June 18, 2024
Discover the five ways to wellbeing and most importantly how to stimulate the mind.
The five recognised ways to wellbeing are Connect – Be Active – Be Curious – Keep Learning – Give.
All hopefully self-explanatory.
“Give” is interesting whether it’s volunteering time, doing a selfless act, or joining a community group. Read our Random Acts Of Kindness article for a few ideas.
Stimulate The Mind
The greatest fear amongst seniors is Dementia or Alzheimer’s. “Why did I come into this room” “Have I brushed my teeth” “I know the title of this song, but what is it?” The list can be endless.
This section is about different activities to stimulate the mind. The benefits of different types of exercise are explained elsewhere including some of which can be done from your chair.
Learn something new
It could be a language and there are numerous online apps to choose from. Alternatively, you can have one to one or group tuition such as Preply. As you’d expect there is a cost so always best to research the reviews for an honest appraisal of which ever service you may choose.
Perhaps, you’ve always wanted to learn a musical instrument. The easiest to learn is the harmonica, although the piano is often considered so for the elderly and is the best for relieving stress and anxiety.
A cheaper alternative to a piano is a keyboard. If you are concerned about the neighbours, then here’s a list of the quietest instruments to play. Music is often used as reminiscence therapy for those suffering from Alzheimer’s.
But if any of those fail to satisfy the rock god within you, then go virtual put on your headphones and off you go. We should point out that sites such as https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com whilst the offer is free, you should be wary when downloading not to download other programmes that eventually you pay for. Another alternative is a product such as Aeroband pocket drum where you play on your computer and can play freestyle or with your favourite songs. Review.
The games people play
The internet has made game stimulation far more accessible. For example, if you get stuck on a crossword clue, you can have that clue revealed or use Google to find the answer (that will often lead you into other areas of knowledge).
If you are looking for a specific game to play, Arkadium is good place to find it or try a new game. The games are free, although you can pay a low monthly subscription to avoid the Ads.
Bridge is a very popular indoor activity and there will be many of you who have a regular Bridge four or play online. For anyone thinking of taking up Bridge, online play can be daunting as it is a game in which you are constantly learning. Playing with someone far more experienced can be off putting as players hide behind their anonymity to tell you how bad is your general or specific play. There are some very good bridge apps where you can query what you should bid or play and that’s a good way of learning.
There are numerous games and brain teasers that can be played online – Trivia, Jigsaws, Sudoku, Chess, Word Search, Boggle, Bingo, Scrabble, Card Match are just a few. Whatever your favourite might be, you can play it online. Most online game sites earn revenue via advertising and subscriptions which block the ads.
Aside from using online games to stimulate the brain, there are apps to help train the brain such as Lumosity, Peak, CogniFit & BrainHQ. You will be expected to supply details such as your email and they will try to upsell to a subscription. If they interest you, then it’s worth trying them out.
Research and write your history
You could research your family tree and then write a history or just your own history using photographs and creating a scrapbook. You may think your grandchildren have little interest in the history of the family but in time they probably will, especially when they inherit something belonging to the family. A good place to start is the General Registry Office and as your research progresses, so you’ll find plenty of interest and then write up. There are other free sites that can set you on your way such as Historic UK . Alternatively you can employ a genealogy website to do the hard work for you, but where’s the fun in that.
Indoor garden
An increasingly popular activity. Use a table or windowsill. It’s low-maintenance, indoor-friendly and you can grow tomatoes, peas, green beans, peppers and strawberries — all small enough to garden indoors and reward you with time well spent and tasty benefits.
Painting
As a creative art, painting allows you to express yourself however you want and in whatever shape or form. Picking up a paint brush is likely to lead to pleasure and satisfaction. It will also improve dexterity in fingers, hands and wrist.
It will also help if you suffer from memory loss. And since painting is an activity that requires concentration to create colour patterns, it is proven to improve the cognitive functions.
People who paint are known to have sharper minds. The activity challenges the mind, causing participants to simultaneously use the two sides of their brain.
As with any new activity, where do you start? Here is a useful guide. https://drawpaintacademy.com/painting-for-beginners/ . Once you’ve started there are any number of online classes to join. Painting can be a shared and social activity, so as you become proficient, perhaps consider a painting holiday. There are any number of holiday companies offering packages and with anything we recommend, it is always a good idea to read reviews for any company before deciding.
You may be interested in one of our guides on how to paint.
Do you have a particular hobby or activity that keeps you stimulated, if so, please share with us.
Read our post on meditation for a better mind.
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