Keeping Your Brain in Shape

Smell new odors in the morning. Have new scents, like a bottle of mint extract, ready to smell first thing in the morning, to “wake up” your brain.

Take a shower with your eyes closed. Other senses become more active when you cannot see, and a shower engages several.

Try brushing your teeth with your nondominant hand. This may be difficult for some of us—and it definitely requires full attention the first time you try it!

Learn to read braille. This is a tough one, but learning to read with your fingers definitely involves one of your senses in a new context. Or, you could try learning American Sign Language, which also uses your fingers to communicate.

Respond to a situation differently. Catch yourself in a normal, unconscious response to a situation, and choose to respond in an alternate (and preferably better) way.

Continue to: Find a new route to work