Cycles Of Consciousness

Your consciousness waxes and wanes throughout the day . For most it seems to go through 90 minute cycles, with 30 minutes of lower consciousness. Watch yourself to recognize this cycle. If you learn to recognize and track your mental state, you can concentrate on important mental tasks when your mind is most "awake". For creative insight into a problem, do the opposite. Work on it when you are in a drowsy state, when your conscious mind has slowed down.

Sleep On It

Previewing key information and then sleeping on it increases retention 20 to 30 percent. You can leave that information next to the bed for easy access, if it is something that won't keep you awake. If you are kept awake by your thoughts, writing everything down sometimes gets it "out of your mind," allowing you to sleep (so keep a pen and paper nearby).

Increase Brainpower With Exercise

Ten to fifteen minutes per day of exercise has been shown to increase brain power by 30 percent. For results right now, try working on a problem while you take a walk. The increased blood flow will help you think more clearly, as will the after-effect of a more relaxed state. There is also something about the rhythmic movement that helps calm the brain.

Drugs To Increase Brainpower

Coffee and other drinks containing caffeine help students consistently score higher on tests. Since caffeine restricts blood vessels in the brain, it isn't clear what the longer-term effects may be when it comes to your brainpower. Ginkgo biloba has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, and improve concentration. Then there are the less natural drugs coming to the market soon. I'll have information on those in the near future.