Get tips and activities to help you incorporate more mental stimulation into your daily routine. Mental self-care is important for holistic health and these ideas can help you make small changes in your day for better brain health
Taking care of your body’s health is a thing that we are all well accustomed to.
We talk about the importance of daily movement and eating well. There are even public gyms that encourage physical self-care.
But how often do you exercise the muscles of your brain?
Mental health is just as important as physical health.
Just as you need to exercise the muscles of your body, it’s important to use the muscles in your brain to encourage mental health.
A lot of what you do to maintain your mental health is tied to physical self-care, such as sleeping well, eating healthy, and moving regularly.
But another way to take care of your mental health is to make sure that you are getting enough mental stimulation on a regular basis.
I cover the physical and social aspects of mental health in other posts, so today we’re going to do a deep dive into mental stimulation.
I want to share with you how you can make small changes in your daily routine to encourage more mental stimulation and better brain health.
Related Post: 25 Fun Games For The Brain To Sharpen Your Mind The Easy Way
How can I improve my mental health without medication?
Let me make this clear right now- I do not believe that everyone in the world can simply stop using medication when they struggle with mental health.
Mental illness is a 100% legitimate thing and sometimes can only be solved with medication.
I am not suggesting that we all just toss medication given to us by professionals in the trash.
But I do believe that there are things we can do to help our brain’s health that doesn’t involve medication.
We can try to maintain better mental health by caring for our brain and giving it the nutrients it needs.
That means eating good-for-you brain foods, getting regular physical exercise, sleeping well, staying hydrated, and strengthening your brain’s muscles with mentally stimulating activities.
If you want to read more about some of these strategies, you can check out some other content on the site:
- How to be Happier Naturally and Boost Your Mood
- 30 Helpful Strategies to Sleep Better at Night
- How To Start A Healthy Lifestyle: 29 Useful Tools
- 12 Ways to Drink More Water-Even if you Hate It
What are some signs of poor mental health?
In the same way that your body reacts when you are sleep-deprived or hungry, the brain reacts to being neglected, as well.
If you notice some of the following symptoms, it might be a sign that you are in need of some mental self-care:
- An inability to stay focused
- Struggling to make decisions
- Inability to moderate emotions (feeling tearful or easily angered)
- Worrying more
- Changing your regular habits (sleeping more or less, drinking more, etc.)
- Losing interest in daily activities and social events
- Feeling a general lack of energy
If you start to notice some of these symptoms, it could mean that you are in need of some mental self-care.
This might mean that you need to go visit a professional, or it might just mean that you need to do some at-home mental self-care to nurse your brain back into good health.
How do I practice mental self-care?
Maintaining mental health is an extremely holistic process. It requires you to care for your physical well-being as well as the health of your brain.
To practice mental self-care, you will need to start with some physical self-care.
Once you’ve taken some time to care for that, you can focus on mental stimulation, something that is incredibly important for your brain’s health.
I’ve got 31 activities that you can add to your daily routine that encourage mental stimulation in order to maintain your brain’s health effectively.
By adding a few of these mentally stimulating activities to your day, you will be able to practice mental self-care more consistently and improve your mental health.
Before we jump into it, though, remember that mental health is a complicated and serious thing. If you try these activities and they just aren’t helping, there may be something more complicated that requires a professional.
If you feel like your mental health is getting hard to manage on your own, never hesitate to ask for help from a professional.
For optimal mental stimulation, your brain needs novelty, variety, and challenge
There are lots of specific activities that we will cover in this post but they all have a few things in common. Each activity has an aspect of novelty, variety, and challenge to make them mentally stimulating.
Any activity that involves these three characteristics can be a mentally stimulating activity, so if there is something missing from this list that meets those standards, it can still be good for your brain!
Novelty
Okay, this is one for the routine-lovers out there that they need to be cautious of, myself included.
Routine can be good for many things but when it comes to brain health, it can actually be hurting you more than it is helping.
The brain stops being mentally stimulated when we do the same thing the same way every single day.
By switching things up regularly and introducing novel things into your routine, you can massively help improve your mental health.
Variety
In addition to new things, your brain does best when it has access to a good level of variety from day to day.
Choosing one new activity and drilling yourself every day with that same activity is not going to cut it.
You have to switch things up on a regular basis.
Challenge
The last thing your brain needs in order to be mentally stimulated is a challenge- one that is not too hard but not too easy, either.
Doing something that others might see as a good brain training activity but you find easy is not going to be effective for you.
It has to be hard enough for your brain to be stimulated.
Of course, the activity can’t be so challenging that your brain just shuts down, either. You need to find a good balance between the two.
