mind maintenance routine for a sharp brain
how I keep my mind sharp, focused and stimulated
It’s funny when I look back on my life, I realize all the times when I’m the happiest and feel the most fulfilled are when I’m prioritizing my intellectual curiosity and intentionally working and taking care of my brain.
I’ve developed some habits that have pretty drastically improved my life, maintained and improved my neuroplasticity, memory and focus. Here are some of my current favorites:
Brain games. I’m currently studying for the LSAT so there’s quite a lot of brain work I get out of that already, but I like to play the NYT games. Especially sudoku because I find it rather challenging, and play trivia or logic games online.
Memory challenges. Asking myself, what did I do last weekend? What did I eat 2 days ago? What did I wear yesterday? etc.
Allowing my imagination to play. Not getting on my phone at red lights, in elevators or waiting in line, taking long showers, long walks with no stimulation, meditating, eating a meal a day undistracted. Letting my brain activate its default mode network and relax. It’s very difficult to be as creative, productive, and happy as you could be if you don’t allow the brain to relax. Like truly relax and do nothing.
Spanish tok. Listening, watching and reading things in a different language. I like Spanish, I’ve been threatening to learn it for years. I’ll watch tiktoks in Spanish, or listen to my immersive Spanish podcast in the car. Exposing the mind to a new language is great for neuroplasticity.
Meditation. 5 minutes in the morning. Incredible for memory, attention, mood regulation, emotional processing. I could go on and on about meditation, and if I were to recommend one thing for your mind, it’s that.
Reading daily. 30 minutes to an hour, I like to have a fiction and non fiction book going at the same time. 30 minutes of one and 30 of the other. Reading is incredible for our brains, and allows us to get into a flow state of deep work in a fun and pretty easy way. It’s also wonderful for vocabulary, imagination, memory, and if you read before bed, sleep.
“The cost of procrastination is the life you could have lived” that hit.
love sporcle trivia!!