People pay for gym subscriptions to keep their bodies fit, they invest time and money into physical workouts. What about mental workouts?
Did you know that once you pass a certain age, your brain cells deteriorate irreparably? The process speeds up if you don't take care of your mental activities, diet, and general lifestyle.
With everything going on in your life professionally and privately, it may seem impossible to squeeze another workout into your schedule.
However, the following six exercises can help you keep your mind strong and responsive. So, let's dive into the best exercises for the brain!
If you are right-handed, find several activities to switch to the left hand and vice versa. Those can include everything from zipping your jacket, brushing your teeth, texting on your phone, brushing your hair, writing, or eating meals.
Because most of the mentioned moves are automatic and done by your dominant hand, your brain doesn't participate in the process.
When you switch to your non-dominant hand, your brain needs to take part in the process. It strengthens your mind, and the more new activities you try with your non-dominant hand, the better.
Even though most brain games you can find online claim to help you become more intelligent, the reality is a bit different. Brain games cannot make you more intelligent, but they can help you adopt new problem-solving skills, new patterns and embrace new perspectives.
These games aren't a joke, even though they might seem like that to you. By regularly practicing brain games, you can improve your focus and memory, or at least, prevent them from deterioration.
Download any of the available brain games for Android and iPhone and spend at least 15 minutes per day exercising your brain.
Teaching someone a skill you've perfected is a great way to keep your mind sharp. While teaching someone something you've been an expert in, you have to focus on concepts and all general and tiny details you might not think about at all.
When you are good at something, you don't think about your movements that much; you act by automatism.
Let's say, you are a great basketball player. When you grab a ball, do you think about the position of your hands and legs, or do those movements come to you normally? Explaining to somebody else what to do will trigger brain activities that have been asleep, so you'll make your mind sharper.
Most of the people take the same road everyday on their way to work. If you change the route, it can increase your creative thinking.
You can also change the transportation, ride a bike instead of walking or vice versa, choose alternative roads instead of the highway. Try to go to work every day via a different route, so you'll have to come up with a new way every day, which will keep your brain active.
Next time you grab a book to read, keep a notebook with you to write down unfamiliar words. Then, look at the words in the dictionary, and try to use those words at least five times in sentences during that day.
It will boost your language processing skills!
Like flossing one's teeth, meditation is one of those things that takes extra effort to add into your day. Just taking 5 minutes a day, being aware of your thoughts, can strengthen those neural pathways.
Start by sitting comfortably and closing the eyes. Take your attention to your thoughts and then your breathing. Every time your mind wanders, be aware of the thoughts and gently bring your attention back to your breathing. Every time you bring your awareness back to your breathing, you are strengthening your mind.
Taking care of your mind and not letting it rust is just as important as taking care of your physical health and look. Try some of the games above and be consistent. Observe how your mind responds to the game and you'll be surprised how effective the games are.
Which game will you try first? If you have more ideas on how to keep your mind sharp, please share them with us.
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