What are cognitive skills – and how can you improve them?

Cognitive skills - or mental abilities - reflect how well you learn, solve problems and stay focused. They encompass things like attention, memory and reasoning, and not only help you at work, but in all aspects of life.

While cognitive skills are mainly developed in your childhood years, these skills don’t stop developing just because you’ve grown up. In fact, understanding and improving your cognitive skills as an adult can make a big difference in learning, productivity and problem-solving in any situation.

So what are cognitive skills, and how can you strengthen them now? In this article, we break down different cognitive skills and why it's important to continue developing them as you age.

What are cognitive skills?

Cognitive skills are what enable you to think clearly, solve problems, learn new things, and stay focused on tasks. They’re the mental abilities that support nearly everything you do, like remembering a coworker's name, making a tough decision, and learning a new process.

Though cognitive skills are harder to hone when you’re older, the good news is that these skills can always be improved. Whether you want to focus better, process information faster, or simply feel more switched on during the day, you can take steps to sharpen your mental abilities.

The process starts with knowing what your cognitive skills are and how they work.

Examples of cognitive skills that develop with age

Some mental skills actually get better as you grow older. Life experience gives your brain more to work with, which shows up in how you think and learn. Here are a few cognitive skills that typically improve over time.

• Reflective thinking: taking time to consider situations before reacting. This ability engages when you weigh up pros and cons instead of rushing a decision.

• Crystallised intelligence: your accumulated knowledge of things like facts, vocabulary, and general know-how. The more you read, listen, and learn, the stronger this gets.

• Postformal thought: being able to hold two ideas at once, even if they seem to contradict each other. This helps when dealing with tricky problems that don’t have one clear answer.

• Dialectical thinking: the ability to see things from multiple points of view. It helps you stay open-minded, adapt to change, and navigate group dynamics with ease.

• Executive functioning: your brain’s control centre. It helps you plan, organise, stay on task, and manage time. The better this ability, the more effortless your days will seem.

Examples of cognitive skills that may fade

Not all cognitive skills get better over time. Some start to dip as you get older, but being aware of them means you can take steps to keep them sharp.

• Processing speed: how quickly your brain takes in and reacts to information. You might notice it when tasks feel slower, or it takes longer to find the right word. It’s a natural part of ageing, but practice can help maintain it.

• Working memory: your mental ‘sticky notes’. You use it to hold and juggle information in the moment, like remembering a phone number just long enough to dial it. Over time, short-term memory abilities can shrink a little.

• Attention span: how long you can focus on one thing. Over time, this might get harder, especially with distractions. You may notice more mental drift or the urge to switch tasks often.

• Multitasking ability: juggling many things at once. The brain isn’t great at multitasking to begin with, and it gets worse with age. Juggling too much can slow you down and lead to more mistakes.

How to improve your cognitive skills, step by step

There’s a common belief that adults can’t learn as well as children – but that’s not entirely true. As an adult, you’ve got metacognition on your side, or in simple terms, ‘thinking about your thinking.’ It’s your ability to understand how you learn, spot what works for you, and adjust your strategies.

Having strong metacognitive skills can boost your focus, help you learn faster, and improve your decision-making. If you’ve been feeling foggy, forgetful, or mentally slow, there are things you can do to reclaim some mental clarity. 

Brains thrive on activity. When you stop challenging your brain, you may notice a decline in memory, concentration, and processing speed. The solution is to start giving your brain a workout.

Here are some practical steps you can take, and activities you can do, to strengthen your cognitive skills.

Step 1: Strengthen metacognition

What is metacognition? Imagine zooming out and watching your thought processes from the outside - that's metacognition in action. The better you get at it, the easier it becomes to learn new things, focus and make quick, logical decisions.

Here are a few ways to build this skill.

• Keep a journal

⁠Start by writing down what you learned during the day, what challenged you, and how you handled it. This habit helps you track patterns in your thinking and see how you grow over time. You’ll also begin to spot what helps you learn best and what tends to get in the way.

• Reflect on how you solved a problem

After completing a task or solving a tricky issue, take a moment to walk yourself through what you did. Think about the steps you took and why you made those choices. This reflection helps you understand your problem-solving style and build confidence in your approach.

• Ask yourself what worked and what didn’t

When you’ve finished a meeting or project, set aside time for self-reflection. What went well? What didn’t? Giving yourself an honest review helps you avoid repeating mistakes and gives you clarity on your strengths

Step 2: Practice brain-training activities

Your brain is like a muscle – it gets stronger the more you use it. With regular practice, it can build new connections, get better at solving problems, and sharpen your focus. The trick is finding methods that are simple, fun and easy to stick with. That way, you're more likely to keep going and actually enjoy the process.

Here are a few brain-training ideas to get you started:

• Solve logic puzzles and brain teasers

Puzzles like sudoku, crosswords, or logic games are more than just ways to pass the time. They challenge your brain to spot patterns, make decisions, and think critically. The more you do them, the quicker and more accurate your thinking becomes.

