“Use it or lose it” is a phrase that is often applied to our bodies or muscular strength, but did you know that it can be applied to our brains also? It’s true - if we don’t flex our mental muscle, our brain’s cognitive reserve may slow down. October 13th is National Train Your Brain Day, a day devoted to encouraging us to spend more time challenging our brains and exploring mental exercises to help keep our heads in the game.
If you’re not sure how to observe the day, don’t worry, we’ve got 15 great suggestions. Work them in over a lunch break or anytime you need a quick five-minute brain-break to refocus. Give your brain a little extra love today. Cheers to brain fitness!
1. Read.
2. Work on a jigsaw puzzle.
3. Solve a few brain teasers.
4. Spend 10 minutes on a crossword puzzle.
5. Play a memory or matching game.
6. Take turns telling and solving riddles with your family.
7. Challenge yourself to learn one new word each day for a month.
8. Write something. It could be anything from a short story to a journal entry about your day!
9. Use your non-dominant hand.
10. Learn a new language.
11. Do a Sudoku puzzle.
12. Turn off the television! You don’t have to give up your daily tube time but try to reduce the amount of time you spend in front of your television (or any screen, for that matter).
13. Take a class. It doesn’t have to be a formal class, it could be something as simple as a free online tutorial.
14. Get to bed 15 minutes earlier.
15. Change your routine. Whether it means taking a different route to work or switching up your regular lunch order, changing things up can force your brain to do some problem-solving, rather than coasting on autopilot.
Of course, proper nutrition and exercise play an important role in brain function. Our Brilliant Brain supplement was designed to support cognitive health and focus.
Think quick, how will you celebrate Train Your Brain Day? Share your thoughts with us on our facebook page!