7 Do-It-Yourself Brain Games

Brain games are fun whether they're board games or online, but everyday activities you do yourself can improve the mind and boost memory function.

Do-it-yourself brain games help you think clearly and quickly while also using creativity to keep your mind occupied with mental exercises, says Prevention.

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Here are seven do-it-yourself brain games for fun and brain boosting:

• Boost your mind power by using non-dominant hand action throughout the day. If you're right-handed, use your left hand or vice-versa. Try using the other hand for simple activities, such as combing your hair, eating, or brushing your teeth. This helps make new connections between the brain cells, Prevention notes.

• Writing down notes by hand can help with information retention, research shows. Jot down information on a notepad or a piece of paper during meetings and take notes when talking to your doctor or financial adviser. Note-taking helps you retain information and avoid the stress or anxiety of trying to remember what was said.

• Brain games include simple memory techniques such as counting backward. Challenge the mind by counting backward from 100, then subtract a particular number, such as 2 or 3, to jump to a new figure each time you count backward.

• Learning a new language not only makes the mind learn new words, but also new sounds. This helps improve memory and the auditory process in the brain, says Dr. Daniel G. Amen. The same goes for learning to play an instrument.

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• Changing your daily routine can turn into a brain game. Make a conscious effort to travel a different route to work or change the sequence of your daily activities. The same routine all the time does not stimulate activity in the brain, so creating new habits and activities helps it work harder.

• Play a game with yourself and give your brain a workout at the grocery by trying to remember items on your list. Mental Floss suggests using "peg words," which rhyme with a number. For example, using the word “sun” for one and “shoe” for two, associate the word with a product on your numbered shopping list. If the sun represents orange juice, the first item on the list, and the shoe represents eggs, second on the list, then imagine stepping into shoes under the sun to remember your list.

• Do-it-yourself brain games can include simple coordination techniques. Make a fist with the left hand and extend the thumb. Extend the pinky on the right hand after making a fist. Then switch so the thumb is extended on the right and pinky on the left. The exercise helps with memory function.

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