The hippocampus is the area of your brain that stores memories. This is what creates that feeling of nostalgia associated with odors, sights and sounds. It helps construct a mental map of an experience. Try to identify new sounds, sights and scents on your route. By turning down your car windows, you will provide these circuits of your brain with new original material. Take a walk in the park. Research studies have shown that hiking is a great way to stimulate your brain.
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Your brain relies on visual cues to differentiate between objects. Touch is one such sense that helps identify these objects and increase activity in the cortex responsible for processing tactile information resulting in stronger brain synapses or the junction between two nerve cells. Take a cup full of coins and place it in your car drink holder. When you have stopped somewhere like a stoplight, start playing with the coins attempting to determine the denominations by feel without looking at them. You can do the same thing by placing the coins in your pocket and playing with them while stationary.
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Most profitable items in a supermarket will be placed in the front rows. When you shop you may not notice other items on the shelves. While shopping, take a good look at the shelves scanning all items. Take out an item which you don’t usually buy and read the ingredients on the can or bottle. It’s not necessary to buy it as you are giving your brain a new visual or learning experience by breaking your usual routine for a new one.
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