I thought brain-training games were the key to a sharper mind and have spent hours hunched over my phone, tapping away at memory challenges and mental math puzzles, convinced I was giving my brain the workout it needed. But a recent study reveals a simpler and more robust path to cognitive enhancement: embracing unfamiliar challenges.
Forget the trendy apps and flashy games. The real secret to boosting your brain lies in stepping outside your comfort zone.
Embrace new challenges
A study called the Synapse Project assigned participants to engage in either a new, challenging activity like digital photography or quilting or a less challenging activity like solving crossword puzzles or watching classic movies. The results were striking. Those who took on the new, challenging activities showed significant gains in memory, processing speed, and reasoning abilities compared to those in the less challenging group.
Brain scans revealed that participants in the challenging activities increased their neural efficiency over the course of the study. Their brains didn’t have to work as hard to solve problems or recall information. Additionally, the more time participants spent on challenging projects, the more significant their brain gains and memory improvements.
Why new challenges work
When you learn something new, your brain forms fresh neural pathways. This process:
The key is new challenges, not brain games
The Synapse Project highlights that the key to boosting cognition is not found in “brain-training” games but in embracing new challenges. When we engage in new and effortful activities, we activate regions in the frontal and parietal lobes of our brain. These regions work together to keep our minds adaptable and prevent us from slipping into habit mode.
How to train your brain the right way
How can you apply this knowledge to train your brain effectively? The answer is simple: choose activities that challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone. If you’re a word person, try a numbers-based game. If you love math, consider a word game or puzzle. The discomfort you feel when tackling something new is a sign that you’re giving your brain the workout it needs.
It’s also important to keep increasing the difficulty as you feel more at ease with a task. Once you sense familiarity setting in, it’s time to switch gears, change the challenge, or move to a new level that feels just beyond your current abilities.
Engage in activities that push you out of your comfort zone, and keep increasing the difficulty as you improve. By giving your brain the stimulating workout it craves, you can maintain and even enhance your cognitive abilities, regardless of age. Pick up a new, challenging hobby – your brain will thank you.