Want to know more about creating the right balance of challenges for your brain? Check out this post: How To Overcome Distractions And Stay Focused With Flow State
30 Self-Care Activities for Mental Stimulation
Creative Activities for Mental Stimulation
Using your creativity is a great way to stimulate your mind. Truthfully, you could choose any creative activity and it would be sufficient. However, I’ve got a few specific ideas that would be easy to try without needing any extra money or time.
1. Listen to music
Music has so many mental health benefits that it just makes sense to add some music to the background of your day.
Instead of turning on the television as background noise while you’re doing something, simply opt for turning on a playlist, instead.
2. Play a musical instrument
If you are someone who knows how to play an instrument, taking some time to learn a new song or play a familiar tune can be great for your brain’s health.
Playing an instrument simultaneously stimulates the visual, auditory, and motor areas of the brain. (Resource)
This means that you’re getting mental stimulation through multiple neural pathways.
3. Engage in different styles of reading
Back when I was a teacher, I was a huge advocate for something called The Daily 5 and I still am.
In fact, I would also encourage using the Daily 5 learning model as an adult, too.
The Daily 5 model simply means that every day you should try to engage in the 5 different styles of language acquisition.
This model is not satisfied with simply reading to yourself on a daily basis. It encourages you to also read out loud to someone, listen to reading, engage with writing, and play with words.
Different styles of reading will challenge different neural pathways in the brain.
It is good to read daily, but it is even better to read daily in different styles.
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4. Make a drawing from someone else’s scribble
Drawing is already a great creative and mentally stimulating activity but it can be even better for your mental health when you have to come up with a drawing that incorporates a pre-existing pattern or shape.
The drawing doesn’t have to be amazing, either, so don’t worry if you don’t think you have any artistic ability.
If you’ve got a few extra minutes in your day, get someone to draw a quick scribble on a piece of paper and try to make a complete picture from that scribble.
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Mental Self-Care activities that involve learning new skills
Again, the world has a plethora of new things for you to try, so I haven’t even scratched the surface with the list I’ve provided. However, the items on this list are things that you can easily incorporate into your routine right now. No need to join a class or buy a ton of supplies- these mental self-care activities are ready for you to try immediately.
5. Teach someone something you already know
Teaching other people is a great way to challenge your mental abilities.
Knowing something for yourself is one thing but being able to explain it to someone else is one step better.
Find someone who is interested in a topic or skill that you know about and offer to teach it to them!
It’s even a great way to fit in some social self-care.
Related Post: 27 Unbelievably Easy Ways To Practice Emotional Self-Care
6. Build your vocabulary
Introducing new words and concepts into your vocabulary on a regular basis is another great activity that you can try right now for some mental stimulation. And all you need is access to the internet.
Make a note to learn a new word, phrase, or idea each day and try to actually use those words throughout the day.
It is not necessary to use an app that intentionally introduces a new word each day, either.
Though you can use a website like Miriam-Webster’s Word of the Day page, you can also discover new words by hunting for them in your daily life.
Keep an eye and an ear out for words you encounter during the day that you are unfamiliar with and learn what it means.
We encounter plenty of unfamiliar words on a daily basis that we just ignore. But if you are more intentional about discovering the meaning of these words, you will be able to create your own word of the day from random words you encounter while reading or talking to other people.
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7. Learn a new language
Instead of learning more about the language you are familiar with, another good mental self-care activity involves learning an entirely new language.
There are lots of benefits to learning a new language and all of them help to improve the health of your brain.
There are so many great ways that you can acquire a new language without joining a class, as well.
Duolingo is my personal favourite because it has a wide range of languages (some of them are even fictional languages!) to choose from.
In addition to that, though, you can use your local library to check out children’s books in a new language you want to learn or watch a children’s television show in that language.
Whatever book or show you use, however, it is especially useful if you use children’s material, as children’s material is built for language acquisition.
8. Learn a new recipe or cooking skill
You don’t need to sign up for a cooking class to learn something new about cooking.
There are so many great YouTube videos and website tutorials out there that you can learn just about anything on your own!
Learning a new recipe from a different culture is especially helpful, as trying food that has different flavours than you’re used to is another great way to stimulate your brain and improve your mental health.
Puzzles and Brain Training activities for mental stimulation
The following activities are more typical activities that come to mind when you think of mental self-care. There are also some activities in this list that are subtle changes in your routine that will make a big difference for your mental health.
9. Play video games
I feel like video games get such a bad reputation for being violent or mindless but I am a firm believer in the power of video games.
There are so many incredible video games that can help challenge your brain and provide mental stimulation.
Some games challenge your dexterity and logic while others involve actual puzzles that you need to solve.
There are few games out there that don’t involve some level of puzzle-solving, coordination, or strategy skills. It’s hard to go wrong when choosing a game to play!
