Five Effective Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

This is about practical ways to keep your mind active and alert at all times.

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. This is a popular statement that generally applies to men in their late fifties, if you know what I mean. This same principle applies to the way our mind works. If you don’t exercise your mind, you might lose it sooner or later.

Here are some simple ways to sharpen your mind.

Play with your senses

• Touch – Close your eyes and let your fingers do the walking. See if you can identify objects with your bare hands.
• Hearing- Try your hearing senses with the use of your telephone. See if you can identify your callers even before they tell you their names. Try to recall sounds you hear at the background and find out what those sounds are about.
• Sight- Be a keen observer. Look at the pictures, objects or persons in your surroundings and try to recall them after a while. See how accurate your vision can be.
• Taste – Try to find out what ingredients go into a certain dish and ask the chef or the one who cook it to find out if you are correct.
• Smell – When you are in the perfume store, try to smell their scents and see if you can identify your favorite brand.

Test your memory

Try memorizing some of the most important things in your life. Try this with your most frequently used numbers, like your bank account, credit cards, password, and similar numbers that you use regularly. This will give your brain a good exercise and will keep you alert at all times.

Try your basic math

Doing or solving simple math problems do wonders to your brain. Try the basic 1+1=2 or 18x 30=? Do some multiplications, additions, subtractions. If you are the person who enjoys math, do some equations or even hydraulic calculations.

Play Games and solve puzzles

Try your skill in the game of chess. Play poker, solve crossword puzzle. Read mystery books and indulge in activities that flex your logical faculties.

Do basic exercise

Just like your body, the brain also needs exercise. When you engage in physical exercise your brain will respond with some degree of alertness as blood is transformed faster into the brain. As you exercise, more oxygen and nutrients are sent out to your brain that makes your state of mental alertness.

These basic mental exercises when combined with constant physical exercise and good eating habits will give you a high level of mental alertness that you will ever need without taking drugs or medicine.

(original article appeared @ HealthMad)