I believe your mind can be compared to a muscle. When you think real hard and you feel a sort of "brain strain" from thinking to much, your brain will be "stronger" after you have rested. So, remember to exercise your brain daily. Here are four ways to do so.
1) Use Your Non-Dominant Hand.
If you are right handed, use your left. Left handed, use your right. The right side of your body is controlled by the left side of your brain, likewise the left side of your body is controlled by the right side of your brain. This exercise will help you in balance, hand-eye coordination, memory, and will even slow the aging process of your brain, simply by increasing the blood flow through the brain.
2) Puzzle Yourself and Remember.
Grab a word puzzle, a riddle, a mathematical problem, anything that forces you to think and use logic with common sense to find the answer. Memorizing bits of poetry, names, phone numbers, addresses, anything, can help with this as well. Playing games such as Chess, Checkers, anything that requires thought and strategy, are also helpful. Whatever mental exercise you choose, the key to success is to practice every day at the same time; you are developing and activating new neural pathways, and consistent cycles will keep the brain on track.
3) Move Your Fingers.
Moving your fingers activates nerve endings in the fingers that likewise trigger parts of the brain. Typing, using chopsticks, fiddling, playing a stringed instrument such as the guitar or even piano, etc. Here is an exercise you can do anywhere, at any time. Put one finger on top of the one next to it, then try to stack the next finger on top of that. Or hold a pencil or pen between your index and middle fingers, roll it over until it's balanced between the middle and ring fingers, then again to between the ring finger and pinky. These exercises also increase the circulation, thus taking more oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells while decreasing waste products that can clog the brain.
4) Stimulate brain acuity with self-massage
To improve concentration and memory try this self-massage that stimulates two easy-to-find acupressure points on your neck at the base of the skull. Cross your hands behind you with the palms cradling the back of your head, your thumbs in the grooves on each side of your neck, and your index fingers crossing one another below the skull, just above the thumbs. Sit in a chair, lean your head back, and let it rest against the pressure of your thumbs and index fingers. Slowly inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth, letting your whole body relax. Do this for three to five minutes. You'll increase blood flow to the brain and at the same time relax the neck muscles, which often tense up in response to stress, constricting blood vessels in the area.
You can find these exercises as well as more in the book, "Second Spring" by Dr. Mao.
1) Use Your Non-Dominant Hand.
If you are right handed, use your left. Left handed, use your right. The right side of your body is controlled by the left side of your brain, likewise the left side of your body is controlled by the right side of your brain. This exercise will help you in balance, hand-eye coordination, memory, and will even slow the aging process of your brain, simply by increasing the blood flow through the brain.
2) Puzzle Yourself and Remember.
Grab a word puzzle, a riddle, a mathematical problem, anything that forces you to think and use logic with common sense to find the answer. Memorizing bits of poetry, names, phone numbers, addresses, anything, can help with this as well. Playing games such as Chess, Checkers, anything that requires thought and strategy, are also helpful. Whatever mental exercise you choose, the key to success is to practice every day at the same time; you are developing and activating new neural pathways, and consistent cycles will keep the brain on track.
3) Move Your Fingers.
Moving your fingers activates nerve endings in the fingers that likewise trigger parts of the brain. Typing, using chopsticks, fiddling, playing a stringed instrument such as the guitar or even piano, etc. Here is an exercise you can do anywhere, at any time. Put one finger on top of the one next to it, then try to stack the next finger on top of that. Or hold a pencil or pen between your index and middle fingers, roll it over until it's balanced between the middle and ring fingers, then again to between the ring finger and pinky. These exercises also increase the circulation, thus taking more oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells while decreasing waste products that can clog the brain.
4) Stimulate brain acuity with self-massage
To improve concentration and memory try this self-massage that stimulates two easy-to-find acupressure points on your neck at the base of the skull. Cross your hands behind you with the palms cradling the back of your head, your thumbs in the grooves on each side of your neck, and your index fingers crossing one another below the skull, just above the thumbs. Sit in a chair, lean your head back, and let it rest against the pressure of your thumbs and index fingers. Slowly inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth, letting your whole body relax. Do this for three to five minutes. You'll increase blood flow to the brain and at the same time relax the neck muscles, which often tense up in response to stress, constricting blood vessels in the area.
You can find these exercises as well as more in the book, "Second Spring" by Dr. Mao.
