The Writer’s Brain Gym: Stay Sharp for Life
Writers need more than words—they need mental strength. These practical tips will help you build and maintain the brainpower your craft depends on.
It’s easy to think that becoming a better writer starts with focusing more on the words. That if you could just write tighter sentences, refine your structure, and polish up your message, you’ll be bringing real value.
And of course, those things matter. Practice, study, and discipline definitely lead to improvement.
But there’s more to bringing creativity and emotion into your craft—and it doesn’t always call for bum-in-chair concentration.
The other half of the improvement coin has everything to do with getting away from your laptop and notepad and “going out into the field” to prime your chief writing instrument (aka your brain).
In the article below, my friend Li shares simple, science-backed, and quite frankly, fun ways to keep your mind in peak creative shape.
Use these tips, and you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to stay focused and ready for whatever big writing opportunity comes your way.
To your paid writing success,
Mindy
Cross-Train Your Brain: Simple Ways to Keep Your Mind in Shape
By Li Vasquez-Noone
For a writer, the most important tool in your toolbox isn’t your computer, or even a pad and paper. It’s your brain. If your thoughts begin to slow down or your memory starts to go, you can’t just go out and get a new brain. But you can take measures to keep your brain healthy and functioning in top form. And you should probably start today.
Research shows that your brain power, the speed you process thoughts, and your memory all start to decline before the age of 30. But you don’t have to live with that. Recent scientific studies also suggest there are many simple things you can do to keep your brain as quick and nimble as a child’s.
Here are some easy tips to keep your brain active, creative, and in peak shape throughout your life:
Exercise Your Mind by Exercising Your Body
The latest research on brain health shows that exercising your body is also good for your brain. The increased blood flow from exercise helps your brain stay young, flexible, and creative. That’s great news if you already have an exercise routine! If you don’t, however, it’s easy to start one now.
Nearly any type of exercise will benefit your brain. You don’t have to get a gym membership or buy a bunch of fancy workout equipment. All you need to do is get your body moving. Your mind will benefit from running, walking, biking, swimming, jumping rope, or any activity that gets you up and moving around.
Exercise has an added advantage of contributing to a longer, better quality life. Getting out of your chair for just two minutes every hour benefits your brain and your overall health. Take advantage of this by setting a timer to remind you to get up out of your chair at regular intervals. Walk around the block, pace around your office, march in place, or swing your arms around.
Learn Something New
Learning new things presents a challenge to your brain, and causes it to form new pathways.
Not only will you gain new skills, but you will get a stronger memory and faster mental processing time.
Give your brain a challenge by learning a new language, studying dance or painting, or taking a college or adult education course on a subject that interests you. You also stimulate your brain whenever you meet new people, go new places, and try new activities.
Solve a Puzzle
Just like your biceps, your memory and logic skills become stronger when you use them repeatedly. Work out those functions by doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, and playing card games.
You can also create puzzles for your brain to solve by changing your routine. Drive to work or the store using a different route than normal, or brush your teeth with your other hand. Doing something out of your routine makes your brain wake up and pay attention.
Socialize with Others
Staying connected with other people is extremely important to brain function. Some research suggests that people with an active social life have a lower risk of dementia in their later years.
If you’re a Barefoot Writer that works alone, you should make an extra effort to stay connected with family and friends, and make new friends. Make plans to go out to dinner or a movie with friends. You’ll keep your brain healthy, as well as enjoy the company of others.
Limit Your TV Time
When you were growing up, you may have heard that too much TV turns your mind to goo. Well, that’s not exactly true. The latest research suggests that TV doesn’t affect brain activity in a bad way.
However, time in front of the TV takes up time you could be doing other activities, like socializing with friends, reading, creating artwork, and learning new things. So while it’s okay to watch your favorite shows, make sure you don’t let TV take time from other activities that are important to you.
Take care of your brain, and it will take care of you! Simple brain exercises and proper care should help your brain keep up with you for your entire life, not to mention helping you launch a long and profitable writing career.
What things do you like to do to ramp up your creativity? Please share your ideas below so others can try them!