Sharpen the Mind: Challenge it Daily

Doing mentally challenging activities does not always instantly sharpen the mind. A study shows that a mental activity has to be demanding, such as learning a new skill, for it to be effective as mind-sharpener. Improve your cognitive faculties by learning a new language, or engaging in a hobby that requires you to learn something new and tap on not-often-used parts of the brain.

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Examples of This in Real Life

This means that doing your erstwhile hobby of completing crossword puzzles, which you can do with eyes closed, is less demanding than completing a difficult-level Sudoku under time pressure. Listening to classical music will not exercise the brain as much as learning to read music notes or learning to play the piano. Things that are routine, mundane, and boring are not as challenging and will not sharpen your mental capacity and improve your brain as well.

Current Research on Sharpening the Mind

Many studies have been conducted and one of the most recent ones was done by the Association for Psychological Science. These findings, which will be published in the Psychological Science, recommend that when elder people use their mind with the hope of not losing it, it must be emphasized that they must do a mental activity that will be challenging enough to stimulate the brain. Psychological scientist of the University of Texas at Dallas and lead researcher Denise Park underscores the need for people to go beyond their comfort zones and into their enhancement zones. The study involved 221 seniors, with ages from 60 to 90, and assigned them specific activities that they will engage in for 15 hours every week for 3 months. The participants were regrouped and 1 group was given new things to learn, such as quilting and digital photography. Another group was told to engage in their usual activities, such as doing crossword puzzles and listening to music. A third group went for activities that included entertainment with the group and social interactions. The participants were evaluated after 3 months and the results showed that those who engaged in learning new skills significantly improved their memory than those who went for their relaxing and non-demanding activities or those who had increased social activities.

What the Results Mean

The results of the study are important because now it is clearly understood that using the brain to avoid losing it is simply not enough anymore. It must be continuously challenged and stimulated to learn new things for the exercise to produce any cognitive benefits to the senior population. The study will be followed up by the researchers a few years later to measure long term effects and to determine whether the challenging activities slow down the ageing process.