Your daily cup of joe might be giving you more than just an energy boost each morning. A study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" suggests that your early morning caffeine pick-me-up has long-term benefits on your thinking skills and attention span in addition to the temporary mental clarity you receive right after sipping.

In the study, researchers from the National Institute on Aging found that those who drank more caffeine did better on memory tests than those who drank it less often. The brain stimulant not only gives the body a rush of energy, but also improves mental performance -- no matter what your age is.

Who knew that waking up to a new scent could amp up your brain power? While freshly brewed coffee is the usual scent associated with the start of a new day, waking up to a smell that's not linked to your morning routine (like vanilla or citrus scents) will activate new neural pathways in the brain. Wake up and burn a lavender-scented candle, or sip some peppermint tea.

Keeping a journal or diary is not only one of the best ways to detach from digital distractions, but it can also improve concentration and memory skills. The physical action of scribbling down letters on a page (rather than just hitting the exact same keys on a keyboard) activates the part of the brain that develops the learning process, making it easier to comprehend new material.

While keeping a full, complete diary might be a bit time-consuming, using something like the Five Minute Journal, $23, is a great way to get yourself writing while also being superproductive (this particular journal helps you to prioritize tasks for the day while setting individual, short-term goals as well).

Not only is being bilingual an excellent, marketable skill to have, it's also an excellent way to keep your brain active. A Swedish MRI study found that learning a new language can actually make your brain grow (in this case, bigger is certainly better).

Strange, right? Well, the hippocampus and cerebral cortex are the parts of the brain that were specifically found to grow, both of which are involved in helping you to quickly and comprehensively learn new material. Luckily for us, learning a new language can be done without having to hire a tutor or enroll in classes. There are plenty of free phone apps like Duolingo available that can help you practice a new language during your train ride to work each morning. Talk about a productive distraction.

Humans are creatures of habit, so it makes sense that we'd get stuck in a rut of eating the same foods at the same time of day. However, Katz claims that by switching things up and eating an omelet or cereal for dinner instead of the usual evening meal options, your brain will handle the change as an unexpected challenge, forcing all your senses to become engaged and making the mind work harder to understand the new routine.