To achieve the December wellness challenge, and give yourself the gift of a more healthy brain, complete at least 6 of the brain boosting activities on the list below.
- For a minimum of 5 out of 7 days each week, avoid all screens (tv, phone, computer, etc.) for at least an hour before going to bed (screens trigger wakefulness and suppress hormones that make you sleepy).
- Play cards or a board game with family or friends once a week for the month.
- Complete a jigsaw puzzle with at least 100 pieces.
- Build your vocabulary. Add a new word to your vocabulary each week and use the word in conversation at least 5 times during the week.
- Think of a skill that you’ve always wanted to learn (playing an instrument, juggling, playing chess, making pottery, learning a new language, playing tennis, etc.) and take steps to begin learning that skill. Be sure to stick with it since this one will most likely require a commitment of more than one month.
- Use your non-dominant hand to complete an everyday activity like brushing your teeth, eating, writing, or using your computer mouse or touch pad at least 10 times this month.
- Socializing engages multiple areas of the brain. This month, take advantage of a volunteer opportunity, join a club, reach out to a friend or family member that you haven’t spoken with in a while, or spend some interrupted time with a close friend or family member.
- Take new routes. Come to work or go home by at least 5 different routes this month OR take a different route to at least 5 familiar places.
- Read a classic novel that you’ve never read or haven’t read in a while.
- Make your brain work differently by wearing your watch upside down for an entire day.
- Complete a chore (fold laundry, do dishes, make the bed, etc.) with your eyes closed once a week. BE SURE THAT YOU DON’T DO ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS!
- Engage all of your senses in a new way by trying out an unfamiliar ethnic cuisine. Visit a new restaurant or, even better, make some new dishes at home.
- Enjoy some silence. Set aside 5 minutes each day to find a quiet place, close your eyes, slow your breathing, forget about the “have dones” and “to dos”, and just RELAX.
- The list of mental benefits from physical exercise is lengthy and proven.
- Get your Omega-3s. Incorporate at least 5 of these foods into your diet this month; salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, herring, seaweed, walnuts, flaxseed / flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney or pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, or soybeans.