• Use brain-training apps

Apps like Lumosity and Peak give you quick, daily exercises that work different areas of your brain. Whether it’s memory, attention span, or processing speed, these apps offer small and fun challenges with instant feedback.

• Learn something new

Trying something totally new – like learning a language, picking up an instrument, or doing a short online course – can boost your brain power in big ways. It pushes your brain to form new pathways and stay mentally agile.

• Exercise and sleep well

Physical movement gets blood flowing to your brain, which helps with memory and mental clarity. And the benefits of good sleep can’t be overstated – it’s when your brain does its housekeeping. Without enough of it, your focus and recall take a serious hit.

Framework thinking: Your brain’s shortcut to better learning

Your brain loves shortcuts. It’s wired to save energy by spotting patterns and using known structures to make sense of things. That’s why framework thinking is such a useful tool. It helps you organise ideas, solve problems faster, and remember more.

Framework thinking means using simple, repeatable structures to break down complex problems. Instead of memorising facts, you build a way of thinking you can use again and again, especially when you need to think fast.

• Build mental frameworks

To build a mental framework, look for patterns. What are the usual factors in a situation? What elements come up again and again? A framework helps you break situations down into common parts, to help you process them more quickly next time.

Example: the ACE approach to feedback. A = accept the feedback, C = clarify the feedback, E = evaluate if the feedback useful for you. The STAR method of answering interview questions is another example of a framework.

Try to develop frameworks for tasks and situations you often deal with, like managing projects, troubleshooting recurring issues, and de-escalating high-stress situations. That way, the next time you're under pressure, you’ll have a mental shortcut ready to go.

Habits that can hurt your cognitive skills

While there are plenty of ways to improve your cognitive skills, there are also everyday habits that can quietly chip away at them. Being aware of these can help you make smarter choices to protect your focus, memory, and mental sharpness.

Problem: Poor sleep

Sleep is when your brain processes, restores, and stores information. If you’re regularly running on little rest, your memory, attention, and decision-making all suffer. Even a single bad night can throw off your ability to focus and solve problems the next day.

Solution: Establish good sleep hygiene. Go to bed at the same time each night; read, meditate or do something relaxing before bed; and don’t eat or drink too close to bedtime.  

Problem: Too much alcohol

Alcohol can slow your thinking and impact your memory, even in the short term. Over time, regular high consumption may lead to long-term changes in how your brain functions. 

Solution: Try to cut down on alcohol. Try low-ABV drinks or ‘dry’ periods to set liver- and brain-friendly habits. 

Problem: An unbalanced diet

⁠Eating a lot of sugar, processed snacks, and unhealthy fats can lead to inflammation, which is linked to poor brain health. 

Solution: Up your intake of real, whole foods. Load up on leafy greens, fish, nuts and whole grains to support energy, focus and memory.

Problem: Not moving your body

Physical activity boosts blood flow to your brain, helping it work more efficiently. On the flip side, sitting too much or not moving regularly can make you feel mentally and physically sluggish. 

Solution: Make movement part of your day. Even short walks, stretching, or light workouts can lift your mood and focus.

Problem: Doomscrolling

⁠Spending too much time on social media can shrink your attention span and make it harder to focus deeply on tasks. Quick hits of digital dopamine train your brain to seek distraction, and make it harder to concentrate.

Solution: Set limits. Try app blockers, timeouts or swap scrolling time for a brain-boosting activity like a puzzle or walk.

Problem: Multitasking too often

⁠Trying to do five things at once might feel productive, but it usually leads to mistakes and slower learning. Your brain does better when it focuses on one task at a time. The more you switch, the harder it is to store and recall information correctly.

Solution: Batch your tasks. Turn off notifications and give your full attention to one thing before moving on.

Your brain never stops learning. And your ability to improve your cognitive skills doesn’t disappear with age – it just requires a different approach. Employ metacognitive skills, mental frameworks and healthy daily habits to get better at thinking, learning and solving problems. Whether you’re returning to study, building a career, or wanting to stay sharp as you age, it's worthwhile taking care of your cognitive - and metacognitive - skills.

FAQs

What are cognitive skills, and why are they important?

Cognitive skills are the mental abilities you use to learn, focus, remember, and solve problems. They’re important because they impact how you process information, make decisions, and perform at work or in everyday life.

What are cognitive skills in children?

There are certain cognitive skills in childhood that serve as milestones and are measured to make sure children are developing in step with their peers. These include attention, memory, perception, logic, and language development - they help kids learn, reason and socialise.

How can adults improve their cognitive skills?

Adults can improve their cognitive skills by building metacognitive skills, learning new things, solving puzzles, staying physically active, and getting enough sleep. Regular brain training and reflection can also help sharpen focus and memory.

What are metacognitive skills, and how are they different from cognitive skills?

Metacognitive skills involve being aware of how you think and learn. While cognitive skills help you process information, metacognitive skills help you monitor and improve how you use those cognitive processes.

What are some effective cognitive skills activities for adults?

Try activities like logic puzzles, memory games, using brain training apps, or learning a new skill. These cognitive skills activities keep your brain engaged and support mental agility.