Collaborative Post
We’re willing to bet that if you work a job or have children to look after, you already have a good amount on your plate. But you may find that time management can sometimes lead to us going through the motions. Sooner rather than later, you begin to find you’re living on autopilot. That in itself can be a problem. It means you start to avoid living proactively, and more reactively, and this can lead the years to flow past without much attention.
Moreover, over time it’s easy to fall into bad habits. That might involve getting too little sleep, not making use of our free time, or struggling to work towards goals we find important. Now, this post is certainly going nowhere near the “just be perfect!” implication that many self-help and advice columns can give off.
That being said, sometimes it’s good to keep ourselves sharp between the ears, so moving forward we remain just as dynamic as we used to be. This can also help the continual responsibilities of your daily life from dragging you down and dimming your spark.
But how can you keep your brain sharp against the usual grinding of age and daily duties? Here are some options, and you may even have more fun with them than you had anticipated:
Read More Books
Of course, it’s no secret that reading is good for your brain, but it’s easy to let this habit slip when we have so much going on in a given day. But if you can try to cut out some time each day, even if it’s just 15 minutes before bed, to dive into a book.
Don’t worry about tackling pretentious classics if that’s not your thing – any genre that piques your interest will do, even if it’s just pulp romance. Fiction can give us a calm escape and help our imagination, while non-fiction can help us feel truly interested in a topic that excites us, and both are valuable.
If it’s been a while, maybe leave a book by your bedside or in your bag for those spare moments, such as waiting for your children to leave the school gates as you pick them up. You might be surprised at how quickly you can finish a book when you make it a regular part of your routine. On top of that, there’s a certain “freshness” that comes over your perspective after a good reading session. Those who read often will know what we mean by that, and those who don’t should feel excited to enjoy it. It’s a certain peace that is often hard to get without exercise or spa treatments.
Join A Simple Local Club
If you’re already busy, the idea of us suggesting yet another commitment is likely going to go down just as well as cold, soggy toast in the morning. But the truth is that having a community group you touch in with, even if it’s just once a month, can be healthy.
That doesn’t have to be super involved. Maybe you just visit your grandparents and her friends during breakfast tea just to have a little gossip and laughs. Perhaps you could join a local book club on your street.
These can help you get out of your usual routine catch up with people you see infrequently, and perhaps learn something new. Maybe your friend runs a yoga class and you go now and then. It doesn’t particularly matter what you do, but going there can help you retain vitality in your life, especially if things seem quite intensive and repetitive as usual.
Try Brain Training Exercises
Brain training doesn’t have to mean sitting down and reading long-form articles or reading an encyclopedia front to back (though that’s certainly an option if it’s your cup of tea). These days, there are many fun ways to give your grey matter a workout, especially in the morning when waking up and becoming coherent can feel like treading through a milky fog.
You could try smartphone apps designed for brain training, which often feel more like games than exercises. Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, or even learning a new language can all help keep your mind sharp – and apps like DuoLingo can make that easy of course. Never discount the worth of a crossword either, they tend to help us stretch our word recall and many are free online.
Better yet you dont have to just pick one of these and never veer off that again – maybe do a logic puzzle one day and a word game the next. Wordle is super popular for this, and worth doing. If you come out of it feeling a little more focused and sharp, that’s a win.
Spend More Time In Nature
Nature is the ultimate healer, and that makes sense, because we’re part of it after all. We’re not going to get into the spiritual side of things here, that’s for you to determine for yourself, but few people walk through a calm park in the morning and feel worse off for it. It’s like our bodies react to nature and green spaces in a way that’s more than just a placebo, it feels as though we’re supposed to be there.
Some people use terms like “earthing” when they talk about removing their shoes and socks and feeling earth and soil between their toes, others just like feeding the birds or ducks, but if you can spend a little time in nature from time to time and even meditate a little, that’s healthy. This way, you can help leave some of the constant drone of our busy world for later, and see nature at its most timeless. If you don’t have a local park, your garden is more than good enough. If you have neither, standing out on your porch or balcony is nice, or making a drive to your closest rural area and having a picnic can be delightful. Whatever works for you is fine.
Commit To A Modest Creative Project
Ex-addicts, retirees, and those in recovery from a health condition or injury often report that life feels so much more comforting and enjoyable when they have a creative project to simulate them – or else they might fall into bad habits and lethargy.
Luckily, you don’t have to qualify your time by going through those things to begin with. A creative project you have on the go, however modest and simple, can do wonders for your sense of progression. Perhaps you write a blog about your experience as a parent or are penning the first pages of your short story. Maybe you care about social justice and keep up on the news, attending events, and making your voice heard.
Or, perhaps you paint, following Bob Ross tutorials online. Perhaps you have a herb garden. It doesn’t really matter what you do, as long as you can invest yourself into it and learn something new. Even five minutes in the evening could be enough. This helps you feel as though the constant routine of work and home life is punctured a little by your interests as a human being. You may be surprised just how well that works to help you feel as though you’re constantly growing, and not just stagnating in life.
Get Involved In Your Local Community Activities
We mentioned above that joining a local club can be ideal for those looking to stay interested and connected to their surroundings and the people in their lives. This is certainly the case. But if you’d like, an alternative could involve getting involved in the wider life of your local community.
That might involve joining a church group, a neighborhood watch scheme, a charity fundraiser, coaching the local football team, or being involved in the parent-teacher alliance to help with school trips, all of this can count and many options that may apply to you unlisted here, are also worth thinking of.
The value of this is that you’ll feel as though you’re having more of an impact on your community, and that in itself can be fun and engaging. You might keep the local area safe, help manage your HOA, or perhaps volunteer to make sure local events go smoothly, such as ensuring entertainment is booked for a local folk festival. It’s nice to be among people who care for community life, though of course sometimes “local politics” can require a touch of wise navigation, especially among people who are retired and make this part of their daily life.
That being said, if you have a nice community, you’ll often have a wonderful time.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to keep your mind sharp and your life dynamic and realize it doesn’t require drastic changes or huge investments to do so. Simple habits, small projects, and a bit of time for yourself can make a huge difference. So, why not start today? Little by little, you’ll find yourself more present, engaged, and less like you’re constantly on a treadmill of obligation, feeling like stagnant water.
If you do make any changes, let us know what they are! We look forward to hearing about them.
