Fixed routines are great for making your life simple and avoiding having to think too much,
but the danger is they turn you into a brain-dead zombie.
The solution is brain activities that are new and complex because they keep your mind
razor sharp, and help protect against memory loss and mental decline as you get older.
So thanks to the work of Dr Lawrence Katz, here are 14 exercises that will slay your
inner brain-dead zombie.
Try using your non-dominant hand to do everyday things like brushing your teeth, and don’t
forget to open the tube and apply the toothpaste the opposite way you normally do it.
It might be hard at first, and that’s why your brain gets a good workout.
Eating with chopsticks forces you to think about what you’re doing, which is great
for your brain and probably your digestion and calorie consumption too.
If you’re already a chopsticks ninja, try using your non-dominant hand instead.
When you’re taking a shower and washing your hair, try doing it all with your eyes
closed.
Use your sense of touch to turn on the taps, adjust the temperature, wash and even shave.
Just be careful not to hurt yourself, ok?
Try wearing your watch upside down, flipping your calendar, or even turning photos of your
family upside down.
It’ll engage both sides of your brain to re-interpret and understand what you’re
looking at.
Take turns reading and listening to a book with another person.
When the same words are read silently, read out loud or heard from someone else, they
activate three different areas of your brain.
When you go the same way all the time, your brain goes onto autopilot.
So whether you’re walking, riding, driving or taking public transport, go a different
way and make yourself think.
And maybe it’s best to try this on the way home from work or school so it doesn’t matter
if you get a little lost and go exploring.
The key to fully exercising your brain is to engage all your senses, so if you shop
at a farmer’s market you can look, touch, smell and taste the produce.
And while you’re there you can be sociable and chat to the farmer who grew your food
as well.
Do things you’ve never done before.
Travel somewhere you’ve never visited, check out an unfamiliar ethnic cuisine, or try something
that’s totally out of character for you.
You’ll stimulate the creation of new neurons and give your brain a nice boost of dopamine.
Learning something new stimulates brain activity, but when you become pretty good at it, your
brain starts to go into autopilot mode again.
That’s when it’s time to push your comfort zone and challenge yourself with the next
level of difficulty or even change direction slightly and learn a related skill.
The simplest way to do things the hard way is to stop relying on technology.
Don’t use your smartphone for basic spelling and math, try to actually memorize your friends’
phone numbers, or turn off the GPS and read a map and use your natural sense of direction.
Challenge your current way of thinking and your view of the world by intentionally seeking
out people with different interests, careers or skills sets, or people from different social
or cultural backgrounds.
Be open to new perspectives and ideas.
Of all mental exercises, meditation may be the most challenging and therefore the best.
Our brains are non-stop thinking machines that pour out upwards of 70,000 thoughts every
day, so training your mind to be quiet can be hard work – but it’s worth the effort.
Exercise for your body is hugely valuable for your brain too.
It increases the amount of feel-good chemicals in your brain and improves your emotional
health.
And it doesn’t have to be high impact exercise – walking, yoga or tai chi are all fantastic
too.
Craft or creative hobbies have the power to focus your brain similar to meditation.
Music, drawing, reading, arts and crafts, and even doing home repairs specifically stimulate
the neurological system and enhance your health and well-being.
Remember, knitting is the new black.
Your brain thrives on variety to keep those synapses firing, so try activities that are
novel, challenging and complex, and use as many of your senses as possible.
And that is how you’ll keep your mind razor sharp and slay your inner brain-dead zombie.