We must keep our overall health and well-being in check. This includes our brain health. Exercising the body is a proven way to boost our immune system and release happy hormones. But we should not forget to do mental exercises as well. Our cognitive health should not be neglected because as the famous maxim says “Use it or lose it,” we should keep training our minds so we can keep using it to its maximum potential.
Mental exercises enable a strong cognitive function and delay cognitive decline.
Mental exercises reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairments to our brain health associated with aging such as memory loss, Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more. Being at home during this lockdown can be an opportunity for us to sharpen our mental abilities. This article gives you online and offline ideas to curb your lockdown fatigue and strengthen your cognitive abilities. Let’s get to the list!
Solving jigsaw puzzles can be fun to solve alone or with family.
First on our mental exercise list is solving a jigsaw puzzle. If you have a jigsaw puzzle lying around the house, this is your opportunity to finally solve it! Solve this by yourself or with your family to double the fun. You will challenge your brain and improve your visual-spatial reasoning.
Mental exercises like these will not only give you a sense of accomplishment but also promotes heightened levels of concentration and focus. Set a daily goal of how much part of the puzzle you want to accomplish so you can monitor your progress and inspire you to work on it every day. Once you’ve finished solving the jigsaw puzzle, you can display it in your luxury home so you can be reminded of your achievement and the experience you had solving it.
Engaging the mind with logical games keeps our cognitive functions active and sharp.
Playing online games is already the craze for the younger generation because it serves as their source of entertainment and sort of escapism. Contrary to popular belief, online games don’t shape kids to have poor attention problems. In fact, games encourage communication, creativity, strategic planning, and teamwork.
The second item on our list of mental exercises is playing logical games. Today, there is a deluge of digital games available that can also improve mental sharpness. Experts recommend playing logical games like sudoku because it helps people improve concentration, reasoning, and analytical skills. You can also find sudoku games in your local newspapers if you prefer playing with an actual pen and paper.
Another idea copped from Juan Ponce Enrile, he shares that he plays the application Bejeweled on his tablet “to exercise my diminishing intellectual capacity.” Games like these are said to keep the brain “young.”
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The third in our list of mental exercises is practicing mental math. You don’t need to be a math whiz to do this! Studies have shown that doing basic mental math problems physically bulks up your brain muscles. A researcher from Tohoku University in Japan revealed his research findings regarding the matter and proved that even simple equations stimulated both the right and the left hemispheres of the brain.
If you decide to pursue this technique, you can begin with easy equations and then build from there. You can also time yourself to see how fast you can solve the problem. You’ll be improving your math skills and working out your brain at the same time. Track your progress by noting them in your trusty journal or even on your phone.
Don’t let your fear of numbers hinder you from sharpening your cognitive abilities!
The fourth on our mental exercises list is playing Mahjong. Mahjong traces its origin from China for hundreds of years and apparently, it’s not just a game but also a brain booster! This is a game about strategy and skill that actually delays the effects of dementia. Regularly breaking out Mahjong tiles can keep one’s brain sharp and enhance their cognitive skills. This is one of the best brain training games.
Playing this ancient Chinese game also has a social aspect that fosters the feeling of belongingness, sportsmanship, which impacts overall mental health. It’s easy to conclude that playing Mahjong is not only a good mental exercise but also an avenue to connect with your peers that encourages stronger relationship bonds with others.
It’s time to consider buying yourself a tileset with a matching Mahjong table. These would look good and compliment your luxury house. Just like a Brittany property, investing in premium items will be a bang for your buck because it’s both classic and timeless.
Perk up your mental agility by learning to solve a Rubik’s cube.
The fifth idea in our mental exercises list is learning how to solve the Rubik’s cube. Turns out, there’s actually a technique in solving this colorful box! You can try solving it on your own first and then you can look it up online and follow the steps to understand the strategy and rationale of the game if you want a lighter brain exercise.
Solving a Rubik’s cube is said to develop your problem-solving skills and enhance your observational skills. It’s unbelievable to think that this small gadget can enable us to strengthen our brain’s capacity. Although just a disclaimer, solving a Rubik’s cube can be frustrating at first so you’ll also learn how to be patient in learning this new endeavor. Remember, good things come to those who wait! We’re all a work in progress after all.
Second to the last item in this list of brain exercises is playing board games. Who would’ve thought that playing simple board games can actually sharpen our mental skills? Any board games will do because they stimulate the brain’s problem-solving and thinking skills. Some suggested thinking board games are Scrabble and Mastermind.
Scrabble will test your vocabulary skills and critical thinking skills. The more you stretch the brain to think, the stronger and agile it gets. On the other hand, Mastermind is a code-breaking game. Although it is a game of trial and error, you’ll be able to formulate your own technique and methods in cracking the code of your opponent. Think of Mastermind as a way to test and hone your analytical skills.
Since we are in the middle of a stricter lockdown category, this is anchored to imposing a more stringent travel restriction. With borders closing, we don’t have a choice but to stay in our homes. A tip you can do to keep yourself mentally active and busy but at the same time also experience another culture in the safety of your own luxury home is to learn a new language!
Studies have shown that learning a new language helps in thinking skills and memory abilities. Learning a new language can develop new areas in the mind and elevate your brain’s focus ability. There have been studies conducted that prove the brain increases in size if one is learning a new language.
The explanation for this is that when you are learning a new language, you’re training your brain to become more receptive to new knowledge such as grammar vocabulary, foreign sounds, and many more. Not only are you expanding your special skills and brain training at the same time but you’re also exposing yourself to other cultures. Immersing yourself in a foreign language and culture is almost the same as traveling to the country itself!
In a way, you get to travel and brain training in the comfort of your own home.
In summation, there are various ways in keeping your cognitive function healthy and active during this lockdown. This is the time to explore our creativity and stretch ourselves, both mental health and physical health, to reach and realize our fullest potential. While being stuck at home can be boring and bring about feelings of unproductiveness and anxiety, this article has given you some nifty ideas on how to keep the mind busy and sharp.
We talked about exploring our options in forging a sharper and “younger” cognitive functioning and they all comprised of a combination of online and offline activities. We are no longer limited to traditional channels as a source of entertainment and training because we also can rely on the digital sphere.
Learning how to solve Rubik’s cube, Sudoku and other board games just go to show how wide our options are. These activities not only improve our cognitive abilities but spark happiness and overall mental health. Learning a new language doesn’t only enhance our mental capacity but also allows us to travel the world in the haven of our homes.
Here in Brittany, our clients can expect to be transported to famous world destinations. With our luxury condominiums and properties, you can look forward to unmatched beauty and quality. To learn more about Brittany Corporation and our classic and timeless properties, click here.
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