Science indicates that training the mind has great benefits for the human being as, on the one hand, new neural networks are developed and, with it, new learning. On the other hand, physiological and cognitive deterioration is halted in the entire population in general and, more specifically, in the case of people with dementias. To train the mind there are different techniques and all of them seek to streamline and expand the functioning of the brain circuit.
In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to talk in more detail about mental training and expose how to train the mind with 10 exercises that will allow us to keep our mind active and awake.
Index
- Why is it good to train the mind
- Close your eyes and touch different objects
- Sniff different smells
- Listen to music at different volumes, rhythms and speeds
- Savor different foods
- Body visualization and body stretching exercises
- Psychomotor exercises
- Breathing exercises
- Balance exercises
- Practice expressive techniques
- Read and do mathematical exercises
Why it is good to train the mind.
Training the mind does not refer only to developing the cognitive part. This is the classical view on mental training that has its origin in the supremacy that has been given to the language, the thought and the view on the rest of human senses and capacities.
If we understand the mind as the "computer" that governs all our human functioning, training the mind can be understood as training that improves and enriches the whole brain function of the person.
Benefits of training the mind
Mental training allows a better mental functioning of the person In all areas. Next, we will see what are the benefits of training the mind:
- It allows to exercise the senses of touch, smell, hearing and taste. In this article, you will find more information about the senses of the human being and their functions.
- Improves the sense of proprioception or body awareness, balance and motor or kinesthetic skills, etc.
- Improve skills and acquire new ones that have not been developed.
- Helps keep us awake and active.
- It favors complete brain function in the case of people with degenerative diseases or dementias, both cognitive and physical.
Once we have seen why it is good to train the mind, we will see a list of 10 exercises that promote this integral mental development.
Close your eyes and touch different objects.
One of the exercises to train the mind is to close your eyes and touch different objects in the space where you are. This activity allows to develop the sense of touch. To do it, it is recommended to do it in a quiet space where you feel comfortable.
Sniff different smells.
In this activity you have to close your eyes and smell what is around you. In it I know works the sense of smell, developing all the subtle differences that this area encompasses. It is one of the exercises to train the mind that helps to more easily recognize the different smells of the environment.
Listen to music at different volumes, rhythms and speeds.
If you are wondering how to train your mind, this exercise allows work on hearing sensitivity. So that I have the desired effect, it uses different rhythms, speeds and volumes of the melodies. This will serve to train this skill in depth.
Savor different foods.
Another one of the brain games to train the mind. Specifically, for this exercise, any element that has a flavor is valid, whether it is food or not, as long as it is not a toxic or harmful substance for the body. Closing our eyes and savoring the taste of the substance we have in our mouth will allow us explore a world of flavors and sensations.
Body visualization and body stretching exercises.
One of the exercises to train the mind in which proprioception or body awareness is worked on. Through body visualization, stretching and with the use of small manipulations or massages, we can increase our body awareness. In this article, you will see thatWhat is kinesthetic bodily intelligence, its characteristics and how to improve it.
Psychomotor exercises.
Any psychomotor exercise, both fine and gross, will allow us to work on the kinesthetic sense, entering into the great possibility of movements and postures that the body itself can adopt. These are exercises to train the mind that allow us to know our own body, our capabilities and limitations.
Breathing exercises.
With this type of exercise to train the mind, in addition to continuing to work on body awareness and kinesthesia, we will delve into intereoception or ability to feel our body inside, that is, our heart rate, our breathing, etc.
These types of exercises quiet our rational mind and allow us to perceive this other type of stimulation. In this article, we provide you with a selection of breathing exercises that you can practice.
Balance exercises.
How to train the mind? Balance exercises work on this important sense that, like all the others, does not only imply this but also affects and benefits the development of other related and related. Therefore, it is important to perform exercises to train it.
Practice expressive techniques.
Another highly recommended exercise to train the mind is to practice any expressive technique, such as dancing and counting, using the which train a wide variety of senses, abilities and skills such as hearing, touch, motor skills, balance, awareness bodily. Therefore, expressive techniques promote brain development of the person.
Read and do mathematical exercises.
Finally, if you still have doubts about how to train your mind, another of the exercises you can do To achieve this, it consists of exercising your mind through reading, mathematical exercises, hieroglyphics, etc. With this activity, cognitive skills and abilities are worked on, skills originally addressed with this type of psychological mental training work.
In reality, working with each of these senses, abilities or capacities cannot be done in a unique and exclusive way, since brain it is a system composed of connected subsystems. Therefore, working on each of these aspects will involve the joint development of all those systems that are closely related to the one being worked on.
In this way, training the mind will allow a full development of cognitive, sensory and motor mental functioning of the person.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to train the mind: 10 exercises, we recommend that you enter our category of Personal growth and self-help.
Bibliography
- Amutio, A. (2002) Stress management strategies: the role of relaxation. C. Med. Psicosom, No. 62/63.
- González, A. and I Amigo, I. (2000), Immediate effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on cardiovascular indices. Psicothema, 12.
