First of all, Experts say that it is necessary to always keep learning something different. The good news is that this is inevitable: a lot of information reaches our minds every day, even if we don’t realize it. And, as the saying goes, “you always learn something new.” From a street to how to prepare a dish, from a word in another language to a rule of a sport, all this can be of great help to speed up your mind.
If you also pay attention to the following tips and you comply with some of them, you will be able to constantly learn and also keep your mind in the wonderful task of exploring and incorporating many things each day.
Sharpening your mind will allow you to maintain mental acuity and mental health as you age.
1. Use your “weak” hand
If you are right-handed, use your left hand and vice versa. Spend an entire day (or at least an hour) doing things with your “non-dominant” hand. Open the door, try to write, use the keys, pick up a spoon, all with your opposite hand.. It will be very fun and also with this simple task your brain will have to think in a different way than it is used to, establishing new connections at the same time.
Also will have to “rethink” before sending signals to the upper or lower members, something that is not done often and that allows a more forgotten sector to be exercised. Put the watch on the other wrist to remember the rest of the change of hands in your household chores.
2. Enjoy mind games
They are a great way to get the brain moving. For example, crossword puzzles, sudoku, brain training type electronic games, questions and answers, multiple choice, word searches, etc.
All of these games are great for speeding up your mind, increasing it and at the same time having the ability to memorize more information. They are based on logic and abilities (such as mathematics or verbal). And there is no doubt that they are more than fun.
Put aside the television a little and get a magazine about brain games, it will be good for you and good for your brain. You get a lot of benefit for just 15 minutes a day.
3. Feed your brain correctly
Just like your body, your mind also needs to be well nourished. Eat fats, but healthy ones. That is, those contained in fish (mainly salmon), nuts (especially walnuts) and virgin oils (such as olive or linseed).
Don’t stop consuming them in your daily diet and reduce bad fats, that is, saturated fats. Eliminate all trans-fatty acids from your eating plan because they are not good for the body or the brain.
4. Visit different places
Don’t always go the same way, whether on foot, by car or by bus. If possible, try to cross at other corners, change the public transport line, get off earlier or choose side streets instead of Avenues. It’s a small change to your routine that will help you do many things, from not getting bored to or from work to Help the brain practice what is called “spatial memory.”
You will also learn new directions and get to know places you wouldn’t otherwise. Try even to change sidewalks and modify the order in which you go to a store. Instead of always passing by a street with buildings, look for one that has parks or low houses.
5. Acquire a new skill
This will trigger your multiple areas of the brain into action. Memory is what will come into play, in addition to other benefits. You will also learn new movements, you will associate data and information about various things in a different way. Learn to cook, take a language course, go to a dance class, a ceramics class, or a literature class. If you like reading novels, choose essays or vice versa.
Everything serves to “challenge” your brain and offer it new things to think about.
As highlighted by the research team of Marlen Velasquez (2009) : “Learning is considered an aspect of neuronal plasticity, since it is the modification of the person’s behavior, based on previous experiences; This indicates that the brain learns and due to its plasticity it is modified, producing synaptic changes of anatomical and functional order.”.
In this way, it is demonstrated that through learning new skills, neuronal plasticity allows changes at the brain level. Both brain changes and plasticity will help maintain an agile mind. It is worth remembering that The brain is a muscle, therefore, the more we train it, the fitter and more agile it will be..
6. Break the routine
As said before, It is good from time to time to change what you do “out of habit.”. The more we get used to a task, the more it becomes ingrained and the brain doesn’t have to do much to finish or carry it out.
If you really want to help your mind stay young, you need to challenge it to new challenges. Anything that forces your brain to wake up and let go of habits is welcome. You will have no choice but to pay more attention.
7. Learn useful phone numbers
Because of smartphones, people no longer remember by heart the phone number of their parents, their partner, their best friend. Everything is in that device. This is a wonderful activity to exercise the mind. You can speed up your mind by learning a new number every day, but being careful not to forget the previous one.
8. Make lists
Streamlining your mind has never been as easy as with lists, truly wonderful because they help relate one piece of information to another. For example, create a list with the places you have traveled to, the most delicious foods you have tried, the best gifts you have received, the names for your future children, etc. You don’t have to write it on paper, it’s better that they remain “saved” in your memory, the best place that exists.
“The mind that opens to a new idea will never return to its original size.”
-Albert Einstein-
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