I know you must be thinking about why I have drifted to the topic of beauty when we are talking about mental training etc! By now all of us know that mental coaching or training has got to do something with the brain.

Our body needs a good eight hours of sleep every night to rest. When your body is rested well and relaxed, your brain can function better. Our brain has to work hard a lot during the day when we work or even at home for carrying out various tasks. So grab that god night’s sleep and become smarter!

All of us would like to have a sharp and alert mind all the time, but most of us feel that this task will need special efforts. However, it is not that difficult to be brainy if you do some exercises for mental training.

The best way to start this is to start memorizing things that you need every day such as phone numbers, people’s names, addresses, recipes, shopping lists etc. Do you know that there is a powerful connection between our intelligence and memorization? When you have a strong memory, your brain is able to achieve a higher stage of intelligence.

Mental coaching can happen anywhere and anytime- even on the breakfast table. Are you surprised? Don’t be, as I will tell you how.

You can switch on the morning news on your radio or television set while having breakfast. Listen to it carefully.

Now simply write the gist of what you heard in the morning later in the day and in the evening as well. You can confirm the accuracy of your news comprehension by reading the newspaper. When you do this you will know for yourself how well you listen and whether you can put it in words as well.

If you are not too inclined to take up a formal mental training course, games are a good option for you as they include logical activities while playing. There are lots of card games such as pinochle and bridge that can help.

Besides these, board games involving strategy such as chess or checkers are beneficial too. You can also try crossword puzzles, anagrams and other word games. But be careful not to play the same games every time as it will result in not activating your brain.

The aim is to use all the different cerebral circuits and neuronal regions to enhance their performance.

Mental training need not be always through some coach. If we try to be less dependent on gadgets like a calculator or mobile phone, we can surely improve our mental strength.

For instance, we use a list while going shopping. Though it is a good way to stay organized and not forget buying something, we tend to stay away from remembering things on our own. You can devise a method for yourself to remember the items on the list, like making a complete word using the first letter of each item. You can also separate groceries into frozen and raw for convenience.