4 Brain Boosting Habits Worth Spending Time On

The way you spend your free time can change your life. After all, hobbies help build our persona and formulate our interests. Hobbies can also increase our mood and ward off depression. The best and healthiest hobbies are ones that boost up the brain’s cognitive abilities. Instead of sitting in front of the television and zoning out for hours at a time, try picking a few hobbies to do in your spare time. Fitting in some healthy fun hobbies can boost your self-esteem.

In the early recovery stage, you may have a hard time finding new activities and hobbies, especially after you have been using drugs as an escape for years. Luckily, the following hobbies can be just as addictive and even more fun than any substance out there. The following five hobbies are known to increase endorphins in the body and raise confidence. They also improve your functionality in your daily life. Making time for hobbies prevents you from feeling burnout and stops that horrible feeling of monotony we get from sticking to the same routines. Try adding some of these hobbies to the mix:

1. Exercising
   Okay, before you exit out of the window, listen to me for a minute. Exercise is one of the fastest ways to increase your intelligent. Exercise has been shown to enhance memory and improve your long-term memory. It also has a host of other health benefits like reducing depression symptoms, aiding in weight loss, and fighting off illness. Make exercise one of your hobbies by choosing a form of fitness that you enjoy. Exercise should not be a chore; it should be a hobby! Start swimming, or join a kickboxing class. You can even dance around the house in the mornings.
2. Play a Musical Instrument
   We all have bands that we love. Why not try to pick up an instrument and cover one of your favorite songs? Playing an instrument takes time and effort; however it can be an incredible achievement.  Also, playing musical instruments is an activity that that “enhances cognitive skills and academic achievement by promoting the development of certain executive functions.” Playing and listening to music has been shown to benefit the brain in a plethora of ways that can translate into your daily life.
3. Learn a new language
   Bonjour! Learning a new language is an ambitious activity, but it could be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. Language skills improve your over brain’s executive function. Mentally, demanding tasks can be done a lot more efficiently once your brain has been able to grasp multiple languages. Studies have shown that bilinguals are better at solving puzzles, planning, and task management. They tend to have better attention and task-switching capabilities in the brain.  Plus, traveling around the world can be an even more enjoyable experience if you understand the language of the land.
4. Reading
   Have you ever read a book for fun? I’m not talking about the Shakespeare you were assigned in English class. I’m talking about actually picking up a book and reading it because you want to. Books are a great way to boost your willpower. According to a study from Emory University, reading increases the connectivity of the left temporal cortex of the brain. This area is associated with receiving language. Reading a chapter of a book each night can help increase your intelligence tomorrow.“Readers experience embodied semantics, a process that mirrors brain connectivity that occurs during actual actions – e.g., reading about driving can trigger the same neural connections triggered when driving.” (Emory University, 2013) Reading can turbo charge your imagination. As children, we are incredibly imaginative, but we tend to lose that over time. Reading can take you on an adventure. You don’t need substances to access your imagination. Reading can do that for you!

Overall, acquiring a healthy habit that increases your brain ability is an excellent tool to have in recovery. It is so important to experience life after sobriety.  If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please do not wait. Call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.

Author: Shernide Delva