Exercises for Keeping a Young Mind Collected and edited by Dang Phuong Ha Simply put, your mind needs some exercise in order to stay young and healthy. The basis for brain’s life is processing of new data and stimuli. Our minds should be regularly exposed to updated information and new experiences, in order to reach higher levels of creativity, openness, speed, and adaptation. Looking for new ways of thinking is an excellent exercise for being smarter and more sociable. Nevertheless, in the following I detail a neat list of simple exercises for improving our minds’ state: 1. Solve some puzzles and crosswords: A puzzle is a problem or enigma that challenges ingenuity. Basically, you piece together objects in a logical way in order to come up with the desired shape, picture or solution (obviously, a crossword is a type of puzzle.) Puzzles are often viewed as a form of simple entertainment, but they are powerful allies for increasing brain activity. 2. Learn new languages: Language proves the high dynamics and adaptability of the brain. When we are learning a new language, our brain adapts to the new expressions and forms based on those qualities in the already understood language. This way, learning a new language changes the brain’s structure. This ability is typical of young minds. Enigma: đi u bí nề ẩ Ingenuity: tài khéo léo Entertainment: s gi i tríự ả Allies: nh ng s liên k tữ ự ế Dynamic: đ ng l cộ ự Adaptability: kh n ng thích nghi, ả ă thích ngứ Expressions: thành ngữ Structure: c u trúcấ 3. Play some musical instrument: The effect is similar to learning a new language, albeit in another dimension. The musical mind is also fairly complex, and acquiring a basic level of coordination and musical receptive ability depends on the brain regrouping the perceived and repeated musical structures. That’s what we are after: an active brain. 4. Play a videogame you like: Long gone are the times when videogames were only for kids. Currently, we have games for all ages. Go and choose a game you like, and start playing. If the game is good, you will barge into environments involving series of decisions. Such artificial environments provide plenty of stimuli, and our brains will be reacting to them. 5. Do some calculus and mathematical operations: Besides keeping our math fresh, mathematical operations activate the left side of the brain. Albeit: m c dùặ Dimension: chi u, chi u h ngề ề ướ Receptive: d ti p thu, d l nh h iễ ế ễ ĩ ộ Perceive: hi u đ c, l nh h i đ c, ể ượ ĩ ộ ượ n m đ cắ ượ Long gone: ã qua lâu r iĐ ồ Barge into: va ph iả Series of decisions: 1 lo t nh ng quy t đ nhạ ữ ế ị Artificial: nhân t oạ Stimuli (số nhiều của stimulus): s kích ự thích, tác nhân kích thích Calculus: Tính toán, bài toán Mathematical operation: Bài toán 6. Try to write with your opposite hand: Switching hands stimulates other parts of our brains, which therefore improves logical reasoning and creativity. Think outside the box. Besides writing, try other things such as brushing your teeth with your wrong hand. 7. Read, provide summaries of the texts, and try to retain the key concepts: This exercises concentration, abstraction, retention, and general relation of ideas. By doing summaries, your mind forms a network of concepts. 8. Take a shower with your eyes closed: Train your brain to work with incomplete information. 9. Talk to your friends: A circle of good friends is a very important requirement for keeping a healthy mind. Bad friends are no friends at all, and mean a waste of your time and positive energy. Finally, we should keep in our minds that young brains never stop changing and adjusting. Sound sleep and healthy eating is very important too. And you always have the right to change your mind (thay đổi quyết định). Opposite hand: tay không thu nậ Switch: chuy n sangể Summaries of the texts: tóm t t các v n b n.ắ ă ả Retain: gi l iữ ạ Concept: khái ni m, ý ni m chungệ ệ . activity. 2. Learn new languages: Language proves the high dynamics and adaptability of the brain. When we are learning a new language, our brain adapts to the. expressions and forms based on those qualities in the already understood language. This way, learning a new language changes the brain’s structure. This ability