10. Play board games and card games
Nothing requires more strategy than a good ol’ board game!
Playing any board game or card game will give your brain some much-needed stimulation. The process of learning how to play a new game can also be a good form of mental self-care.
And if that’s not enough to convince you, playing board games has the added benefit of giving you an opportunity to socialize with friends!
11. Engage with Crosswords, jigsaws, actual puzzles, or Sudoku
This is probably the most obvious activity on the list since these activities have been long considered a great form of brain exercise.
Playing any of these styles of puzzles on a computer, a phone, or on paper will benefit you and give you some mental stimulation- as long as the puzzles are difficult enough for you.
Remember, it is important that the activities you do for mental self-care provide enough of a challenge for your brain!
12. Try new routes to familiar places
Sometimes I get forced to try this mental activity because of road closures that force me to take a new route somewhere but this is a great mental exercise to try even without being forced into it.
Next time you are going out, try to take a different route to get to your destination.
It will get you out of your usual routine and challenge your brain to map out a different pattern in your head.
13. When eating, challenge yourself to identify the different ingredients
This can be a fun activity to do at restaurants where you genuinely have no idea how they made the meal.
Basically, take a bite of your food and try to identify as many ingredients as you possibly can.
Try your best to identify even the most insignificant ingredients, like the spices and oils they used.
If you want an extra challenge, you can try to replicate the meal at home on another day, as well!
Related Post: How to Practice Mindful Eating and Actually Enjoy Your Food
14. Switch up your morning routine
I like to change my morning routine with each season but if you want to really stimulate your brain, it helps to make small switches in your morning routine on a daily basis.
You don’t need to scrap your entire morning routine in order to receive the benefits of this mental self-care activity.
Just switch up little things.
Sit in a different spot at the breakfast table. Take a different route when you walk your dog. Do a different morning yoga routine. Drink a different morning drink.
These little changes will be enough to keep your brain from getting stuck in a rut day after day.
15. Turn familiar objects upside down
This seems like such a strange activity that wouldn’t really do much but it is really quite effective.
Normally, your left brain identifies an object and moves on. When you flip it upside down, the right brain jumps in to interpret the shapes and colours of what it sees.
Wearing your watch upside down is a great way to engage your brain but an even better thing to try is to use your phone upside down.
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16. Switch up the smells associated with different parts of the day
Your brain is stimulated by all of your senses, not just sight.
Changing the smells you use throughout your day can be an interesting way to make new neural connections in the brain.
Our brains have the ability to continuously change in response to experiences. This process is called neuroplasticity.
When we make new neural connections in our brain, it can lead to changes in thinking skills or behaviour.
The network of our brain that is in charge of smell is particularly neuroplastic.
When we stimulate the brain with new smells, it forces the brain to make different neural pathways. (Resource)
It is a great and deceivingly simple way to provide mental stimulation throughout the day.
17. Play “10 Things”
This is a fun game that you can play at any time of the day that is a great mental challenge.
To play, you just need one physical item.
Take a look at the item and come up with ten things it could be.
For example, a pencil could be a writing material, a device for poking circular holes in paper, a measuring tool, a hair tool to keep hair in a bun, and so on.
It’s a fun impromptu activity that can give your brain mental stimulation on a regular basis.
18. Participate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Because I am not a mental health professional, I am not going to dive too deep into this one personally.
This is a summary of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, as described by the Mayo Clinic:
“Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). You work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist or therapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way.”
This is a great option if you are struggling with negative thought patterns and actions and is another fantastic resource for mental stimulation.
Physical Activities that are particularly good for mental self-care
As I mentioned before, getting active in general is so good for your brain. But there are some particular physical activities that really engage the brain. The following activities are all things that challenge more than just your physical abilities and will give your brain the mental stimulation it needs.
19. Dance for a few minutes each day
Dancing improves the cognitive domain of spatial memory and can help improve brain function and boost memory. (Resource)
On top of that, you’ve got the benefit of listening to music rolled into one activity. It’s a great thing to add to your daily routine, even if it’s just one song.
My personal favourite way to do this activity is to search for choreographies on YouTube and try to learn them.
If you’re a beginner, you can search Just Dance songs and follow along, as the choreographies are easier to follow (for the most part). There are also a lot of great dance classes to follow along with.
20. Practice Tai Chi
Tai Chi is thought to improve your executive function of the brain, which involves things like multitasking, managing time, and making decisions. Its meditative nature can also double as good emotional self-care. (Resource)
If you want to try Tai Chi but don’t want to join a class, there are lots of great YouTube videos that provide full classes you can follow along with.
