Doing the same job day in, day out, can become extremely monotonous, and it can seem as though your mind having to be less active to achieve your daily tasks. If you are struggling to be as stimulated in other areas of your life too, over time, it could lead to reduced cognitive function later in life. Keeping your mind active is also important so that you can have a better quality of life in the present, as well as preventing you from forgetting where you left your keys 20 times a day. Here are a few activities you can do to keep your mind stimulated, without having to take too much time out of your day.
Take a class
It is important to keep learning at all times. Whether you want to read up on a new area of your job, learn a completely new language or study college-level physics, if your brain is regularly required to processes and store new information, it will help to keep your mind sharp. You may feel that you might not have enough time to fit in extra studies on top of work or other commitments, but as this is something you are just doing in your spare time, you can fit in studying where ever possible, as you don’t have a committed deadline.
Play an instrument
By playing an instrument, you have to access several areas of your brain at once. From memory recall to auditory and visual centers of the brain, playing an instrument truly requires you to think. You don’t have to become a perfect musician, but just simply reading and interacting with the music can be a very effective brain stimulator.
Strategy games
Strategy games require problem-solving and forward-thinking, and those are skills which you can never get enough of because they are needed for every aspect of daily life. There are some board games which were made for this exact purpose, such as Scrabble or chess, and these types of games also require you to outsmart an opponent. Alternatively, if you are looking for a task which also requires teamwork, then you could try something like the Boston Escape Room.
Try new things
Staying in a regular routine might make life a little easier, but it doesn’t help your brain to keep active. Trying new things stimulates new areas of the brain, as your mind is forced to process a lot of new information. There is no limit on what you can try, from new foods to taking your daily walk in a new area. Whatever you choose to do, it will still require a lot of mental stimulation, and it won’t even feel like you are actively working.
Read regularly
Reading is a great activity to keep your mind active. It doesn’t matter so much what you read, just that you are fully engaged in the book. It keeps the visual areas of the brain active, as well as the short and long-term memory, and this is an activity which you can easily just spend 20 minutes doing each evening, without having to disrupt your night.
