Your mind is a muscle — let’s flex it. 1% each day. Neuroscience is discovering new, effective ways to develop our brains for enhanced mental strength and performance. What we are learning about neuroplasticity means that, at any age, through training, we can change our brains to become even more mentally strong, healthy, and fit. Much as we need specific physical exercises and movement to build bodily strength and resilience; we can also benefit from daily practices to strengthen our minds, mental performance, and well-being. You can train your mind to be more focused, clear, and efficient and rewire your brain to become stronger, healthier, and fitter than ever before. Here are my favorite mental tools, for you. All it takes is tiny daily ritual, practice, and consistency. Start small with 10 minutes of meditation or visualization a day. Meditation strengthens our ability to witness our thoughts, and is the first step in shifting the mental habits that cause us trouble. It also helps us to focus, gain clarity, and develop equanimity. Visualization involves mentally rehearsing your goals as if they were already achieved. This powerful technique activates the same brain regions as when you perform the actual actions, influencing your subconscious mind and driving motivation. The key here is to vividly imagine yourself attaining your goals and engage all your senses to make the mental imagery more real and for your body to remember it and drive inner motivation. Ideally you would do this morning ritual (1 Meditation, 1 Visualization) consecutively for 66 days. Time required: approx. 20minutes. Study concluded that on average it takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. However, remember to stay gentle to yourself. “If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” - B A N K S Y