Maybe you’ve been on holidays, taken leave, or have taken a break between Learn Local courses and are now feeling a little foggy upstairs. Maintaining brain function in a period of down time is important so that when you do decide to re-enter into learning or work, it’s easier to get back into the swing of things!

Here are five tips to keep your brain active.

Read

In the age of television, Facebook and increasingly busy lives, reading has taken a bit of a back seat. However, after reading just one novel the brain has improved in areas such as language comprehension, attention and general knowledge. Reading anything from substantial magazine articles to a novel will maintain and more importantly improve your brain function.

Play mind games

Puzzles such as Sudokus and Crosswords requires the brain to problem solve which sharpens memory, attention and reasoning. So, get out the Sunday paper and start filling out those squares!

Play video games

Playing video games directly impacts upon the regions of the brain responsible for attention, with a study finding gamers find it easier to focus on demanding tasks compared to their non-gaming counterparts. Furthermore, playing video games increases the size and ability of the parts of your brain responsible for visuospatial skills. These skills are needed for movement, depth and distance perception, and spatial navigation. However video games can become addictive so it’s important to only play them in moderation.

Exercise

Exercise helps memory and thinking, improves mood and sleep as well as reducing stress and anxiety, making for a happier brain.

Travel

Travelling stimulates the brain and can encourage new connections to grow. It also improves general problem solving, as when a problem arises, such as forgetting to book accommodation, our brain must come up with a solution.

Just like our bodies, your brain is a muscle that needs training to stay fit and healthy. Learn Local offers many classes to suit many different needs depending on what stage of your education you are at. They’ll put your brain to use in no time.

References

The Impact of Pleasure Reading for Academic Success, 2016

Regular crosswords and number puzzles linked to sharper brain in later life, 2019

How video games affect the brain, 2017

Neuroscientist Says When You Travel, Your Brain Reacts In A Special Way

Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory, thinking skills