Did you know that giving your brain new experiences can keep it in healthier condition? And you can actually do little mini exercises each day to give it “new” experiences. Try these simple tasks to sharpen your mind and perhaps get a little bit smarter.

1. Brush Your Teeth With Your Non-Dominant Hand:There’s research that shows that using the opposite side of your brain can result in “rapid and substantial expansion of in the parts of the cortex that control and process tactile information from the hand.” So try the exercise of brushing your teeth (from opening the tube to brushing) in reverse.
2. Switch Seats at the Table:You probably have your own seat at the dinner table you usually sit at. But your brain actually benefits from change. So try switching seats to change up the routine. This will affect who you relate to, how you reach for food, etc.
3. Play “10 Things”:If you make your brain this of alternatives to everyday things, you’ll help keep it strong. Here’s what Reader’s Digest Suggests:
   

   Someone hands you an ordinary object, and you must demonstrate 10 different “things” that the object might be. Example: A fly swatter might be a tennis racket, a golf club, a fan, a baton, a drumstick, a violin, a shovel, a microphone, a baseball bat, or a canoe paddle.

4. Make More Social Connections Throughout Your Day:Social depravation can have a pretty negative effect on cognitive abilities. So throughout your day, make an effect to increase your social interactions. For example, instead of buying a drink from the vending machine, buy it from a human.
5. Eat Unfamiliar Foods:Did you know that there’s a direct link between the odors you small and the emotional center of your brain? So try choosing a cuisine that’s unfamiliar to you to evoke unexpected feelings and associations. Grab some different veggies, seasonings, etc. and ask storekeepers how to prepare them (or look up some ideas for yourself).

Learn more over at Reader’s Digest.