Most of us live our lives as a series of fixed routines. And there are many good reasons for this. It simplifies our life, limits brain-draining decision making. We can perform complex tasks like driving a car with little mental effort.
But, do you know this Routine Is Deadly for Your Brain??
Routines are run by our subconscious mind and require very little brain energy. And consequently they provide the brain with very little stimulation.
"It’s not about doing different things; but, it’s all about doing things differently.”
“Neurobic” exercises are
like cross-training for your brain. It gives your brain new experiences that combine physical senses with emotional “senses”. This
stimulates more connections between different brain areas.
Some of the proven benefits of “Neurobic” exercise include faster thinking, improved memory and mood, better vision
and hearing, quicker reaction time, and a feeling of increased focus,
motivation and productivity.
Here are some of the best ways to exercise your brain that meet these criteria. Try these brain exercises during your morning routine or your down time and feel the difference. And the plus point
is, it hardly takes any extra time.
1) Start your day with your non-dominant hand
Build new connections between brain cells by putting your non-dominant hand into action.
If you’re a righty, use your left hand to perform daily tasks. Start your day by brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand (Remember to open apply toothpaste
with opposite hand, too). Once you
are comfortable with brushing, start combing your hair or eating or writing also.
Does using your non-dominant hand become any easier over the course of
the day?
2) Take 7 words challenge
Test your creativity
with this verbal challenge. Write a short story—and use only seven words to
tell your tale. (This will boost your Twitter and Facebook
storytelling skills. Sounds Cool, right?? 😎
3) Wear your watch upside down
This works better with an analog watch but you can
do it with a digital watch as well. You’ll have to really think every
time you glance at your watch. You can also hang clocks or calendars
upside down.
4) Turn off the GPS and Take new routes
On a
routine commute, your brain is on autopilot and gets extremely little
stimulation. Drive a different route on the way home from
college/work each day to stimulate your brain.
5) Count backward
Try these three exercises in simple subtraction:
Beginning at 100, count backward, subtracting 4 each time
(96, 92, 88...).
Beginning at 175, count backward, subtracting 3 each time
(172, 169, 166...).
Beginning at 250, count backward, subtracting 7
each time (243, 236, 229...).
6) Name the objects Start with letter ‘M’ and End
with ‘R’
Write down your picks and see if
you can avoid repeat words for as long as possible.
7) Rearrange names of days and months
Alphabetically
Test yourself by naming all twelve months in alphabetical
order.
You can write down the months if you need to but try this
exercise without a pen or paper for an extra challenge.
Say the Days of the Week Backwards and Alphabetically.
Start from either Sunday or Saturday and practice recounting the days of the
week backwards. Once you’ve mastered the order, try naming the days in
alphabetical order.
Name the Months of the Year in Reverse Alphabetical
Order. If the last two exercises were too easy for you, try
listing the months of the year reverse alphabetically. Bonus points if you can
visualize it without the aid of a notepad or keyboard.
Moreover, apart from these brain exercises, make
sure you take enough sleep and lead a stress free life with smarter brain.
