9 Ways to Instantly Strengthen Your Brain

Even though the brain is an organ, rather than a muscle, you can still give your brain a workout. Just as with a muscle, repetitive tasks can dull or even damage your mental acuity, while new challenges and activities can strengthen your brain and even make you measurably smarter. Get ready for your workout!

Exploit your weakness. This first challenge will seem counterintuitive, but there’s good science to support it. If you’re a morning person who’s most productive and alert early in the day, try tackling a creative task late at night, and vice versa for you night owls. You’ll discover that this stress on your brain—asking it to work hard at a time when you usually don’t—can yield surprisingly good results. It works best for creative tasks, rather than analytic tasks, and you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish when you work at what isn’t your typically optimum time.