to go on autopilot.

It's important to reach out, expand your horizons and see new places. Our brain thrives when we consistently stimulate it in new ways, it forces neurons to fire and pathways to be used.
 

4. Never stop learning

Once a memory or a skill is trained into your brain, those neurons are permanently there. It's the path to find them that gets cloudy.

Whenever we learn new things, it forces our brains to recall past knowledge. New skills build on skills we already have in place, and we tend to store new information by referencing things we already know.

By learning new things we actually reinforce and clean out the path to all the old things we once thought we'd forgotten.

In fact, after you start getting rid of all the cobwebs, you'll discover you have a lot more room in your brain for good things. You'll begin to use your brain in new ways and shine a light in all the dark corners that used to house negative thoughts and self-doubt.
 

Now speaking of self-doubt -

How would your life change if every thought, belief, habit, and emotion could propel you forward instead of hold you back? In recent years, brain researchers have made incredible breakthroughs in our understanding of the human mind and how to retune it for peak performance. 

Interested in learning how to do this?

Well, I have a surprise for you. Join me, Natalie Ledwell, and brain researcher Morry Zelcovitch on this free online masterclass to get your mind on your side.

Until next time!