Challenging yourself in your daily life keeps your brain young and alert. Although you may not realize it, by making even the tiniest of changes in your typical routines, you are challenging your brain.
Most people think that by forming a routine or a step-by-step process for their daily activities, they are reducing the amount of stress in their life. Although this can be true in certain situations, over time, it inevitably turns you into a predictable person. Not only that, but your brain is no longer surprised by anything you do. It always knows what to expect; it no longer is working at its highest level of alertness.
Surprises in life are better than you think they are!
By completing tasks in a monotonous and uninteresting manner, your brain becomes accustomed. You basically do things without thinking about it. Have you ever gotten in your car to drive home after a long day at work, and then suddenly you’re pulling up to your garage? You don’t even remember the drive home. All you know is that you got in the car, and now you’re home. Driving home from work has become such a routine for you, that you do it without consciously thinking about it. You go from one place to the next, from one moment to the next without remembering the journey of getting there.
Inviting change into your life, even of a minute nature, improves your brain. It rejuvenates your brain by keeping it alive and alert.
In a sense, you need to trick your brain. You need to show it that you can switch things up every now and again. Inviting change into your life, even of a minute nature, improves your brain. It rejuvenates your brain by keeping it alive and alert. Now, the change you bring into your life does not have to necessarily be monumental. You don’t need to pick up and move to a new city on a whim, or dump your current boyfriend or girlfriend to bring change into your life. So, exactly what type of changes can make an impact?
When you leave for work tomorrow morning, drive a different route. Or for your big-city people, take the bus instead of the train or the subway. When you get home from work, make yourself some breakfast for dinner. Or better yet, eat some ice cream before you eat your dinner. Whoever said you can’t eat dessert until you finish your meal obviously didn’t realize how good it could be for your brain, right? Try telling your mom about that one.
On your next trip to the grocery store, don’t use a list. Try and remember everything you need. Type A people are probably freaking out right now. Relax; you’ll be ok without your list this one time. If you’re right-handed, try using your left hand when opening doors. Or surprise your brain even more by using your left hand to write. You can decide what changes work for you, but no matter what the change the effect is still the same. Essentially, your brain is being awakened. It is breaking away from the usual habits and mundane routines. Instead of being shut off, your brain is actually paying attention again.
Photo by dawnzy58
