The modern era has brought a lot of convenience to human life, but it has also created a myriad of pressures for humankind. Such pressures are incredibly taxing on our mental health, and hence, we must do everything in our capacity, from eating healthy foods to stress-busting exercises, so that these tensions can be eased.
We are witnessing an unprecedented surge in the number of mental illnesses recorded in the last decade. Therefore, we have listed here seven productive activities that you can incorporate in your daily life to enhance the strength of your brain.
1. Switch to hand-writing:
Technology has taken over our world and has facilitated us in daily activities like communicating and writing by introducing gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Although typing with the help of a keyboard saves us a lot of time, it is still worth it to write by hand once in a while because it stimulates inactive areas of the brain and helps in the learning process.
2. Solve analytical problems daily:
Make a habit of solving analytical problems like mental math questions daily because they help your brain in expanding its capacity and also sharpen your memory. You do not have to do them by hand because there are a lot of applications readily available on your phones and tablets.
3. Play strategy games:
Playing strategy games like Catan and Sudoko can significantly improve your problem-solving skills because they pose challenging problems that force the brain to tap into new neural pathways.
4. Play sports:
Playing any active sport is an excellent way of introducing exercise in your daily life because you get to be healthy and have fun at the same time. Playing sports like cricket, football, baseball, or squash can significantly improve your hand-eye coordination skills and also help in reducing stress as such activities release ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins.
The possibility of getting injured once in a while must not discourage you from taking sports. But, get a brain MRI immediately if you incur a head injury because such injuries can cause critical damage.
5. Make a habit of reading:
Reading is an incredibly useful routine activity that can boost your memory, thought processes, and creativity rather conveniently. Moreover, reading a few pages before sleep can significantly reduce stress and improve the quality of your sleep.
6. Learn another language:
Learning a new language can significantly help in the growth of the hippocampus because it taps into specific areas of the cerebral cortex. As a result, your memory and learning abilities improve, and this increase in mental reserves also shields you from diseases like Alzheimer’s to a certain extent.
7. Indulge in Meditation:
Mastering the art of meditation involves being able to control the release of certain substances in the brain. As a result, you will be able to give controlled and prompt responses to various situations that would have otherwise stressed you out.
In a nutshell, taking care of your brain and keeping it sharp must be on your priority list because humans are created to excel based on their mental capacities, and if we lack that, what good are we?
