Brain Day, celebrated on 22nd July is a dedicated occasion to raise awareness and appreciation for the complexities and wonders of the human brain. It serves as a reminder of the brain's vital role in our everyday lives, encompassing functions from cognition and emotion to movement and sensory perception.
Neurological disorders remain significant contributors to disability-adjusted life years, impacting global health through conditions such as stroke, migraine, Alzheimer's, meningitis, and epilepsy. *Encouragingly, a substantial proportion of these cases can be prevented. Notably, 90% of strokes, 40% of dementia cases, and 30% of epilepsies are preventable, with effective preventive measures available for conditions like migraine, headache disorders, and neurological infections.
*Data from the World Federation of Neurology
So How can we, as individuals, promote a focus on brain activities or brain stimulation for ourselves and others at home or in the office?
Mental stimulation: Engage in activities like puzzles, reading, learning new skills, or playing musical instruments to keep the brain active and many many more. Participate in social activities and discussions to stimulate cognitive functions and maintain mental sharpness.
More importantly, reduce your screen time as much as you can:
Some of the Activities which we can try at home or office:-
Activity: Word Association
Choose a Starting Word: Pick a simple word to start with, like "tree."
Set a Timer: Give yourself 2 minutes on a timer.
Free Associate: Write down as many words as you can think of that are related to or remind you of the starting word. For "tree," you might write "green," "leaves," "forest," "oxygen," etc.
Challenge Yourself: Try to make connections that are less obvious or more creative as you go along.
Reflect: After 2 minutes, look at your list and see how many words you came up with. Reflect on the connections between them.
This activity helps stimulate creativity and associative thinking, which are great for keeping your brain engaged and active.
Activity: Story Building
Group Formation: Gather a small group of friends or colleagues (3-5 people works well).
Starting Point: Decide on a starting sentence or phrase for a story. For example, "Once upon a time, in a small village..."
Passing the Story: Each person in the group takes turns adding to the story. Each person contributes one sentence or a short paragraph, continuing from where the previous person left off.
Creativity Rules: Encourage creativity and imagination! There are no wrong contributions—each person adds their twist or detail to the evolving story.
End Point: Decide on a natural endpoint or time limit (e.g., after 15 minutes or after a certain number of rounds).
Read Aloud: Once the story is complete or the time is up, read the entire story aloud to see how it developed collaboratively.
This activity promotes teamwork, creativity, and listening skills, making it a great way to exercise your brain while having fun with others.
I hope everyone takes it seriously and plays the fun games because our mind matters a lot!!
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