21. Use all of your senses
One physical way that you can give your brain mental stimulation is simply to start using all of your senses.
As adults, we seem to put a lot of stress on visual sensing but less so in the other areas.
Try to be more mindful of other sensory stimulation in your daily routine.
Notice smells, sounds, feelings, and tastes with intention. This mindful change in your routine can help your brain immensely.
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22. Do regular things with your non-dominant hand
This is another great subtle physical change you can make to your daily routine.
Whatever activity you are doing, try to do it with your non-dominant hand.
For example, stir a pot or brush your hair with the other hand.
Your brain will be forced to make new neural connections and you can easily get out of a mental rut this way.
Plus, it’s fun to see how much clumsier you are with your opposite hand!
23. Do simple (and safe) activities with your eyes closed
Closing your eyes while doing a familiar activity is another way to force the brain to make new neural connections.
This is because you are forcing yourself to use new senses to get things done.
Here are some things you can try to do with your eyes closed:
- Get dressed
- Brush your teeth
- Shower
- Fold laundry
- Clean dishes (no knives, though!)
- Play an instrument
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24. Eat with chopsticks (or with your hands)
Eating your food with something other than your usual utensils is a great way to add a little novelty to your routine.
Eating with chopsticks is especially helpful because it requires a great deal of concentration and body coordination.
Plus, it forces you to eat slower, which is a healthy habit to enforce for mindful eating!
Activities to improve memory and attention
This category is similar to the concept of brain training but I decided to separate them since these ones are much more focused on the memory aspect rather than just general brain training. They are all great activities that you can fit into your daily routine and that cost no extra money to do.
25. Practice observing items in your daily life
This is such a simple task but one that makes an enormous difference- simply practice noticing things.
Take young children as an example of this.
Everything they look at is new to them and they spend the majority of their days inspecting and observing everything they pass.
They look at things from different angles, turning the objects in their hands. Oftentimes, they will want to touch the object, feeling it with their lips, their fingers, and their toes.
Essentially, they play with the object to begin to understand it better.
We can learn a thing or two about mental stimulation from children. Our brains are so accustomed to seeing the same things every day that we stop engaging with the objects.
Every once in a while, make an effort to truly observe an item.
Play with it the way a child plays with a new thing. Your brain will thank you for it!
26. Draw a map of your town from memory
You might be thinking that this is a simple activity but it will prove more difficult than you’d think. Actually physically drawing out a map of your town can be difficult.
The challenge of remembering every street and building can be a great way to stimulate your mind regularly.
Try it with things other than your town, too!
Maybe you can map out a building you visit often or a place you once visited that has remained in your memory.
Related Post: 3 Reasons Why You’re Unhappy and How to Fix it
27. Meditate
Though meditation won’t necessarily help with memory, it is a great practice to help you improve your focus.
Meditation is all about training your brain to return to the simplicity of your breathing whenever you find your mind wandering.
This acquired skill can be useful outside of your meditation time, as well.
As you get better at meditation, you will find that you are better able to return to daily tasks after being distracted by a phone call or text message.
If you tend to get distracted throughout the day, taking a break for meditation can even help to restore your attention later on.
28. Test your recall skills with lists
This is a fun activity for people who are all about their lists (I’m sure I’m not the only one who loves lists!)
Whenever you make a list of something, put it away and try to recall what you wrote down a few minutes later.
Another fun recall trick that I learned to help you shop more intentionally is to try to recall what you put in your basket to purchase.
Try to recall everything that you put in your basket to buy as a mental exercise.
Additionally, if there was an item you forgot about, don’t buy it. If you couldn’t recall it then, you certainly won’t miss it later.
29. Do mental Math
This is not my area of expertise but it is definitely something I should be doing more of.
When you get the opportunity to calculate something, try to solve the problem in your head before writing it out on paper.
The act of visualizing a math problem in your mind is so good for mental stimulation, so don’t pass up the opportunity!
30. Don’t rely on technology to do everything for you
I’m not gonna lie- I think technology is great!
However, it did stunt our growth in some important areas of life.
Because we can count on technology to do so many things for us, we’ve stopped using our brains to do it ourselves.
Math is a good example- when was the last time that you actually bothered to do the Math yourself before pulling out the calculator on your phone?
Try to go without your technology for some things to help you stimulate your brain regularly.
Here are some things you can try to stop relying on technology:
- Stop using the calculator
- Memorize people’s phone numbers or addresses
- Consider possible answers to questions you have before Googling it
- Try to navigate on your own without a GPS app
I hope that some of these mental self-care activities gave you some inspiration that you can use in your daily routine.
Any of these activities can serve to bring you some much-needed mental stimulation and improve your brain’s health.
What activities do you do for mental stimulation?
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