How to Boost Brainpower | Hacker News Reader

How to Boost Brainpower

sciam.com

3 pointssak844 comments

What other hacks do HNers use to get their brains churning?

I'm not going to mod this article up because I've seen this (and similar articles) countless times before, however I will answer your question, because I do believe there is merit to what is being said in these articles.

1. Exercise. It does help. Not only does it keep you feeling fit, but the chemicals released in the process have been shown to improve cognitive performance. On an unrelated (but interesting) note, people who imagine working out for twenty minutes a day or more actually perform better in exercise tests than people who do not. Cool, eh?

2. Meditation. Again, it not only feels refreshing, but trains your brain to ignore distractions and perform more efficiently. I semi-regularly practice meditation and I find that afterwards I'm endowed with a keen sense of euphoria and concentration.

3. I drink green tea. I've managed to pick up some minimally-processed imported Japonica whole-leaf green tea and I must say, it is bliss in liquid form. The slight caffeine boost enhances cognitive performance, or at least it appears to.

4. Everything else: diversifying your habits, getting hobbies, coding, reading, organizing, starting new projects, communicating with people, writing, etc. all help to get the proverbial gears turning (churning?).

There are no shortcuts to a genius brain, however. Though if you work hard, work efficiently, and supplement your efforts with the activities mentioned in this article, you will most likely see a significant improvement in your mental faculties.

What type of meditation? How often is semi-regularly?

I went on a green tea stint for a couple years. I bought some really expensive green tea also, which tasted delicious and felt wonderful. The problem though, was that I began drinking it too much, and did not feel the effect of the caffeine that I used to. Since then, I have switched to coffee, but I still don't get the feeling that I did when I drank green tea. So sad.

Where do you get your tea?

My meditation is hardly regimented and strict, and is the result of many hours of searching the internet for proper meditative technique. I would say it most closely resembles Zen meditation, as it is primarily centered around maintaining a steady breathing rhythm and concentrating on nothing.

I try to meditate several times a week, though I rarely meet my goals. I'd say an average of twice a week for the past few months.

With respect to your comment about the green tea, you will certainly acquire a tolerance to the caffeine after consuming it for an extended period of time. While I no longer experience the caffeine boost that I used to, I still nonetheless feel more alert after drinking.

I get my tea from a local shop in Athens called Fooks Foods which specializes in oriental imports.

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