How To Keep Your Brain Active During Lockdown

Admit it. This lockdown is as exciting as watching paint dry. If half of Americans are sitting around and twiddling their thumbs out of boredom and the other half are going insane dealing with screaming, crying, squabbling children all day, then count me in as one of the former. In fact, I'm stuck watching actual paint dry. For those of you who don't know, I'm an aspiring artist and future Picasso-in-waiting who spends her spare time slapping around fingerpaints on canvas. (kidding about the Picasso part). Anyways, since my painting takes DAYS to dry and I can't go to the art supplies store, I'm stuck here well... literally waiting for paint to dry. Sounds exciting eh? But here's the silver lining; in times like this, what better way is there to pass time than some good old fashion mental stimulation? How many times in our normal, busy, pre-coronavirus lives do we really engage in activities that exercise our brain cells? We are so caught up with work, kids, and many mundane-ness of daily life, that we seldom get to train our brain. So today I want to share with you my list of recommended activities that will keep your brain sharp, engaged, and focused.

1. Learn a foreign language. You've hear of this one; it's the ultimate brain-booster. There is no shortage of research that shows learning a foreign language builds up one's cognitive reserve - the muscles in your brain that builds resilience, maintains function, and delay Alzheimer in later years. Do you want to improve your memory, listening skills, and overall language abilities? Then pick a language that you're interested in and immerse yourself with it. The benefits of knowing a foreign language is limitless. Not only is it good for your brain, but it has other perks like advancing your career, making travel easier, and expanding your cultural horizons! Not to mention, being multilingual can be a great bragging right.

2. Learn a programming language. For those of you with a slightly geeky flare, you can learn how to code. After all, what other skill makes you pay keen attention to detail, solve problems, spot errors, and engage in systematic, analytical thinking than programming? (remember all those hair-pulling hours that you put in to figure out why your code won't run, and all it took was a missing comma? Yep, you get it). On top of that, coding combines technical skills with creativity. Since coding is all about identifying problems and solving them in new ways, you will find yourself developing new solutions on a daily basis. Similarly to foreign language, coding plays an essential role in boosting the neurons in your brain.

3. Read something informative. No, I don't mean silly crime novels or fantasy fictions ( although those are fun). Read up on something informative and educational, such as anything pertaining to history, science, technology, current events, politics, any other subjects that help expand your knowledge. For those of you who aren't information junkies or not big on reading, you can always pick a subject that you're interested and learn more about it to make reading more enjoyable. For example, if you're passionate about fashion, read up about history of fashion. Picking up literature is also great for the mind, as your brain gets immersed with language rich in detail, allusion, metaphor, and lots of literary devices.

4. Read or write musical notes. If you are musically inclined, you can turn to reading, writing, or creating music. Just like foreign language or coding, music is another form of language that humans use to communicate and express themselves. Benefits of reading and writing music notes is that you become a better visual learner. It also makes you to transpose the complexity of rhythm, beat, and melody in your brain onto paper, which is a mental exercise in itself. For those who can actually play an instrument, you can learn to play an incredible array of musical styles, just by knowing how to read music. Having varied repertoire of musical styles up your sleeve will make you a better player and a better composer!

5. Learn to play chess. Or Azul. Or Blokus. Or any games that involve abstract strategy. These are board games that don't rely on chance or luck, but purely based on a player's skills and strategic thinking. Generally, they are simple games that may be easy to learn, but executing movement requires deep thought-provoking strategy and game playing mechanics. In other words, they are "easy to learn, but hard to master". There are numerous studies that shows playing chess and chess-like games stimulate brain growth, raise your IQ, and help prevent Alzheimers. Moreover, what better way is there to keep rowdy kids quiet, focused, and still while engaged in mental stimulation than teaching them a good ol' game of chess?

So there you have it. Lockdown doesn't have to be dreary and boring - there are plenty of creative ways to keep your brain active and engaged. After all, your brain is the most essential organ of your body (after the heart), so it's important to keep it nurtured and stimulated. While it's inevitable that our bodies decline as we age, we can slow down our brain's aging process and prevent ourselves from becoming mentally passive over time. So hit that book, or board game, or guitar, or whatever brain-boosting device you have, and give your brain the much-needed exercise that it deserves. It will thank you for it in later years.