Learn new words
Reading, crosswords and word play have long been recognised as important for keeping our brains active. In these days of lockdown, we are all looking for ways to a) keep it together and b) keep our minds active and distracted from what is going on around us. And of course there is the home schooling.
Learning new words can literally be mind expanding and its not just for kids - look in a dictionary and pick a new word or two and practise ways to use it in sentences.
Get creative
Creation of art at any age has been shown to reduce stress regardless if what we make is any good ( thanks goodness!) A study looked at this particularly for older adults who took part in art classes. They found that doing art can help with interaction between different parts of our brain and helping our brains stay healthy
Doodle
Are you a doodler? If not try it! Whilst people are coming to terms with home working for the foreseeable future, taking work calls is the norm all round the country. Trying to focus on the call and not let our minds wander can be difficult at home with so much going on both in our homes and in our minds. Doodling can hep people remember information, particularly if it was (ahem) less than interesting.
The act of doodling helped people focus their minds, reduced their minds wandering and helped them pay attention to what was being said. Doodling is a type of ‘visual language’ that can help with creativity as well
Sing
Singing or attaching a melody to some information has been shown to help us retain it. Singing stimulates a part of the brain ( the temporal lobe) which is involved in memory. Humming is also an option if you feel self conscious singing or feel you can’t carry a tunes.
Singing ( or humming) releases feel good brain chemicals ( neurotransmitters). Making music this way can also help you feel more focused on the moment and can prevent your mind from wandering
