Take a minute and imagine your body is a bright red sports car. Or perhaps it's a more practical option. Either way, ask yourself who's in the driver's seat? Most experts will agree, your brain is the one calling the shots for your body. And when it comes to helping your mind AND body perform at their best, a great place to start is considering your brain health.
Give yourself the best odds for brain health
There are no guarantees for how your brain function will change over time. But what you do have control over is taking every step you can to improve your cognitive functioning and brain health now. You have the ability to give yourself the best odds of long-term brain health using a variety of tools, including the biohacks we'll discuss today.
What is biohacking?
If you're unfamiliar with biohacking, the word itself might sound pretty wild, but chances are you've inadvertently tried or know someone who has tried biohacking many times. After all, something as simple as taking a cold water plunge to wake yourself up is considered biohacking!
Biohacking is also referred to as DIY biology, and this helps explain its meaning. It's essentially a way of manipulating your brain and body into performing their best.
In this post, we're focusing on what you can do for biohacking your way to better brain health. And if you ask us, it's never too early (or too late!) to start biohacking your brain.
Your biohacking guide for better brain health
Ready to get started on your journey to better brain health? You're in the right place. We've created a guide with tips for biohacking your sleep, mindfulness, and music, giving yourself the best odds of optimal brain health for years to come.
Sleep biohacking
Sleep is absolutely essential for your overall brain and physical health. So important, in fact, that you can't live without it.
While you sleep, your brain and body are still working hard.
Sleep serves these important functions and more:
- Re-energizing your body's cells
- Clearing waste from the brain
- Supporting learning and memory
Your brain generates two kinds of sleep: one is characterized by slower brain waves (SWS or slow wave sleep), the other is deeper sleep with rapid eye movement, known as REM.
While you sleep, your body is also able to clear out what's known as beta-amyloid. Why does this matter? Well, beta-amyloid is a form of metabolic waste that is a prime suspect in Alzeimer's disease. According to the global Alzheimer's Association, beta-amyloid "accumulates in stages into microscopic amyloid plaques that are considered a hallmark of a brain affected by Alzheimer’s."
So, if you've been sacrificing sleep for less important things in life, it's time to make a change! Aim for at least 7-8 hours of good-quality sleep each night to give your brain and body the chance to rest and recuperate. Not only is this considered an important step on the path to better brain health, but you'll often find your mood and energy experience drastic improvements too.
Is it stress keeping you up at night? Then you won't want to miss this post where we share our top tips for biohacking your life to eliminate unwanted stress.
Mindfulness biohacking
When is the last time you took a few moments to tune in to yourself? To quiet your mind? To take some deep breaths and recenter yourself? If it's been a while, it might be time to start biohacking your way to better brain health by practicing mindfulness and meditation.
Keep in mind, mindfulness isn't just a buzzword! In fact, countless studies show that meditation can actually change your brain. That's right–not just your mood or your stress levels, but your actual brain structure.
And meditation is the gold-standard for increasing your mindfulness and awareness.
If you're new to meditation, here's an easy 5-minute practice to help you get started:
- Start by finding a comfortable seated position, either on the floor with a cushion or in a chair.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Close your eyes and begin to relax your body.
- Pay particular attention to your breath. Take a few slow, deep breaths to allow your heart rate to come down.
- Target your focus on the present moment (this takes practice!). As thoughts enter your mind, allow them to come and go.
- When the timer is up, stand up, take a big stretch, and move on with your day!
Meditation isn't something that can be mastered in one try. It takes time and experience to get into the swing of things. But overtime, this practice pays off significantly with improved mindfulness.
Music biohacking
At Neuvana, one of our favorite biohacks for better brain health has to do with music. Using Xen by Neuvana, you can listen to your favorite music and experience a variety of benefits at the same time. Our advanced technology comes in the form of a wellness product that can elevate your mood, improve sleep, enhance focus, and reduce stress by gently stimulating your vagus nerve. And it's all done by wearing specially designed headphones!
Xen’s headphones attach to Xen, a compact device that connects to your smartphone or tablet. It delivers a mild electrical signal to your vagus nerve in your ear while you listen to your favorite music. Xen even connects with major music streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora.,
While there are incredible wellness benefits that can come from VNS, or vagus nerve stimulation (read more about them here), there are also brain health benefits that come from listening to music. In fact, music has a variety of therapeutic uses, from reduced stress to better sleep and improved academic performance.
So, if you want to experience the potential brain health benefits from music and vagus nerve stimulation, why not combine both and listen to your favorite music with Xen by Neuvana?
Your journey to better brain health
Neuvana is here for you on your journey to optimal health and wellness. VNS has been scientifically researched for decades and shown to have many wellness benefits. Learn more about Xen by Neuvana or take a look at what's being said in the news about Neuvana here.
The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.
