All Collections
Getting Started
Quick start: your first week with BrainLabs
Quick start: your first week with BrainLabs

New here? Know what to expect as you get started with BrainLabs.

Mike Battista avatar
Written by Mike Battista
Updated over a week ago

If you're new to BrainLabs, start with this step-by-step guide for your first week using the site. You'll be on your way to better brain health in no time.

Your First Day

  • First things first: take a challenge! Hit the "play" button, and in about 10 minutes of taking some fun tests, you'll have your first Brain Report, letting you know how your brain is doing today.

  • View your C-Score—a quick summary of your cognitive function. Come back tomorrow to see if it has gone up or down. You can also see your scores in the context of the BrainLabs community.

  • Don't be discouraged! Your first few challenges provide a baseline to work with, but practice plays a role as you become familiar with the tests and the challenges become more representative of today's brain power.

  • Add lifestyle entries using the "add" button. When we have more data on the variations in your daily life, we can let you know when your brain is at its best.

  • You did it! Now you're familiar with the basics. Keep poking around if you'd like, or sit back and keep an eye on your email inbox. We'll send you a reminder tomorrow when it's time to log in again.

Your Second Day

  • Check your email. You'll get a reminder every day for your first week, then a few times a week after that. You can log in any time, but we'll help with quick emails that make sure you're getting the most out of BrainLabs.

  • Take a challenge, then complete your lifestyle entries. There's a new challenge each day, with different tests to keep your brain on its toes. You may have also noticed the daily journal, where you can enter whatever you'd like. Do you feel sharper than yesterday? Do anything different that could affect your performance? Note it here.

  • Check today's brain report—it will now show you exactly how you've changed since you last visited. Nice!

  • Check out your graphs. Hover over a data point for more info. Did you go up since yesterday? Good job.

  • Check out your domain scores. Your C-Score is based on three domain scores: reasoning, short-term memory, and verbal ability. These scores tell you more about which particular area of cognition is strongest today. Come back again tomorrow to see what has changed.

  • Finally, complete your profile, if you haven't already. Make sure we have your location right and enter a few details so we can deliver more customized insights.

Your First Week

  • Keep going! You only need to devote a few minutes each day to your brain; it's a fun break, plus your future self will thank you. Learn more about making brain health a habit.

  • Hope for a lower score. Remember, practice helps at first—but by the end of your first week, you'll notice some scores going down as well as going up. That's good! You'll learn most when scores rise and fall alongside variations in your life. That's when you can start making small changes that lead to long-term success. 

  • Check out the Tests tab to play individual tests, and track performance on each one separately. 

  • Learn about the science. Did you know that each test is based on a long history in psychology and neuroscience? If you have a few spare minutes, learn about the science behind BrainLabs, so you can be confident that everything we do is backed by evidence.

It's Been a Week! Now What?

  • Review what you've learned. With a week's worth of data, you will start to see patterns. Is your reasoning worse when you don't sleep? Does exercise boost your memory? Review the past week to get an idea of how your brain changes over time, but keep going for more solid insights.

  • Prepare for insights. Want stats on exactly how your brain changes alongside your lifestyle? Subscribe to insights and, when we have just a bit more data, we'll crunch the numbers for you.

  • Focus where it matters. Have a favourite test yet? Consider an unlimited subscription for unlimited test and challenge plays, in addition to insights.

  • Experiment! Keep poking around. Sometimes we'll run specific experiments that go beyond the everyday features of the service. You can also find new ways to use the site yourself; want to see if you do better after three cups of coffee? Try it out!

  • Stay tuned. We're always adding new things to do, so keep an eye on your inbox for announcements and keep checking back in to see what's changed.

That's one week of better brain health. Cheers to many more. Consider the insights you'll gain every day, but also every week, then every month, and every year. For the first time, you finally have a record of how your brain is doing over time. Knowledge is power, and soon you'll be on your way to a healthier brain.

Did this answer your question?