21st Century's Brilliant Brain product laying in the grass next to rubrics cubes.

Brain Healthy Memory Games Tips Tricks

As time fades, so does our mental energy. We forget things, we may not be as sharp as we used to be and learning new skills can become more challenging than what it once was for our younger selves.

If you notice your mental sharpness dulling, don’t fall into the idea that there’s nothing you can do to support that brilliant brain of yours! While technically an organ, the brain acts and functions like a muscle, meaning, with the right exercises, you can potentially train your brain to even stronger proportions!

If you want to train that brain, then check out these brain health memory games, tips and tricks!

  1. Focus exercises
    This is a great exercise to support your mental focus and concentration, which may help improve your overall sharpness. Look into the flame of a candle for 30 seconds. Then, close your eyes. Try to keep the image of the candle in your mind for as long as possible. Keep practicing until you can hold the image of the candle in your mind just as long as you stare at it with your eyes!

  1. Crossword puzzles
    Crossword puzzles really get the brain moving and may help improve memory. For this exercise, make sure you pick a crossword puzzle that is challenging for you!

  1. Memory card games
    This one may sound familiar--get a deck of cards and place them face down. Flip them over two at a time and find the pairs. Do you hear childhood calling? You probably remember this one from when you were a kid, but it’s a great game to exercise that mental muscle memory!

  1. Word lists
    Create a list of 20 words. Study them, then write them down on a separate piece of paper from memory. How many words did you get? Keep practicing until you can get at least 14 words. Remember to keep the game challenging. If it’s pretty easy, then up your difficulty of words!

  2. Keep the brain active
    Even if it starts off as a struggle, learning a new skill is an amazing way to keep the brain active. What have you always wanted to learn? Guitar? French? Chess? Tennis? Anything that keeps your mind engaged and challenged will work wonders to support overall brain health.