But if you’re looking to improve your mood, increase your memory, enhance your alertness or otherwise “hack your brain” to feel happier, you should know that there are natural ways to do so, and they carry no risks of side effects whatsoever.

What are they?

 

1. Exercise. More than 20 percent of your body’s blood and oxygen go directly to your brain, and exercise increases this flow, not only improving your mood but also your brain power.

2. Eat a healthy diet, including limiting sugar. Your brain uses roughly 20 percent of your daily calories, so make sure they count.

3. Get plenty of animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil. Omega-3 fats help keep the dopamine levels in your brain high, increase neuronal growth in the frontal cortex of your brain, and increase cerebral circulation. They also impact your mood.

In one study, participants with lower blood levels of omega-3s were more likely to have symptoms of depression and a more negative outlook, according to accepted tests for depression, impulsiveness, and personality. Those with higher blood levels demonstrated the opposite emotional states.
 

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5. Stimulate your mind. Playing board games, taking a class at a community college, traveling and engaging in other tasks that challenge and stimulate your brain can all boost your brain functioning.

6. Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for brain function and also assists your brain in flagging unrelated ideas and memories, forging connections that increase your creativity.

7. Get out in the sun. Sunshine is essential for optimizing your vitamin D levels, and seniors with low levels of vitamin D are more than TWICE as likely to be cognitively impaired as their peers with optimal levels. People who are cognitively impaired are more likely to develop dementia and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease, so make sure your vitamin D levels are in the healthy range.