| Some brain exercises can be as simple as an | | | | want to improve that. This can be done by |
| intelligent conversation or reading something new. | | | | concentrating on scenes in one's mind. Imagine |
| Others can be more involved, like doing crossword | | | | walking through your home, for example, and repeat |
| puzzles or solving lateral thinking puzzles. Here are | | | | the process until you can easily "see" everything in |
| some general brain exercises you can do anywhere, | | | | each room. |
| followed by a few ideas for exercising specific areas | | | | For better concentration, practice identifying "mind" |
| of brain function. | | | | irritations. Anything that's going on just below the |
| Some Simple Brain Exercises | | | | surface is sapping your ability to concentrate. |
| An entertaining brain exercise is to invent things in | | | | Become aware of these things, and you can put |
| your mind. You can use many techniques for doing | | | | them on a list or otherwise dismiss them. More formal |
| this. It can be as simple as looking at things and | | | | meditation practices can help with this, but simple |
| asking "How could this be better?" Consider a clock, | | | | mindfulness exercises may be enough to let your |
| for example, and you might wonder if it would be | | | | natural powers of concentration function. |
| better if you didn't have to look at it. Maybe a clock | | | | Simple brain exercises to strengthen your memory |
| that periodically announced the time and even | | | | can be the repetitive use of any memory techniques. |
| reminded you of appointments might be useful. | | | | For example, mentally placing a list of items to be |
| Other brain exercises involve puzzle solving. These | | | | remembered at predetermined locations in your |
| can range from crossword puzzles to difficult lateral | | | | house, and seeing them there in an unusual way |
| thinking puzzles, but a simpler, fun version of the | | | | (think cucumbers dancing in the microwave), is one |
| latter, is the basic riddle. For example, "Why wasn't | | | | such technique. Just imagining where you'll see a |
| Bertha put in jail after killing dozens of people?" | | | | person next, and calling to them by name in your |
| Because she was a hurricane. Whether riddles are | | | | imagination is a good way to remember names. |
| easy or difficult, they get your mind thinking in new | | | | Get a little wild to develop your creativity. See things |
| directions, and this is good for getting your mind out | | | | and imagine something absurd, like flying lights. For |
| of it's "ruts.". | | | | more than just an exercise in imagination, though, |
| Inventing jokes is one of the more difficult brain | | | | you have to create some sense of the image. For |
| exercises, especially if you haven't done it before. | | | | this example, I'm thinking there might be a market |
| Just take a topic or a word at random, and find a | | | | for little lights on helium balloons. With a more or less |
| way to make a joke with it. The word "Justice," for | | | | neutral buoyancy for the balloons, a party could be |
| example, could become "What's the one place in the | | | | full of colorful, floating, moving lights. |
| world you can find justice?" In the dictionary! If you | | | | Recent research makes it clear that exercising your |
| draw a blank after five or ten minutes, move on to | | | | brain makes it work better. A more active brain has |
| the next word or topic. | | | | even been shown to postpone or reduce the |
| Brain Exercises For Specific Areas | | | | incidence of age-related decline of mental function. So |
| You may want to work on a particular area of your | | | | why not start today with some simple brain |
| brainpower. Some of us have trouble with visual | | | | exercises? |
| imagination, for example. To be architects, we would | | | | |