Learning a new language allows your brain to better perform mentally demanding tasks. Research has also shown that people who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles than people who only speak one language.

Reading anything whether its Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’ or George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ (Game of Thrones) or Rolling Stone Magazine improves all three types of intelligence — crystallized, fluid, and emotional.

Learning an instrument and playing music has been shown to strengthen the corpus callosum which of the part of the brain that links the two hemispheres by creating new connections.

Napping for just 15 minutes can improve your day-to-day memory.

Regular exercise can flood your cells with BDNF, a protein that promotes memory, learning, focus, concentration, and understanding. The key here is to be consistent as occasional exercise doesn’t quite do the trick.

Playing video games improves your spatial visualization ability, along with attention and cognition.

Socializing with friends or family and maintaining relationships is a key ingredient for cognitive sharpness, especially as we get older. Keeping close relationships greatly reduces the risk for mental health issues.

Doing puzzles like sudoku or solving riddles maintains neuroplasticity which allows you to learn faster and makes you less prone to anxiety and depression.

Painting and doing other forms of visual art improve the effective interaction between different parts of your brain and can delay or negate age-related decline of certain brain functions.

Meditation has been shown to have positive effects on nearly every part of the brain and can improve your memory, self-awareness and goal setting abilities.