Dopamine improves focus and cognitive performance. You can increase your mental drive with dopamine naturally. Mental stimulation. Don't stop learning! Listen to that podcast, buy and read that book, or take up painting. Ever go on a walk and get hit with a sudden surge of ideas? It's because exercise helps blood flow to your brain and also forms new brain connections nerves and synapses.

Plus, exercising contributes to lowered blood pressure, and lowered blood pressure improves blood flow to your brain. Foods with tyrosine increase your brain's dopamine availability, leading to more focus and energy.

For example, eggs are a tyrosine-rich food that gives your brain the protein it needs throughout the day. Specific brain foods, nutrients, and spices. The Mediterranean diet is a better eating style for brain power.

It's rich in healthy fats and essential nutrients. But don't skimp on the following: especially vitamin D and omega-3, which increase serotonin. Drink coffee. Coffee drinkers are more alert, emotionally astute, and ready for action than non-coffee drinkers.

Caffeine also increases the availability of dopamine receptors , so your body can better use already-circulating dopamine. Pay attention to light and activity cycles. The time of day you get natural light significantly impacts brain function.

Optimize your brain energy by timing exercise, "feeding," light exposure, and sleep, according to Dr. Hattar , an expert on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health.

The chronotypes "early-bird" and "night owl" are limiting and don't consider what phases make your body feel best. Pay attention to how working out in the morning versus afternoon versus evening makes you feel.

Do the same with eating, light exposure, and when you go to sleep. For example, Dr. Hattar says he clusters his exercise, light exposure, and eating early in the day because his brain power rapidly declines after 5pm.

I've found exercising before I do work and eating late in the morning afterward is the sweet spot. I'm still figuring out what the best time for bed is. And that's the fun part, discovering how to make these daily activities boost your brain function.

Supplements like L-theanine and magnesium are good for sleep. L-theanine promotes relaxation and cognitive function. Magnesium promotes cellular repair and muscle relaxation for a solid slumber. Regulate emotions and mood. It's exhausting to feel sluggish or down.

However, mood , attention, and memory can improve with just a few minutes of daily meditation. Having a good social network and meaningful connections reduces stress and your risk for dementia. Call or visit friends and family regularly. Engage in community activities or events to get uplifted and energized.

Another important consideration when choosing an energy and focus supplement is the form in which it is available. Some supplements come in pill form, while others are available in powder or liquid form. After conducting extensive research and testing, we have identified the best energy and focus supplement on the market.

Our top pick is a pill-based supplement that contains a carefully selected blend of ingredients that are known to improve cognitive function and provide a sustained energy boost. With this supplement, you can stay focused and productive throughout the day, without experiencing any jitters or crashes.

We all have days where we feel drained and unable to focus on tasks at hand. While a healthy diet and exercise can help, sometimes we need an extra boost to get us through the day. With so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one.

These supplements have been carefully selected based on their effectiveness, ingredients, and customer reviews. Check Price on Am azon. The blend of ten unique mushroom varieties has noticeably boosted our energy levels, sharpened our focus, and kept us alert throughout the day. The product is made in the USA, and the manufacturer does rigorous testing to ensure quality assurance.

Each batch is individually tested for purity and standardized levels of active ingredients. Overall, we recommend the ACEWORKZ Mushroom Supplement to anyone looking for a natural way to improve their focus, energy levels, and immune system.

If you want to enhance your focus and performance levels, Rainbow Nutrients Brain Booster Supplements is the perfect solution for you. We have been using Rainbow Nutrients Brain Booster Supplements for a while now, and we can confidently say that it has helped us improve our mental performance and memory.

The natural ingredients in this product are rich in DMAE and 40 powerful natural brain-boosting ingredients that fuel your brain cells and help them function at their best. Unlike other brain booster supplements in the market, Rainbow Nutrients Brain Booster Supplements increases serotonin and dopamine levels while offering a day supply for the same price as a day supply brand.

Each and every batch of our Doctor formulated proprietary Brain Booster formula is 3rd party tested to guarantee the highest purity, potency, and premium quality natural ingredients. Our products are manufactured under GMP certified facilities with the strictest quality control and guidelines in the USA.

If you want to say goodbye to brain fog and focus on reaching your true potential, Rainbow Nutrients Brain Booster Supplements is the right choice for you.

Give it a try and experience the difference yourself! The caffeine-free formula ensures that there is no crash or jitters, making it a great option for those who are sensitive to caffeine or looking for a more natural approach to energy and focus. Choline, an essential nutrient for the brain, supports the formation of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for mental function.

This can lead to improved focus, memory, and overall cognitive performance. Unlike many other energy and focus supplements, this product contains only natural ingredients and does not rely on stimulants to provide its effects.

This means that users can take it without worrying about developing a dependence or experiencing negative side effects. Its unique blend of adaptogens, choline, and green tea make it a great choice for those looking for a caffeine-free option, and its ability to enhance concentration and mental function make it a great choice for students, professionals, and anyone looking to improve their cognitive performance.

