7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Mental Fitness

It’s like taking your brain to the gym.

Dragging my ass to the gym at least three times a week is always a challenge — but I know that I need to do that to maintain my physical health.

I’m an early-morning exerciser, and just getting out of bed bright and early and getting to the gym is almost the entire battle.

It’s not friggin’ easy — especially on rainy or snowy mornings when it’s cold and nasty (and dark) outside when I leave for the gym.

Once I get there — which usually happens around 5:30 am — my body is always grateful and I feel healthier and energized each and every time I leave.

But I need to stay committed to my gym workout routine in order to maintain my physical health.

Well, in addition to struggling to maintain my physical fitness regimen, I’m also challenged to do my daily brain work to boost my mental fitness.

I need to constantly remind myself that doing my brain work means I will feel better, be more productive and be more pleasant to be around.

Yes, I’m calmer, happier, friendlier and so much more when I do my brain work.

Do your brain work.

Your mental fitness will take just as much work and commitment from you as your physical fitness.

Just like your body, your brain needs regular exercise and nourishment in order to function at peak performance.

With all of the daily challenges and the stress that you deal with — it’s more important than ever to prioritize your mental fitness and take steps to maintain and improve your cognitive health.

Are you ready to put in your?daily brain work?

Your daily mental fitness workout routine is extremely simple and routine — probably almost seems a bit boring and ordinary.

Just like the expectations of your physical workout — no surprises, just commitment.

So you need to figure out which of these strategies you’re already doing, which can be improved and which can be added.

But ya gotta make the commitment.

Here are 7 simple ways to boost your mental fitness:

1. Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep is important for brain health and can help improve your memory, concentration, and mood. Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep per night. Quite frankly, I’m having a good night if I get 6–7 hours of sleep — so this is a continuing work in progress for me. But I do feel a strong connection between how much sleep I get and how much stress my brain can cope with the following day.
2. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can improve your brain function, increase blood flow to the brain, and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. So those early morning trips to the gym are definitely helping me out both physically AND mentally. I am learning more each day about my mind-body connection and how both need to be cared for — and can be cared for together.
3. Eat a healthy diet: A healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids can support brain health and cognitive function. Ever since I changed my entire digestive system three years ago when using the Whole30 eating plan — no sugared foods, reduced carbs, no dairy, no gluten — the inner workings of my body have become much stronger.
4. Stay hydrated: Ok, so chances are you’re walking around each day dehydrated — 75% percent of people are. Drinking enough water is important for your brain function, as the majority of your brain is composed of water. I have a water bottle with me all day long filled with ice cold water. Not only will the cold water help your overall brain function, but it also provides mind and body regulation when you feel stressed. Drink more water!
5. Practice mindfulness: Your brain needs you to master the power of now. Mindfulness involves bringing your attention to the present moment and can help improve your focus, concentration, and reduce stress. Much of your stress is caused by your thoughts and if you’re an over-thinker like me, mindfulness will help you control your stressed thoughts, rather than your stressed thoughts controlling you.
6. Keep learning: Your brain is plastic and malleable — it’s always changing. Learn new things, meet new people, question everything and increase your curiosity. Engaging in new learning experiences and challenging your brain can help improve your cognitive function and prevent age-related decline. I’m a lifelong learner — I read daily, try to read a new book each month, and take numerous online courses to ABL — Always Be Learning!
7. Dance. Get up and dance like no one’s watching! There’s lots of brain research that shows dancing helps your mental fitness. The combination of physical movement, creative expression and mental imagery that is produced when dancing can make your brain stronger. Dancing can help improve your focus, memory, concentration and problem-solving skills.

Be like Jane.

As the CEO of a rapidly growing tech company, Jane had always prided herself on her mental toughness. She was used to long hours, high pressure, and constantly evolving challenges.

But when the 2020 pandemic hit and her company was forced to pivot to a remote work model, Jane’s mental toughness was truly put to the test.

At first, the transition was difficult — Jane struggled with the lack of structure and the constant distractions of working from home.

She found it hard to stay focused and motivated, and her productivity suffered as a result.

But instead of giving up, Jane decided to take control of the situation.

Her mental toughness and grit began to empower her.

She set up a dedicated workspace in her home and created a strict schedule to help her stay on track.

And then she went into?beast mode?with her brain work.

She made a new and conscious effort to prioritize her self-care — improving her sleep patterns and diet, setting aside time for yoga and exercise, increasing her daily meditation, and renewing her hobby of scrapbooking.

As the weeks went by, Jane’s mental toughness paid off.

She was able to adapt to the new normal and maintain her productivity, even in the face of unexpected challenges.

She was able to get more focused, improve her concentration and alleviate the brain fog that was setting in each afternoon.

And when her company faced financial difficulties due to the pandemic, Jane’s mental toughness and problem-solving skills helped her navigate the crisis and come up with innovative solutions to keep the business afloat.

Through her perseverance and determination, Jane was able to demonstrate the power of mental toughness and the importance of resilience in times of crisis.

Just like physical fitness trainer — as a personal mental fitness trainer — I help professionals, like Jane, develop a?Personal Mental Fitness Plan (PMFP):

1. Goal setting: I help set realistic and achievable mental fitness goals and create a plan to help you reach them. Looking to stay calm under pressure? ??Check. Looking to have a deeper connection with those around you? ??Check. Looking to experience more joy and happiness? ??Check.
2. Motivation: I provide motivation and encouragement to help you stay on track with your mental fitness goals. You won’t necessarily need to find a way to get out of bed at 5:00am and trek through darkness, rain or snow — but you will need ways to stay motivated through some dull, monotonous — but crucial — brain work.
3. Expert guidance: I have years of expertise in neuroscience and mental toughness training and provide guidance on proper brain work form and technique to help you get the most out of your mental workouts and not become mentally overloaded. I’ve helped professional athletes, performers, top business executives, educators and other professionals.
4. Individualized programming: I create a personalized workout plan based on your specific mental fitness goals and needs. Everyone has different needs to become mentally tougher. You can assess exactly how you’re looking to become mentally tougher and creating an individualized plan will be most effective.
5. Accountability: I provide accountability and help professionals stay consistent with their mental fitness. Just like when you work out physically, without accountability you may tend to cut corners, become lazy, convince yourself you don’t have to put in so much work or create other excuses why you’re not getting the full benefits of the workout.

Doing your brain work by yourself can be challenging and you may lack consistent motivation to maintain your mental fitness regimen.

It can also be more motivating to have someone to do your brain work with and provide motivation and encouragement.

One way or the other — to reach peak performance — you need to do your brain work to boost your mental fitness.

Are you ready to do your brain work?

Let’s develop your?Personal Mental Fitness Plan (PMFP) .

Follow me for more —?Twitter ?|LinkedIn ?|YouTube