Biohacking the Brain: 3 Tips to Improve Focus, Memory and Mental State

by Guest Author August 12, 2021

We see biohacking as the opportunity to elevate life to a higher degree...

Here's some recent perspectives from around the web including this comprehensive article about Optimising Digestive Health.

In this post:

Biohacking: the health trend high net worth australians can’t get enough of?
An extreme method for stress management pushes for the mainstream.
Social media scrolling may negatively impact short term memory.

Biohacking: The Health Trend High Net Worth Australians Can’t Get Enough Of?

Biohacking represents the optimisation of your biology. This is usually done through lifestyle modifications, either with technologies or simple activities, which enhance fundamental aspects such as energy, sleep or memory.

To achieve these changes, biohackers leverage tools like Dopamine Fasting, HIIT training, Heart Rate Variability Training, Neurofeedback, Nootropics and Self-Tracking.

Many activities that are considered biohacking are easily pursued without much or any investment at all – they’re very much a ‘mind over matter’ thing – or only require relatively little investment.

That’s what makes biohacking such an appealing movement: it’s about democratising wellness and taking a more holistic approach to human health.

Image source: @kimerakoffee

For instance, if you struggle with a lack of focus and low productivity consider switching your regular cup of coffee to a special coffee infused with nootropics - brain vitamins that improve focus, cognition, mental health, and power output.

Kimera Koffee offers organic coffee grounds mixed with the nootropics L-theanine, alpha GPC, Taurine and Gingko Biloba for physical and cognitive stamina without the jitters or the crash.

Souce: Dmarge

An Extreme Method for Stress Management Pushes for the Mainstream

Wim Hof's has celebrated turning 61 with 61 minutes in an ice bath - wonder what he'll do for 62?

His technique of using physical discomfort to improve mind and body is gaining popularity as it seeks scientific acceptance.

You begin to develop an ability to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Athletes, CEOs and Navy SEALs are among those using ice baths and cold water exposure to operate at the top of their game.

Cold exposure only can help you to feel energised and provide a boost to your mood but it is also great training for mental fortitude.

Social Media Scrolling May Negatively Impact Short Term Memory

The ability to maintain focus for a sustained period of time is one of the goals of many biohackers. Achieving that flow state. This is as much about blocking out distractions as it is about maintaining a keen interest in the task at hand.

A study found that scrolling through Instagram during the short story significantly decreased memory recall compared to the control group, and it non significantly decreased memory compared to the group that used Instagram after each short story. The type of content displayed on the participants’ feeds didn't affect their results.

The authors reviewed other literature indicating that multitasking — in and of itself — can impair memory and learning. Thus, it's possible that it wasn't social media that caused impaired learning but rather the presence of an additional stimulus.

Furthermore, active participation was correlated with a more positive mood, while passive scrolling is associated with depressive symptoms. 

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32950505