As creative thinkers, makers, doers and the like, we rarely give our brains time off. Whether debating the next million-dollar idea with friends, or defending marketing decisions to clients, our cognitive reflexes have no choice but to be at attention 24/7.

This raises the question—how do we ensure we’re getting the most out of our brains, day-in and day-out? Beyond the typical practice of brain exercises and task-based repetition (both of which are important), we can take other steps to raise our mind power levels higher than they’ve ever been!

Lifestyle choices have such a strong impact on our daily routines. When examining things “really productive people” do, there are a few takeaways we all can glean from. Let’s dive into just a few.

Lunch it up

Something each of us can do everyday, regardless of discipline, is take that hour-long lunch. A 2012 Career Builder survey found that 10 percent of workers reported getting lunch out of the vending machine at least once a week. And a 2010 Monster study discovered that 21 percent of people reported always eating lunch at their desks (7 percent denied eating lunch at all) and 32 percent took a lunch break “only if I’m not too busy.” The problem with taking these pseudo lunchesis that later in the day, your brain will tend to make more inefficient decisions (needless web-surfing, daydreaming, etc.) while you are trying to do work. Your body needs that lunch hour to get up, move around, and recharge. Otherwise, by the end of the day your energy is zapped and you are not nearly as fresh as you were in the morning. Treat your body well and watch your creative thinking trend upward. Try one of these on your next lunch break:

Move. Take the stairs. Just get up and walk around.
Meet someone new or learn about someone you don’t know well
Do things not work-related to at least give your mind a break.

Prioritize Like a Boss

You control the activities in your life. With most endeavors, you can either go deep or go wide. This applies to most things, from your social life to you occupational specialties. Focus on spending time on the things that are the most fun and productive for you. And then after those decisions are made, recognize the work it will take for you to be satisfied.

Hustle with less Bustle

You’re likely pretty good at what you do, so own it and strive to get even better. Chances are the things you do well make you the happiest and require less mental stress than others. Stop taking on things—be it work-, social-, or family-related—that have such a steep learning curve and necessitate bandwidth you do not have. Design your life and make the choices that better allow you to achieve greater joy.

Integrate What You Love

In whatever capacity you work, creativity is almost certainly a requirement, or at least encouraged. Why limit that crafty thinking to your job? Instead of going berserk trying to balance time between people, work, and play, try integrating two or more of them together! Build your social life around commonalities between coworkers and develop ways to get things done while not overcomplicating different portions of your routine. As an example, want to take a relaxing Saturday and watch movies all day—but also want to reconnect with a friend whom you’ve lost touch? Invite your friend over to watch movies and order some food to spoil yourselves.

Manage Time-wasters

Stop spending so much time on things that don’t matter. Budget your time like it is something of real value. In terms of fun-suckers, those around you who consistently whine and bellyache will never edify you or your thinking, and forget about them helping you get to where you want to go. Limit those interactions, and proactively replace them with stimulating hobbies and people who challenge you.

Relentlessly Learn Things

It takes an investment of some kind to learn. Invest wisely, monitor your ROI, and always look for a new way to gain back an hour here or there. If the time investment is not translating itself into a meaningful return, drop it like it’s hot.

Make Like Faith Hill and Breathe

Stop letting yourself feel down and defeated when you don’t get to all the things you want—especially if it is because you are taking care of more pertinent things in your queue. Instead, to keep your mind right, celebrate progress. There is a reason itineraries, planners, and to-do lists exist in the world: They allow you to achieve small victories along your journey to larger goals.

At the end of a hectic day, your mind and body should not feel defeated, but accomplished. You are in control of the stress (or lack thereof) in your life. Whether positive or negative, the lifestyle decisions you make affect the worry you take home, so be in control of every part of you. Toss a disc, walk a dog, eat a fruit salad, and get in the game.

Related resources:

What Successful People Do During Lunch
Staying Healthy is Vital to Your Success
Further reading on Low Stress Lifestyle

Knowledge Share: Healthy Lifestyles

Weekly Digital Roundup (10.28.13)