"Sir, what's your phone number?" I was recently asked when filling out some information.
"Uh . . . um . . . well . . . ah . . ."--pathetic! I couldn't remember it.
Maybe it was the number of number combinations I have in my head, between all my passcodes and email addresses, and home phone and mobile phone and work phone and and and . . .
Or, maybe my brain's just run on autopilot for too long as I've relied on my contact list, my reminders, and calendar alerts. Maybe it's just all this technology that's put my brain to sleep.
Some maintain that the ease of technology frees up more room in your brain for other things; but then many maintain we don't use all of our brain's capacity anyway.
Nevertheless, for those of you who are concerned about your brain, or feel you're not using enough of your brain, or, like me, face embarrassment when you can't remember a phone number or an address, these awesome brain workouts are for you.
1. Learn an instrument: Learning is important for the brain. Many people go to work all day, then come home and veg out in front of the tv or stay plugged into their computers. Learning an instrument will work your brain and body--that hand/eye coordination that is important for brain development.
2. Do some math: Hated math when you were in high school? Tough luck--learn to love it. Doing math will stretch your brain and strengthen your memory.
3. Cook: I enjoy cooking--I'd like to do it more. Cooking stimulates all the senses, which is good for the brain. Anything that requires multiple senses is good. In our technological world, we work largely with our eyes and ears, but not so much taste and scent.
4. Learn a language: Drop $199 for Rosetta Stone or take an extended vacation to a foreign country to learn the language--either way, you'll be using that brain, which is a good thing.
5. Exercise: This is really important for the brain--getting the body moving and releasing all those endorphins into the brain. Check this out for top exercises for strengthening your upper body. I'm always looking for quick workouts, simply because I don't have time to get to a gym, and am into fast-track processes that amplify results. Check out the Muller system of the early 1900s--no seriously, it looks amazing.
Slate Magazine on the Muller Workout
6. Play chess: If you have children, get the chessboard out and teach them to play--you'll love it. If they know how to play, put your darn phone down and face off against them. If you're a lousy chess player, puck up some books on chess and learn.
7. Library membership: You need to get into books to get off the technology and get your brain moving again. Buying books is a good thing, but taking 100 books out of the library is just thrilling--no really. Some memberships allow a 100-book limit--imagine the possibilities! Get your kids into it too and turn them into great readers. Whatever you want to learn, you'll find books on it at the library. Get your kids hooked on it too!
The thread here is to stimulate all the senses of your body, and learn learn learn. Any new learning you can do, do it; any new skill you can pick up, or way to use all the senses, do it. Our technological world is keeping us sedentary and mono-sensory. Doing new things, learning new things, getting back into math, and playing an instrument will stimulate your brain.
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