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Exercising your brain

Ringfinger

Ringfinger

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
687
I want to sharpen up my brain. the past five years I stopped focusing on academics and got a little lazy in my overall thinking. I also smoked a bit of weed and drank alot. (college my man)

Both my parents are smart, got their masters, and my sister has a 4.0 in college doing a science degree.

I, on the other hand, was always lackluster in those departments. I could get Bs and if you want to discuss philosophy, politics, or history with me you will find that I am not a dumb guy at all. But there has been a cognitive decline in the past few years. I graduated college last Dec and haven't been doing much since, so this is part of it I think.


Anyway, it was explained to me that your brain is like a muscle. If you don't use it you lose it. I am not a stupid guy, and am a deep thinker. But I am unable to focus on things like I used to and everything from my handwriting to stupid little mistakes demonstrates that I am not thinking at the level I could be. I make spelling errors that I would never have made in 8th grade. When people explain simple concepts to me I sometimes have to take a second not to understand them, but to focus my mind enough to understand them. I feel I am kind of spaced out and it is decremental to most aspects of my life.



I am starting to exercise again, and pay a little more attention to a healthy diet. I read more and don't smoke much weed at all. I have taken many drug breaks like this before so I know that the source to my problem is the state of mind I am in, not weed in itself (although it cna make things worse for me).

I have seen some IQ tests and mental games you can play online that are supposed to make you smarter. Does anybody have any advice or specific exercises I could do?


I need something to reawaken my mind again!
 
study for the LSAT. I am taking it in june and I have never felt sharper. The questions are really easy if you give yourself time to think about them, but if you try to answer within the time limits of the actual test it gets tougher. I find the logic games section to be particularly challenging. Seriously, this is what you're looking for.
 
1) Find something that you enjoy and do it. If you really like politics, philosophy, or whatever pick something up in those areas that you find interesting. There's nothing like a sense of flow to get the mind going.

2) Hang out with people that you find intellectually stimulating and feel comfortable engaging on an intellectual level.


Flow is the keyword here when it comes to brain plasticity.
 
Logic games like sudoku and word search puzzles are excellent for keeping your brain sharp. They seem easy, but developing new strategies to do the puzzles helps, too.

I've also found a travel toy, lonpos, that I take around with me from time to time.

Here's a pic of it incase you didn't want to go to their website:
lonpos101.jpg
 
yougene said:
1) Find something that you enjoy and do it. If you really like politics, philosophy, or whatever pick something up in those areas that you find interesting. There's nothing like a sense of flow to get the mind going.

2) Hang out with people that you find intellectually stimulating and feel comfortable engaging on an intellectual level.


Flow is the keyword here when it comes to brain plasticity.
Click to expand...



I agree completely.

Don't forget to read as much as possible.

Reading is good for the brain.
 
thanks guys for your input.

the mind is the best thing we could ever have


--


also, anybody hear that playing classical music (Beethoven, etc) for kids when they are asleep can somehow improve their minds?
 
Ringfinger said:
thanks guys for your input.

the mind is the best thing we could ever have


--


also, anybody hear that playing classical music (Beethoven, etc) for kids when they are asleep can somehow improve their minds?
Click to expand...

I've heard that, but I wouldn't play music when a child, or even an adult, is trying to sleep. It can disrupt sleeping patterns and cause them to not get enough sleep or not feel rested.
 
If you have a nintendo DS you can play Brain Age. I feel a lot sharper mentally when I play it a lot. Unfortunately I got really bored with it and haven't played in a while. But when I was playing it it really seemed to help.
 
chicpoena said:
If you have a nintendo DS you can play Brain Age. I feel a lot sharper mentally when I play it a lot. Unfortunately I got really bored with it and haven't played in a while. But when I was playing it it really seemed to help.
Click to expand...

I second this.
 
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