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I’m not quite ancient yet, but I am getting older and I do think it’s important that we try to keep our wrinkly old brains as active as possible as we age. As parents, we are usually very busy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that our brains are busy – chatting to your 4-year-old doesn’t really keep your IQ at its best!
Here are some of the things that I enjoy spending some time doing, that keep my brain active as well.
We love playing games together as a family, especially if we are on holiday in Whitby for a few days and it is pouring with rain, or we play games together in the evening. At home, mainly at the weekend we also play lots of games together too, and we have built up quite the collection (and I really need to find some decent storage for them all!).
Loads of these games require you to use your brain and some critical thinking. Playing puzzles or games is a great way to keep your brain active and it has been found that playing games can help to prevent memory loss in elderly people, so I plan to keep it up!
I’ve always loved playing Boggle (I’m very good at it, which might be why!!) and I enjoy the odd game of Scrabble (as long as it doesn’t last for 15 million hours) so I plan to keep on playing them regularly as I get older to challenge myself and keep my brain active.
My daughter and I love playing computer games together, whether that’s on our Xbox, online or occasionally on my phone. She particularly loves Sims at the moment as well as Minecraft and Roblox – I don’t get the appeal of any of them to be honest but she is obsessed with all three and would play on them all day long if I let her.
I love a car racing game we have on the Xbox as well as a bit of old-school Sonic the Hedgehog, and building up a profitable business on Zoo Tycoon also really appeals to me – all of which are good for the brain so I have a good excuse to take some time out and play!
I also really like to play some online games in between working on my laptop and I find that it really helps me focus better again afterwards.
Of course, it’s still important to take a break away from the computer regularly, which I am getting better at, but I find that if I have lots to do and I’m feeling overwhelmed and a bit stressy, then just focusing on a fun online game for just a few minutes, where I have to concentrate on that and forget about work really helps me to chill out, have fun, and de-stress before getting on with things again in a more focused way.
It’s mentally stimulating but allows me to just think about just that for a few minutes rather than checking emails on my phone, trying to write a post and flitting between those and 7 other things constantly.
Sometimes I’ll go back to a favourite, and other times I’ll choose a random game that sounds good or choose one that is really simple because that is what my mind needs. I have always loved playing Tetris so I was pleased to find Tetra Blocks on Solitaire.org and I still really enjoy playing that – it’s a good one for in-between work as one game doesn’t last long – for now anyway – I will get good again!
My mum has always played Solitaire online on the computer – I can remember from when we first had a proper computer her sitting there playing for a while and that is so good for your brain – I know she still plays on it now (she is a bit obsessed) so hopefully she’ll have a healthy brain for a long time yet (hi mum, love you!).
I hadn’t played it for years but I’ve started playing Solitaire online again and I love it so much – I find it so addictive! I think it’s my favourite game to play online and it is definitely great for keeping your mind active. But I also love it for keeping my mind on one thing at a time, so I am making sure playing for a few minutes in between work is part of my day now.
I am an obsessive list-maker and I constantly have a few on the go; a to-do list, often both on paper and on my phone, a ‘things to be done in the house’ list, a shopping list and usually a few more! Lists are actually a great way to test yourself as well as giving you a great fallback if you do forget. I honestly don’t know how people get by without making lists!
You can even try writing a list and memorising it and then see how far you can get without looking. Shopping with a young child is especially great for your brain as the constant distraction means you have to be extra aware and keep using your brain!
Writing this blog keeps my brain nice and active and I plan to keep doing it for a long, long time. Maybe I’ll one day be a famous 90-year-old Granny blogger entertaining people with my words of wisdom and old-lady-wit!
Writing a blog keeps you thinking and using your brain; whether it’s writing the content, proofreading and even thinking of ideas to write about and taking photos, it all helps.
Lockdown made me even more of an anti-social so-and-so and because of that, I’ve really had to push myself out of my comfort zone and make a concerted effort to make plans with family and friends. I find it so easy to stay in my comfortable bubble at home with my family, having dinner and then snuggling up and watching telly for a bit before bed, so getting out more with other adults is something I have to make myself do, even though I love it once I’m actually out.
The life of a parent can end up being quite introverted as you centre around the kids, but adult-only time is important for both your mental health and having adult conversation regularly is good for your brain too.
I’ve talked before about my apparent inability to exercise consistently for very long, and that is still something I struggle with. But I do know that I feel so much better when I exercise at least a few times a week – both physically and mentally.
It’s something that I really want to make sure that I keep up with as I get older, for both my body and mind, as physical exercise has been found to release endorphins in the brain that not only reduce stress and depression but also help your brain to focus better.
Is keeping your mind active something you ever think about as you get older? Is there anything in particular that you do?
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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