One of the most frustrating symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis is MS brain fog. Physical symptoms are hard enough, but difficulties thinking and remembering can be particularly distressing. One of the best ways to keep your mind sharp is to regularly exercise your brain, but it’s difficult to know where to start. Read on to learn how to exercise your brain.
Exercise Your Brain With Apps & Games
When you think of how to exercise your brain, you probably immediately thought of an app or game that you have seen advertised as a brain trainer. Lumosity is the most well-known brain training app, but there are plenty of other apps and games out there that can help keep you mentally sharp. Look for programs that you enjoy but that are also challenging. You want to find a good balance between something that is difficult enough to stretch your limits and simple enough that you will enjoy playing. Word games, math games, and memory games are the best for this type of brain training.
Exercise Your Brain By Breaking Routine
Most people do most things the same way every time they do them. Try changing things up by brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, driving a new route to work, sitting in a different seat at dinner, or changing up some other daily routine in a small way. By shaking things up, you allow your brain to make new connections during an activity that otherwise wouldn’t increase your brainpower.
Exercise Your Brain By Learning Something New
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you CAN teach an old person new things. Your age doesn’t matter. If you have something you’d like to learn, take classes in person or online (there are plenty of free classes out there to help you out) and train your brain while learning a new skill or activity. Whether you are learning to play an instrument, learning a new language, or taking a cake decorating class at the local college, your brain will benefit from the new experiences.
Exercise Your Brain With Mental Math and Word Games
You don’t have to purchase an app or go anywhere to exercise your brain. Even just sitting down in your favorite chair can be a great exercise for your brain if you think of the right things. Do math problems or think about complex issues. Read about things you don’t understand and then ponder them, encouraging your brain to make sense of the new things you’ve learned. Thinking can be done anywhere, but we usually just leave our minds on autopilot - letting worries, social interactions, and daily minutia keep us from thinking about big complex ideas. Don’t be afraid to let your mind wander. Daydreaming, creativity, and invention are all great ways to exercise your brain.