The natural blend of ingredients provides a sustained energy release without the crash, and the supplement is fast-acting, clearing the mind within 30 minutes.

However, the supplement may not work for everyone, and the caffeine from the Guarana Extract may cause jitters or racing heart for some users. Additionally, the product may be relatively expensive compared to other energy and focus supplements on the market.

The combination of three of the most researched mycological species on the planet provides a powerful blend of health benefits.

Cordyceps helps elevate energy levels via ATP production, allowing for increased oxygen utilization and athletic endurance. We found that taking three capsules with 8 oz of water 20 minutes before a meal once a day worked best for us.

Go for a walk. If you feel sluggish, get up and move, especially after a meal. A brisk minute walk improved energy with effects lasting up to two hours, in experiments conducted by California State University.

Be strategic about caffeine. A cup or two of coffee or tea can help enhance mental clarity. But to get the right benefits, consume caffeine judiciously. Chronically high consumption can lead to adrenal dysfunction, throwing energy and sleep cycles off. Improve sleep quality.

Head to bed earlier, and maintain a sleep schedule. Cool it. Heat can make us more relaxed and sleepy. Try a cold shower, or even a cold plunge or ice bath. Lower the thermostat before bed; experts say 65 degrees is the perfect temperature for optimal sleep.

But you may not know that smoking actually siphons off your energy by causing insomnia. The nicotine in tobacco is a stimulant, so it speeds the heart rate, raises blood pressure, and stimulates brain-wave activity associated with wakefulness, making it harder to fall asleep.

And once you do fall asleep, its addictive power can kick in and awaken you with cravings. If you think you may be sleep-deprived, try getting less sleep. This advice may sound odd but determining how much sleep you actually need can reduce the time you spend in bed not sleeping. This process makes it easier to fall asleep and promotes more restful sleep in the long run.

Here's how to do it:. Eating foods with a low glycemic index — whose sugars are absorbed slowly — may help you avoid the lag in energy that typically occurs after eating quickly absorbed sugars or refined starches.

Foods with a low glycemic index include whole grains, high-fiber vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils such as olive oil. In general, high-carbohydrate foods have the highest glycemic indexes. Proteins and fats have glycemic indexes that are close to zero.

Caffeine does help increase alertness, so having a cup of coffee can help sharpen your mind. But to get the energizing effects of caffeine, you have to use it judiciously.

It can cause insomnia, especially when consumed in large amounts or after 2 p. One of the best hedges against the midafternoon slump is to avoid drinking alcohol at lunch.

The sedative effect of alcohol is especially strong at midday. Similarly, avoid a five o'clock cocktail if you want to have energy in the evening. If you're going to drink, do so in moderation at a time when you don't mind having your energy wind down. What's the only nutrient that has been shown to enhance performance for all but the most demanding endurance activities?

It's not some pricey sports drink. It's water. If your body is short of fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue. For more information on the many things you can do to increase your natural energy, order our Special Health Report, Boosting Your Energy. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness , is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.

Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss That could mean the perfect Ping-Pong overhead spin shot, or it could mean learning a language. You can listen to the rest of his interview on Bulletproof Radio iTunes.

Doctors have used neurostimulation, via devices that send a gentle electrical current through the skin into specific areas of your brain, in a clinical setting for decades. These devices are becoming more available for use outside a clinical setting.

You still have to put in the work, though. If you usually feel focused between 6AM and 10AM and you want to relax during the afternoon, plan to do all your most challenging and thinking-intensive work first thing in the morning.

Ready to work at 2 AM, but not a morning person? Get your big projects done late at night and sleep in. Follow your biology instead of fighting against it.

Create as many routines as possible to remove decisions from your day. Wake up, make your bed, have coffee, brush your teeth, meditate, check email, start work — follow the same routine day after day until it becomes automatic.

Setting out clothes and planning your meals, snacks, workouts, etc. Not having to think about your schedule frees up a lot of mental energy to focus on the important stuff. Deep sleep is one of the fundamental ways to make your brain stronger.

Your brain replenishes neurotransmitters and clears out cellular waste during the deeper stages of sleep, leaving you clear-headed when you wake up. The single most effective way to improve your sleep is to black out your room. Light degrades melatonin, one of the hormones that makes you sleepy and triggers cellular repair while you sleep.

Check out this guide to sleep hacking for more ways to increase deep sleep. Most of the hacks are free and you can start them tonight. A high-fat, low-carb diet keeps your blood sugar stable and low so you have steady energy throughout the day.

Make sure you get plenty of polyphenols as well. Polyphenols are powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that you find in coffee, tea, chocolate, and colorful vegetables and fruits. Polyphenols improve memory and decrease brain inflammation. Check out the complete one-page Bulletproof Diet Roadmap for a complete guide to brain-building foods you should eat and energy-sapping foods you should avoid for improved focus and brain power.

Pushing yourself physically makes you mentally fit, too: it creates brand new neural mitochondria and makes your existing mitochondria more efficient at producing energy.