Sharpening the Mind

This is the month we focus on our minds so for this week’s topic we are going to discuss what types of things we can do to help keep our minds sharp.  Many of us believe that mental decline is just something that is going to happen to us as we age and we should just deal with it. But that is not the case. There a quite a few things we can do to help us stay sharp and focused well into our old age.

Here are a few tips to help get and keep that brain of yours sharp:

Learn a new skill or craft you have never tried before.

You are never to young or old to do this. Try learning a new language or even playing a musical instrument. These will challenge your brain on many levels. For me I would like to embark on the journey of learning to knit. I was shown how to do it by a girlfriend some months ago and it seems fairly easy. Now I just need to pick up some needles, a book, some yarn and get started!

Read. Read. And read some more.

Whether you choose to do your reading online, reading the newspaper or reading books and magazines you can’t go wrong. Reading is a great way to keep the mind engaged intellectually and expand on your vocabulary. I absolutely love to read! I have read so many books on so many topics.  I travel for a living and right now I have about 5 books with me and 3 magazines. This is quite normal for me as I never like to leave my house without enough reading material. I definitely need to invest in a Nook!  I will be sharing some of those books and magazines with you throughout the course of this blog.

Tease your brain.

Brainteasers and puzzles are mentally stimulating for the brain. I have chosen to do word searches because I have always enjoyed them. Sudoku is another game that I enjoy. Games that force you to strategize such as chess, spades or solitaire are also great. I choose to play dominoes because I have to think about not only what I have in my hand but what the other players are holding and be able to add up the points quickly to keep the game moving at a fast pace.

Try not to write everything down.

If you are prone to making lists like I am that’s cool but try this exercise for a week. Make the list as you would at the beginning of the week but instead of keeping it in sight put it out of sight. This way you are forced to remember and know what needs to get done.  Have you ever been to a restaurant where the waiter/waitress didn’t write down anyone’s orders but got them all right? This happened to me in Belgium two months ago. There were four of us all with very different orders and what we wanted didn’t want etc. This gentleman did not write ANYTHING down and got everyone’s order correct. I want to be like that when I grow up!

Stay positive and chill out.

Simply put, banish those negative vibes (or people) and learn to relax. Whatever bad things that may have happened to you during the day leave it at the threshold of your door. Don’t even bring those vibes into your home. Doing yoga is a great way to relax as is reading a book. Try listening to some music while having a cup of tea. This is my favorite thing to do.  

Meditate.

There are many benefits of meditation. Some of those benefits are: Confidence and self control, improved concentration, ability to focus and work efficiently, and the ability to let go of negative emotions such as anger.

Meditating can be done at night before going to bed or first thing in the morning. Make sure that you find a space where you won’t be disturbed and if you have never tried meditation before start slow and work your way up meaning start with maybe 2-3 minutes and then work up to 5, 10 and 15 minutes. I have tried meditation before and it is difficult to clear your head of all the mental noise but the more you practice the easier it will get.

 Eat right and exercise.

A general rule I've heard here is that what’s good for your heart is good for your brain. So you can’t go wrong with a diet that is rich in fruits and veggies. As for exercise, just 30 minutes a day of low activity such as walking is enough to do the trick.

 Take a cue from Sleeping Beauty.

Sleep helps improve memory function, mostly during REM sleep so to best take advantage of this try to get uninterrupted sleep and at least 7-9 hours a night. If you don’t get enough sleep your mind won’t be as sharp. Did you know that it is possible to go a week without eating but impossible to go a week with sleep?

Give your mind time to assimilate.

Last but not least give you mind time to soak up and digest all the new information you are learning. You don’t want to put your mind into information overload.

Walk Tall


Ms. Bluautumn

The mind is everything. What you think you become. 
Buddha