Make it a "Stimulate the Brain" Weekend
Taking time to refresh the brain
The fifth book in my Adventures of Toby Baxter series went live last week. For the first time in the series, it made the Amazon best-seller list in one of its categories! But even better, I heard from one of my young fans who said that book 5, The Revenge of the RiverHome Rootabeggas, is the best yet! (A great relief as it was the hardest of the five books to write!) Check it out here.
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Whether it’s sitting in class all day, working on a screen 8 hours a day, changing diapers, working through an illness, or consuming the news, we all need time to refresh our brains—especially our kids.
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What happens when your brain sees a friend across the street?
“It gives a brain wave.”
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Refreshing the brain involves boosting neuroplasticity, reducing cognitive load, and enhancing oxygen flow through targeted activities—Google AI. If you have no idea what that means, read on:
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With spring on the way (here in Phoenix the temps are more like mid-summer!), more of us can get outside, breathe in the fresh (or sort of fresh air) and reboot our systems.
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What do you call a human skull without a hundred billion neurons?
“A no-brainer.”
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The human brain is a remarkably complex organ containing—86 billion neurons and up to 1 quadrillion connections. It generates 12-25 watts of electricity—enough to power a low-wattage LED bulb—and processes information at speeds up to 350 mph. While weighing only 3 pounds, it is 60% fat and consumes 20% of the body's energy..
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Here are a few simple ways to reboot that wonder-full brain of yours:
Go for a walk
Sit outside with a cold glass of lemonade and take 30 minutes to drink it
Read a book that you’ve always wanted to read but never got around to
Meet at a coffee shop with an old friend
Write a hand-written letter of appreciation to someone and walk it to a mailbox to mail (you may need to google: what is a hand-written letter, what does it mean to mail it, what is a mailbox and how do I find one near me…)
Do a BBQ
What did the doctor say to the man who had an elephant sitting on his brain?
“It looks like you have a lot on your mind.”
Go to your favorite ice cream place, buy some ice cream, and, if possible, eat it outside (or, better yet, find an A&W Root Beer restaurant and enjoy some of that fresh root beer. You’ll thank me!)
Take a 24 hour screen break (if you can’t make it 24, try 12 hours… or maybe an hour?)
Volunteer at a charity or take some food to a food bank
Play a board game with your family
Build a lego set
Draw pictures or doodle (Alexa: what is doodling?)
Pop some popcorn and play popcorn toss into each other’s mouths
Look up at the stars
What did the hippocampus say during its retirement speech?
“Thanks for the memories.”
Count how mosquito bites you get in an hour
Take. A. Nap.
Listen to music.
Relax. Breathe. Relax.
And make the time to tell your brain thanks. Where would you be without it?