Brain Optimization: 9 Techniques That Help Improve Memory & Mental Clarity

Introduction to Brain Optimization

Our mental health has three components - the biological, social and psychological, or as it’s called, the ‘biopsychosocial’. These three components interact with each other resulting in how we feel, think and behave. To achieve good mental health or wellness, it is important that we address all three. 

In this article, we will focus on the biological side of the biopsychosocial. In particular, we will look at a few techniques that can improve brain function. These brain optimization techniques come from different cultures and disciplines, and many of them have been practised for centuries.

Brain optimization techniques, we mean improving or optimizing important brain functions like memory, learning, recall, and problem-solving. Brain optimization involves pushing the brain to enhance essential skills that are critical for learning. When your brain functions at its best, your capacity to perform mental tasks reaches its full potential. By improving memory and learning, we can also gain mental clarity, which has an overall positive impact on our well-being.

Let’s dive in. 

9 Brain Optimization Tips & Techniques

Brain optimization techniques are not new. Several cultures include practices that help improve memory and cognitive functioning. From yoga to Japanese meditations, several ancient Eastern practices help us gain mental clarity. 

At the same time, modern technological advances have given us more ways to train our brains to work optimally. In this section, we will look at some common ancient practices as well as what modern technological approaches have in store for us. 

Eastern / Ancient Brain Optimization Techniques

1.Tratak Kriya

If you’re at the beginning of your brain optimization journey, jumping straight to meditation techniques may seem difficult. It’s quite common for people to start a meditation practice prematurely, and then give up out of frustration. Tratak kriya is a yogic practice that prepares us for meditation. It does so by improving our attention span and focus. 

In this practice, you are required to keep your gaze at a fixed point for progressively increasing periods. The gaze fixing provides exercise to our eyes, and the extended periods of time help us improve our focus and concentration gradually. 

2.Zazen Meditation

This is a Buddhist practice, which is embodied by the seated posture we often find Buddhist monks in. Once the monks have taken this stance - with their legs crossed, fingers lightly touching hands placed in their lap, and back straight - they perform a Zazen meditation, which is focused on observing their thoughts and letting go of judgements. 

Zazen meditation helps cultivate self-awareness, and through this self-awareness, we can learn to control our thoughts. The idea behind Zazen mediations is to gain mastery over our thoughts so that they don’t dictate our behaviour. 

3.Kaizen 

Kaizen is a Japanese word, that means improvement, or when it comes to personal change or growth, self-improvement. Kaizen is a widely articulated philosophy in Japanese culture, and one of its practices is useful for brain optimization. 

This is the practice of taking one small step at a time. No matter what the task or goal at hand, Kaizen teaches us how to break things down to the smallest possible step. Doing this helps us stay focused and protects us from feeling overwhelmed by our responsibilities. 

4.Daily brief meditation practices

Meditation is simply the act of paying one-pointed attention to something. While there are many ways to meditate, you can keep it simple by paying attention to either your breath, an object or a thought or a mantra for 10-15 minutes. Studies show that 8 weeks of daily brief meditation enhances attention, memory and mood regulation. 

5.Mindfulness practices

To be mindful means to do things with presence and attention. Mindfulness can be applied to anything and everything we do. We can go for a mindful walk without the distraction of music or a podcast. We can have a mindful meal without the distraction of TV. 

We can also learn to be more mindful of our surroundings by paying attention to the sights and sounds around us. By engaging mindfully with our environment, we can enhance our experience and performance. 

Two more tips for brain optimization… 

6.Deep work

In his book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, author Cal Newport emphasizes the importance of fully immersing in the world we do. This in itself will help us optimize our mental skills and work with focus and clarity. However, in this day and age of easy distractions, deep work is becoming a lost art. 

One of the ways to do deep work is to focus on one task at a time. Multitasking, contrary to popular belief, is often ineffective and exhausting. By focusing on one task at a time, we can not only do it well but also increase our productivity and energy levels. 

7.Brain exercises

There are several brain exercises we can do to keep our brain in a healthy condition. Doing the crossword puzzle in the morning, playing sudoku, or learning a new language are some fun and interesting ways to exercise the brain. 

8.Take care of the pillars of wellbeing 

Sleep, nutrition and movement are the three pillars of wellbeing. For optimum physical and mental health, we need to ensure that we get enough sleep, and daily movement and eat a balanced and nutritious diet. If you notice your memory, mood or energy when you’ve not slept enough, you’ll find that it’s not so great. 

On the other hand, after a good night’s sleep, you’ll probably find that you are functioning at the optimum. It’s important to create a lifestyle where we ensure these pillars of well-being are taken care of.

9.Neurostimulation

Neurostimulation is a technological approach to optimizing brain functioning. There are various forms of neurostimulation, and modern technological advances have led to the invention of several non-invasive approaches that are also safe to use. 

At Mave Health, we have a wearable device called ARC, which delivers transcranial direct current stimulation or tDSC safely and effectively. Although research is still ongoing about the long-term efficacy of modern technological approaches to brain optimization, initial results seem promising.

