There is no denying that modern life is stressful. Instead of living in idyllic villages where we chew the fat and frolic among the beauty of nature, we hit the books as kids, join the rat race as adults, and wrestle with technology as seniors. Contemporary life has brought us wonderful things such as home-delivered groceries and unprecedented medical breakthroughs but it has also created a climate of competitiveness where individuals who do not operate to the strongest of their ability can quickly fall behind. The truth is, though, we cannot expect to always perform at our peak. Aging and changing life circumstances have a way of affecting our mental states and more and more people are exhibiting forgetfulness and issues with concentration.
Under Pressure
Our brains are complicated supercomputers that manage our bodies through a complex network of neurotransmitters (nervous system) and hormones (endocrine system). They react to thousands of points of internal and external stimuli every second, formulating a suitable response to any given environment. This squishy gray command center controls all our bodily functions by sending signals that instruct our glands to produce hormones that modify everything from stress response and blood sugar level to metabolism and sexual behavior. Hence, imbalances in our nervous or endocrine systems could result in mood disorders, physical health issues, and poor cognitive function.
Stress is one of the common sources of such imbalances in our brains. Numerous studies have explored the connection between our stress levels and cognitive functions with conclusive findings that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can negatively impact both our short and long-term memory. While stress and increased cortisol are thought to be beneficial during the learning process to commit information to memory, higher cortisol levels have been shown to hinder the recollection process. Researchers have further found that chronic psychological stress that happened earlier in life could lead to progressive cognitive impairment in people as they grow older.
Pregnancy, prolonged poverty, and traumatic life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have all been proven to affect our cognitive function and memory. According to scientists, the effects of the pandemic have been far-reaching, even for those who did not contract the virus. A recent survey found that 80 percent of respondents thought that at least one aspect of their memory had deteriorated in recent months with 55 percent of people forgetting when an event or incident occurred. Our greatly restricted range of activities over the lockdown period has not only caused our perception of time to become fuzzy but has also removed much of the sensory stimuli that our brains require to be active. Coupled with stress from the uncertain pandemic situation and it is clear why so many people are feeling somewhat impaired.
Think Fast, Look Alive
Nootropics are a class of substances that have a positive impact on cognitive performance. The name is a derivative of the Greek words noos (meaning ‘mind’) and tropein (meaning ‘towards’). Due to the way they improve our mental skills, nootropics have also been called smart drugs. While the term nootropics may seem unfamiliar, they include many well-known substances such as Ritalin or Adderall—used in the treatment of ADHD—and one of our favorite fixations, caffeine. As scientists continue to research a variety of nootropics, there is growing evidence on the positive impacts that nootropics have on our cognitive function.
In addition, as each nootropic supplement has its distinctive effect, it is possible to tailor your enhancement regime to suit your particular needs. University students may like to boost their memory and have sharper focus. Executives in challenging positions may prefer to relieve stress and raise social confidence and communication fluency. Professional athletes may look to nootropics for an extra edge in training and workout motivation. There are many online resources, such as SanDiegoHealth.org, that introduce popular nootropics and guide individuals on how to choose the right supplement.
For those who want more bang for their buck, there are also pre-made, clinically proven nootropic blends available on the market. Combinations of two or more nootropic substances are referred to as stacks. Stacks work to enhance the helpful properties of certain substances while lessening unnecessary side effects—like caffeine jitters—of others. Designed to achieve advancements in everyday overall cognition, high-end proprietary stacks can help users relieve stress, increase focus, improve memory, and sustain energy. At the same time, they contain potent antioxidants that protect brain cells and aid in neuron growth, ensuring that you will only get better with time.
Whether you are an intrepid college student, a multi-tasking working mother, or a senior with an active social life, everybody is entitled to want to function at their best. As nootropics become widely available and accepted, we can look to them as a means to address our unsatisfactory cognitive performance and return our brains to their former glory.