Brain Stimulation : 8 Mentally Energizing Hobbies

Like other parts of your body, your brain needs stimulation and exercise to stay healthy. Engaging in regular brain activities can help improve your intellect and your memory. It can also help you keep your brain young and possibly slow or prevent the onset of certain conditions like dementia. You might be thinking that your brain gets enough engagement at work, but it is important that your brain is kept active in activities that are relaxing as well. Here are eight mentally energizing hobbies that you can try.

Meditation

Meditating helps your brain in a number of different ways, including slowing the aging process. It helps with mindfulness, a technique that can help you deal with stress, anxiety, pain, and depression. Meditation also improves concentration and gives you a better attention span. One mistake people make with meditation is expecting too much soon. The fact is, meditation is like any other hobby – it takes time and practice to get right. When you do, it can be mentally energizing.

Crafts Like Carpentry or Metalwork

Learning a new craft like carpentry or metalwork can also help exercise your brain. The act of first learning the skill will engage and stimulate your brain, but practicing crafts like these also help. They often require a lot of thought and planning to make a piece the way you want. You must also have good levels of focus and concentration, all of which exercise and stimulate your brain.

Painting or Other Types of Art

Painting helps your brain in a way that is similar to a craft like carpentry or metalwork – it requires planning, concentration, and focus. Many works of art also have a deep meaning, which must come from the artist’s brain. If painting doesn’t appeal to you, there are other types of art that you can try such as sculpting, drawing, or photography.

Writing

Writing is another form of expression that you can get involved with to stimulate and energize your brain. This could be creative and artistic forms of writing, such as poetry. You could also choose opinion, informational, or educational forms of writing, such as writing for a local news publication, a website on a topic that you are interested in, or your own blog. Writing requires research, thought regarding the structure of your article, and a connection between your brain and fingers to turn a blank page into something that people want to read.

Puzzles

Puzzles are another way to stimulate, train, and exercise your brain. It is a hobby that has been used by people of all cultures for centuries to keep the brain sharp. There are lots of options to choose from, including classic puzzles like crosswords and word puzzles. You can also do math puzzles or physical puzzles such as jigsaws or the Rubik’s Cube.

Exercise

Physical exercise helps energize your brain in a number of different ways, including improving your brain’s blood flow. It also encourages cells to multiply and promotes the production of compounds that protect nerves. All of this helps to prevent damage to your brain, which keeps it sharp and combats mental aging.

Dance

As already mentioned, exercise is good for your brain. One of the best types of exercise that you can engage in when it comes to improving your mental abilities as well as your physical health is dancing. Learning new dance steps, concentrating on where your feet and hands need to go, and focusing on your partner all require mental effort. Any type of dancing will do, so long as it is structured. This could range from Latin and ballroom dancing to line dancing or swing.

Board Or Card Games

Board and card games like chess, checkers, and bridge can also help keep your brain active and give it a boost. These require concentration, planning, and strategizing in order to defeat your opponents. You also have to follow the rules. Plus, unlike doing puzzles, taking up board games or card games as a hobby has a social element to it, which is also very stimulating for your brain.

Source: retirementimproved.com