The 5 Benefits of Brain Optimization Techniques

By now, you’ve probably gleaned that the techniques mentioned above help improve memory and mental clarity. 

But, are there other ways in which they improve brain power? 

What other benefits do these practices have? Let’s see… 

1. Enhanced Focus and Concentration 

Meditation, deep work and other mental health techniques discussed above help enhance our memory. When we are performing these techniques, we are required to be focused. While initially, we may find it difficult to stay focused for long periods and only manage 10-15 minutes at once, over time and with regular practice, our memory and capacity to stay focused improves. 

2. Increased Mental Clarity

These practices help cut the clutter and improve clarity. The more we practice, the more aware we become of what we are feeling, what we want, our limitations and resources and so on. These practices also reduce brain fog. Our thinking becomes sharp and focused. 

3. Improved Cognitive Function, including memory and learning 

Some of the techniques discussed above, in particular, mindfulness, also improve cognitive function, including memory and learning. While there is no debate about the benefits of long-term practice, recent studies are also showing that practicing mindfulness for a short period too can improve one’s cognitive function and working memory. 

4. Stress reduction

Techniques like Tratak and brief meditations don’t just boost brain power, they also help us relax. When we are in a relaxed state, we can be more creative and productive. Stress reduction also protects us from illnesses. 

5. Positive Impact on Mental Health

These practices have an overall positive impact on mental health. While some of these practices help reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression, others provide us with mood and emotional stability. All these practices are grounding for us, which can help us navigate life from a calmer and more centred space. When we are grounded, we have more control over how we show up in our lives instead of letting life sway us in whatever direction it wants us to go. 

Who Can Benefit from Brain Optimization Techniques?

Brain optimization can be useful for: 

1. Professionals needing mental clarity and focus
2. Creative professionals who feel stuck in their work 
3. Athletes who need to build more focus and clarity 
4. Students aiming to improve memory and learning capacity
5. Professionals who want to protect themselves from burnout 
6. Seniors experiencing memory loss or cognitive decline
7. Individuals dealing with mental health challenges like anxiety or depression

How to Get Started with Brain Optimization Therapy?

1. Define your goals 

‘Brain optimization’ is a broad and informal term that can mean different things to different people. What does it mean for you? Do you want to improve your cognitive skills? Do you want to be able to stay focused for longer periods of time? Do you want to regulate your mood or emotions better? It’s important to be clear about your goals so that you can pick the right techniques and monitor your growth. 

2. Use the right techniques 

Your goals will determine what type of brain optimisation technique or practice you need. If you’re not sure, consult with a professional. There are many different professionals who may be able to help you with this - clinical psychologists, yoga teachers or even nutritionists may offer useful perspectives and strategies to improve brain function. 

3. Work with a professional 

A DIY approach to mental health and improved brain functioning doesn’t work for many reasons. One, there is a lot of information of needs to be gathered and understood, and this may feel overwhelming. Two, you may not know how to practice a technique, and practising it incorrectly may cause harm. Three, you might need an evaluation of your present functioning and abilities, which only a professional can do. 

4. Monitor progress 

When you have set goals, it’s also important to track and monitor progress. If the current practice is not giving you the results, discuss alternatives or next steps with your healthcare provider. Could you do something different? Or do you need to give it time? What are the obstacles? Is there anything that’s impeding change you could stop doing or do less of? All of these questions give us clarity, and these questions can be asked only if you know where you’re heading. 

Conclusion

‘Brain optimization’ is a broad and informal term that can mean different things to different people. What does it mean for you? Do you want to improve your cognitive skills? Do you want to be able to stay focused for longer periods? Do you want to regulate your mood or emotions better?  To improve brain power, it is important to understand what we mean by brain optimisation. Generally speaking, though, the term is used to refer to practices and techniques that improve cognitive functioning like memory and recall, attention and emotion regulation. Several ancient practices can help us improve all three, and choosing one that suits you will depend on your goals. It’s important to work with a professional and track your progress as you do this. 

Citations

Ayurveda, T. (2020, April 10). TRATAK KRIYA. Travancore Ayurveda. https://www.travancoreayurveda.com/tratak-kriya/ 

Basso, J. C., McHale, A., Ende, V., Oberlin, D. J., & Suzuki, W. A. (2019).

Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavioural Brain Research, 356(356), 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023 

Dodiya, M. (2024, August 31). Top 17 Brain Exercises for Mental Sharpness: Build your mental fitness. MAVE HEALTH PRIVATE LIMITED. https://www.mavehealth.com/blogs/brain-exercises-mental-health-fitness

‌‌Maurer, R. (2015). ONE SMALL STEP CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE : the kaizen way. 

‌Newport, C. (2018). DEEP WORK : rules for focused success in a distracted world. Grand Central Publishing. 

‌Zazen Meditation: Benefits, Practice, and More. (2017, June 15). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/zazen 

‌Zeidan, F., Johnson, S. K., Diamond, B. J., David, Z., & Goolkasian, P. (2010). Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: Evidence of brief mental training. Consciousness and Cognition, 19(2), 597–605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2010.03.014