Have you ever gone to the bedroom and couldn’t remember what you needed there? Or you bump into an old friend and can’t remember their name? You may even have missed an appointment because it entirely slipped your mind. Such kinds of memory lapses can happen to anyone, but people tend to get upset by them as they age. Most individuals think that once you start forgetting basic things, the memory can only get worse from there. If you are going through memory lapses, it might be because your brain needs some stimulation to remain sharp.
The brain is the most often used part of the body, yet it’s the one that people tend to neglect. Just as the body benefits from physical exercises such as aerobics, strength training, and stretching, so is the mind sharpened from engaging in brain activities. Here are six ways that you can stimulate your mind, boost memory, and improve the brain’s function.
Mix up Your Routines
Most people follow a series of routines every day – wake up, exercise, take breakfast, prepare for work, and so on. Routines simplify life, but they also limit brain-draining decision making. The subconscious mind runs them, and this does not require a lot of mental effort. With time, the brain becomes sluggish and slow from too much routine. Mix up your routines and include something complex such as engaging projects at work, trying different workouts, or even taking a new route to the grocery store or on the way home from work.
Exercise the Brain
Brain games are the best form of exercise for the mind as they help create new associations between different parts of the brain. Technology has availed virtual games such as puzzles and brain teasers on the desktop and mobile devices. You can download free games from the internet and exercise the brain when you are free. Besides virtual games, you can also try challenging tasks such as brushing your teeth or combing the hair with your non-dominant hand.
Take Up a New Activity
Asking your brain to do new things is among the best ways to keep it sharp and active. You can learn a new language, an instrument like the piano, guitar, or sax, take up dancing or yoga classes, memorize poetry, or even try a hobby that’s totally out of character for you. As you engage in a new activity, the brain learns something new, and you keep the mind active as it tries to assimilate the new activity. This act also stimulates the creation of new neurons in the brain.
Do Things the Hard Way
Technology has made everything easier for people nowadays, and this has significantly limited the power of the mind. You can access everything on your phone, whether it is doing math, spelling words correctly, or find your way around town. Use your mind instead of your smartphone for things such as arithmetic calculations. Try to learn your friends’ phone numbers without checking the phone. Turn off the car’s GPS and use a map to get around the city. All this may seem hard, but you will be surprised how capable the mind is of storing information when you engage it.
Read Fiction Books
Reading fiction stimulates the mind by encouraging you to imagine the fictional reality being presented to you. This is different from watching whereby the show is passively given, and you may not need to engage the brain in any form of imagination. Reading novels enhances connectivity between different parts of the brain and improves functionality. As you read, try to do it aloud as well or alternate between reading and listening to audiobooks. The strategy engages all regions of the brain that are used in imagination.
Socialize with People
Every time you connect with people, you expose yourself to new ideas and ways of doing and thinking about things. Seek out individuals who are different from you – who have different interests, careers, skill sets, or from different social and cultural environments. This opens up the mind to new perspectives and ideas and challenges your current way of thinking. It stimulates the mind and pushes you to try out things that are out of your routine.
Stimulating the brain should be a continuous endeavor for individuals who boost their memory and maintain a sharp mind. As one grows older, the brain tends to get sluggish, but these ideas can help maintain and improve its functions even with old age.