Our minds are a beautiful thing and our biggest asset. It is so important to keep your mind in good health by constantly exercising it. You don’t need expensive apps or cumbersome tests. 

Keep your brain active and in top shape with easy activities:

Challenge with a crossword puzzle.

Sounds a little old school and the first thing you might flash to is imagery of your grandmother sitting at the kitchen table with hers.. Not going to lie, I do. But actually sitting down with a crossword is a really effective way to stimulate your brain. Find them free in your newspaper, at the back of some magazines, and even some apps that are FREE. Get thinking, get engaged.  

Don’t go dominant.

This might be just as amusing as good for your brain, but try using your opposite (non-dominant) hand in everyday tasks. This will get new parts of your brain firing and might even give you a few laughs. Both great for your wellness. 

Stairway to stimulation.

This sounds really simple but opt for the stairs. Not only does it give your cardiovascular system a nice workout, but the basic coordination of depth perception and mechanics might just do the body some good. 

Doodle.

Remember in grade school when you would find yourself doodling and daydreaming? This is a great way to stimulate your brain and boost creativity. Drawing, and even sketching your surroundings, encourages use of your right brain, often this side is more neglected. Do yourself a favor and doodle.

Read a book.

Seriously.. keeps your cognitive, language, and reading comprehension skills sharp. It also allows your mind to wander and be enveloped with imagination. This is by far my favorite way to stimulate my mind.  

Unplug.

Put down the phone. Get away from this type of stimulation and choose something that is more of a productive stimulation. We all know what happens.. the mindless scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. Give you brain something more than mindless mush. 

Get manual.

By manual, I mean do something by hand. Hand sew a button back on, fix that off center drawer, or get out and weed the garden. Shortcuts are amazing BUT sometimes you just need to roll up your sleeves and have your brain work a little different than the usual. You might even pick up a new skill or two. 

Musical memory.

Learning to play french horn was one of my greatest accomplishments and most useful life lessons. Useful in the way of mental endurance, discipline, thought processes, and overall satisfaction. So if you don’t know how to play and instrument but have always wanted to… this is my GO NOW. Try it. Even playing and listening to music stimulates our brains and increases memory. Learning to play an instrument will use your auditory senses, hand eye coordination, and push your mental capacity. Even out of band.. I play 2-3x a week because I love it so much. It reduces stress and often times sparks a burst of creativity and productivity once I am done with a practice session.