Life Hacks

The number one “brain game” is officially: ping-pong! – also known as “table tennis!”

That’s according to research from the Mayo Clinic. They used MRI scans to track the brain changes of people playing ping-pong.

And they found that, more than any other sport, regularly playing ping-pong challenges the brain in ways that help it GROW and ward off cognitive decline. And that’s true even in people who’ve already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s!

The reason? Researchers say the most obvious factor is that table tennis is a light aerobic activity, which gets us moving enough to increase our heart rate, and get more blood pumping to our brain.

And aerobic activities are proven to grow and strengthen neural connections after as little as 15 minutes!

Also, games that involve hand-eye coordination activate the brain’s frontal lobes – which are associated with controlling movement, attention, and decision-making. They also light up our hippocampus, which is involved in storing long-term memories……

Plus, ping-pong is a SOCIAL game. And many studies show a strong social circle is associated with a happier, healthier brain.

Researchers concluded that regularly playing ping-pong can help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by at least FIVE YEARS!

And for patients already diagnosed with the disease, ping-pong offers an effective non-pharmaceutical way of managing – and even REVERSING – the symptoms of Alzheimer’s!

We need to make time for a little SILENCE every day! Because we now know it’s an excellent way to GROW your brain and help it thrive!

That’s according to psychiatry professor Dr. Mathias Basner from the University of Pennsylvania. He says, our world is louder today than it’s ever been. Today’s sirens are six times louder than they were a century ago – and they have to be because our cities are louder, too. And noise pollution doubles every three decades. 

But when we’re exposed to excessive noise, it triggers our body’s stress response. Our brain thinks we’re under attack. 

And even with “safe,” persistent sounds – say, from steady traffic – our brains stay activated for hours. And all that noise wears down our energy, and triggers the release of hormones proven to raise our risk for heart disease, stroke, and depression! Even a single night of noise exposure while we sleep can make our blood vessels stiffer! 

And that’s why we need a dose of silence every day!

One recent study put mice in a soundless chamber for 2 hours a day. And they actually GREW more brain cells…… especially in brain areas linked to memory and problem-solving! Essentially, silence gives our brain more capacity to think and grow.

That’s why Dr. Basner recommends having a few minutes of total SILENCE every day – where the only sound you hear is your own breathing.

Here’s a really easy way to improve your performance in ANY area of your life: Just tell yourself, out loud: “You’ve got this.”

That’s according to a huge study, involving about 44-thousand people. It found that those who used positive self-talk – like, by telling themselves “You can beat your best time” or “You can handle anything that comes your way” – were the most likely to follow through, and actually do better.

For example: One experiment asked participants to play an online game. Some played after getting game instruction videos, while others played the game after watching videos that trained them to use positive self-talk as a motivational technique.

The result? Time after time, the people who watched the self-talk training videos saw the biggest increase in their game scores. That’s because positive self-talk is linked to lowering stress and boosting our “can do” attitude……

And when you combine positive self-talk with visualization, the sky’s the limit! Visualization is when you IMAGINE yourself getting better. And it works because visualizing something activates the same brain network that governs the actions we take in real life. 

And this study makes it clear that visualizing your goals – and telling yourself “You’ve got this” – are the most effective ways to put you in the mindset for achieving your goals.

Do you have a home security camera – like a Ring doorbell? 

Well, a recent OnePoll survey found that 1-in-4 homeowners with cameras regularly check their security footage to see what’s happening around their property. And as you’ve probably noticed, some of the funniest footage is then being posted online for anyone to watch. But considering the average North American is now captured on surveillance cameras at least 70 times PER DAY, you may be wondering if it’s legal to post that footage online?

Well, for the most part, the answer is “Yes.” According to the law non-profit New Media Rights, any surveillance footage captured in a public space – where there’s no expectation of privacy – is legal to post. But cameras pointed toward private spaces, like a neighbor’s fenced-in yard, are off limits…… and you could be charged with spying if you post anything collected from them!

You also have to be careful making public any conversations recorded on a security camera. There are a lot of “two-party consent laws” that make it illegal to record audio conversations without the consent of everyone involved. Plus, it’s almost always illegal to record a conversation if you’re not participating in it at all. 

So what about their intended purpose, to deter criminals? Well, a study by the University of North Carolina Department of Criminal Justice found that outdoor surveillance cameras DO make most burglars reconsider targeting a home.

These days, it seems like there’s a new superhero movie or TV show debuting every week. So why are they so hot right now? 

According to clinical psychologist, Dr. Robin Rosenberg, it’s because we’re living in difficult and uncertain times……With crime, financial struggles, and war.  And that leaves us wanting to be entertained and distracted. 

We’re also searching for positive role models, and wishing for heroes to swoop in and stop the madness. It’s the reason our grandparents loved superhero comics in the 1930s during the Great Depression. 

Also, with superhero movies – it’s about good versus evil, and saving the little guy. 

We also see ourselves in superhero stories. Because most of us believe in fighting for justice. And superheroes often come from tragic beginnings……

That inspires us, and provides a model to help us cope with adversity, and find meaning in loss.