It’s all too easy to spend the festive period snuggled up indoors, using the chilly weather and dark evenings as an excuse to indulge in a little well-deserved laziness.
However, Christmas is the perfect time to get the family together for some activities that aren’t just fun, but will help to keep your brain active. Here are five easy activities that the whole family can get involved in this winter.
Exercise
One of the best ways to spend time together as a family in winter is by getting bundled up and exploring the outdoors. Frosty morning walks, snow fights and spotting winter wildlife are great ways to stay active over the chilly months. Regularly getting exercise has been shown to change the brain, boosting the areas responsible for memory and thinking skills.
Games and crafts
Taking time to play games and puzzles can help keep your brain active over the festive period. These brain-boosting benefits also stretch to making and crafting, with the relaxing effects of these activities helping to reduce stress and anxiety.
Making homemade gifts or cards is a great way to spend quality time with family. Alternatively, challenge your kids to come up with their own simple games, and spend an evening playing them. You never know, they could become a firm family favourite!
Food
Keeping your body healthy is key to keeping your brain healthy too! Although we all like to indulge a little at Christmas, make sure that you’re still eating lots of healthy and nutritious food. It’s still possible to get your five a day, without feeling like you’re missing out on all those delicious festive treats. Check out websites such as Pinterest for great festive treats that little hands can help to make.
Music
Listening to and making music has been shown to be incredibly beneficial for brain health, reducing anxiety and blood pressure and boosting mood, alertness and sleep quality. Pop on some great Christmas tunes in the background to help stimulate your brain without even realising. Alternatively, gather together the family for a bit of carolling to get your brain working!
Writing
Writing is a great way to keep little brains active, and it can help get some of that pesky Christmas admin out of the way! Enlist your little helpers to sign Christmas cards, or encourage them to sit down and write out their Christmas lists to Santa. Studies have shown that writing by hand can help you learn better, and it will also help children to practise their writing skills.
These simple tips will help to keep your brain active over Christmas, but for an extra boost, considering adding a Neurozan supplement from Vitabiotics to your routine to support your cognitive function.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative guest post.
