How often do you find yourself leaving your office, walking into another room and then not remembering why you were in there? It happens to the best of us. We can “blame” age or too many things in our brains or too much stress, etc. Whatever the reason, keeping your brain sharp will help you in your business life and in your personal life as well. I mean, really, don’t you want to stop walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there!?
What can you do to increase your brain’s capacity for remembering? Here are a few steps to take and you can start today:
- Do something every day that scares you! You don’t have to ride a roller coaster or run in front of a speeding bus, but you can try a new food, take a different route to work, attempt to complete a task in a completely different way. If you keep doing things in the same way, it all becomes routine and doesn’t give your mind a chance to react or interact.
- Take up a new hobby. If you’ve always wanted to learn to play the saxophone — what’s stopping you? Learn to knit — many people find that when they knit or crochet, they tend to pay more attention to what’s going on around them, especially if they’re in a meeting.
- Learn a new language. Go online and look for programs that will teach you to speak a foreign language from the comfort of your home.
- Get out of the comfort of your home! If you work from a home office or if you telecommute, you need to get up, get dressed and interact with new people. Stay connected — in real life — not simply on the computer.
- Read a book. When is the last time you’ve spend time with a book? If you typically read non fiction, shake it up and read fiction.
- Interact with people who are not in your industry. If you’re continually talking to and spending time with people who do what you do, you’re not opening yourself up to new experiences or new knowledge.
- Volunteer. Take time out of your busy week to give back to the community or to a group that you feel drawn to.
- Make a date with a friend and attend a poetry reading or view the new exhibit at a local art gallery.
- Travel. Whether you’re a world traveler or if you want to visit a different state in the United States, make a plan and make it happen. Even going to a new state will be a learning experience and help boost your brain power.
- Complete a cross word puzzle or Sodoku
Keeping your brain agile is something that everyone (not only business owners) need to do. This will help everyone as they age and keep your mental acuity sharp.