Unfortunately, we live in a world in which we can spend a great deal of time simply observing. We can watch televised sports and observe other people competing. Or we can watch the news and have folks spoon feed us information about current events. We can watch films and television and see other people acting. And all of that observation dulls our brains. That is why we need to look for ways throughout the day to keep our minds sharp.
Realize that to have a sharp mind, you can’t simply be an observer in life. You can’t sit on your couch, zone out in front of a screen and watch other folks be engaged in life. That is a recipe for a dull brain. Instead, you have to be engaged in life. You need to spend time each day doing, creating, thinking and interacting with other people.
Think of being engaged in life as Exercise for Your Brain. For example, if I watch HGTV and see someone plant a garden, I’ve done nothing more than sit on my couch and watch someone do something. That is the least taxing activity that my brain can engage in. However, if go to my local garden center, carefully choose some perennials and design a flower garden in my yard, I’ve given my brain a workout!
So, if you want to avoid having a dull brain, get off your couch! Become fully engaged in life. Below are some ways to keep your mind sharp and, in the process, truly enjoy your life.
Do At Least One Creative Activity Each Day
Every day, you should be creating at least one thing. I’m not saying that you need to become Monet and sit at an easel by a lily pond every afternoon. Creation doesn’t need to be that lofty.
Unfortunately, the idea of being creative scares many people off. That is because we tend to speak of “creativity” in highbrow terms. We even refer to some people as “creatives,” as if a select few have a monopoly on creative activity. What nonsense. Creative activity boils down to this: When we create, we make something out of nothing. It’s that simple.
So, if I cook a dish from scratch, I have engaged in a creative activity. There was once just a pile of ingredients, and now there is a tasty dish. If I play a piece of music on the piano, where there once was silence, there now is a beautiful melody. If I write a poem, where there once was a blank sheet of paper, there now are words to inspire or evoke an emotion from another person.
The act of creating is good for our brains. That is because we have to make choices at every step in the creative process. If we are writing, we are choosing a particular word. When cooking, we add more pepper and less salt. We may even change the ingredients in the recipe to improve it. All these choices are akin to lifting weights, but for our brains!
So, find one creative act to do each day. It can be as simple as baking a loaf of bread, or it can be as elegant as painting a landscape. It doesn’t matter what the activity is. Simply doing something creative each day will keep your brain sharp!
Read High Quality Books, Blogs and Articles
Your brain operates much like your body. Both need good food! Realize that if you look at negative garbage on the Internet, or watch nonsense on television, or go see violent films, you are filling your brain with the equivalent of chips and greasy burgers. And if we subsist on chips and greasy burgers, our brains don’t function well.
Better to fill your brain with good food in the form of high-quality literature, informative articles and inspiring blogs. Realize that when we read good writing, we put our minds to work! We may be exposed to new ideas and ways of viewing the world. Or we may simply expand our vocabularies.
The idea is to take care in what you read. These days, there are folks falling down the Internet “rabbit hole,” where they are learning to adopt negative, false and even violent viewpoints. Unfortunately, there is a lot of depraved junk out there.
So, be intentional about what you read, watch and listen to each day. If you do so, you’ll keep your mind sharp, and you’ll be blessed with a positive attitude!
Interact with Other People
Nowadays, more and more people are working from home. And on the whole, that is a good thing. Commuting is a waste of time. Worse yet, unless you are going to work by foot or on a bicycle, it is terrible for the environment. However, the problem is that working from home has dramatically reduced our opportunities for social interaction. And regular social interaction is critical for keeping our minds sharp.
There is an immediacy to in person interaction that keeps our brains working and alert. If I have a conversation with you, my brain doesn’t have a lot of time to figure out how to respond to what you just said. I quickly have to come up with a response, otherwise, the conversation can be very stilted! And having to “think on my feet,” so to speak, is a workout for my brain!
By contrast, when we communicate by email or text, there is a delay. We don’t have to respond immediately to either. Instead, we have time to formulate an answer to a question or think of a comment regarding what has just been said. As a result, emailing and texting doesn’t give our brains a good workout. It doesn’t require the same level of effort as an in-person conversation.
So, if you want to stay mentally sharp, you need to increase your opportunities for in-person interaction. If you work from home, make sure to eat with your family for some dinnertime conversation. If you live alone, try to set up coffee and dinner dates with friends. The key is to give your brain a workout with regular, in-person conversations.
Spend Time in Nature
Being in nature gives our brains a workout like nothing else. When you are in nature, there is a lot for your brain to take in. There are birds and other animals to observe. You can admire the flowers and the trees. And of course, there is the weather to consider that affects our entire outdoor experience. Nature truly has a potpourri of stimuli for our brains!
So, you want to get out in nature at every opportunity. Take walks. Do some gardening. Or just sit outside and enjoy watching the little critters as they go about their day.
The point is to get away from whatever screens you normally look at – computer, television, phone – and instead take in the natural world. Realize that when you are looking at a screen, you are simply watching a two-dimensional photo or video. Your brain needs to be stimulated by experiencing life “in person!” You don’t just want to look at a bird or flower. Your brain needs the stimulation of seeing that bird or flower in real life, in all three dimensions.
If you are seeking to keep your brain sharp, consider following the approaches above. Not only will making these lifestyle change keep your brain sharp and alert, but you’ll find that your life will be all the more enjoyable! (To read more about how to be fully engaged in life, click here.)
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