又一篇好文来啦，请阁下细细品尝。我们的大脑会本能地把我们带向快乐，让我们远离痛苦，每个人的大脑里都住着一只“及时行乐”的猴子，导致我们不思进取，脑力下降。而大脑训练可以帮助我们提高记忆力、专注力以及 防止智力衰退，但是我们中没有多少人知道如何去训练，这里教你11种别样的方式。 Everybody knows that if you want to stay fit, you need to exercise. To increase flexibility, develop strength, and maintain balance, we need to challenge our bodies regularly. Makes sense, right? That said, not many of us apply the same knowledge when thinking about our brains, but it works the same way. Mental qualities like problem-solving, memory, focus, and attention span change over time, for better or worse. The good news is that brain training exercises can help you increase performance and fend off mental decline as you age. If you want to boost your brainpower, here are some simple things you can work into your day-to-day life!众所周知，如果你想保持身体健康，你需要运动。为了增加柔韧性、增强力量，并保持平衡，我们需要经常挑战我们的身体。有道理，对吧？尽管如此，提起我们的大脑训练时，我们中没有多少人会应用同样的知识，但大脑的锻炼方式是一样的。心理素质如解决问题、记忆力、专注力和注意力广度会随着时间的推移而发生变化，可以变得更好或者更糟。好消息是，大脑训练练习可以帮助你提高表现，并且随着年龄的增长防止智力衰退。如果你想提高你的脑力，这里有一些简单的训练你可以把它们应用于你的日常生活。Number 1 - Break A Strict Routine第一，打破恪守不渝的常规A routine can help add structure to your life, but emerging brain imaging studies revealed that brain activity decreases for automatic tasks, such as those associated with a routine. Conversely, novel tasks show increased brain activity in several areas of the cortex. This means, changing up your routine is an easy way to increase your brainpower! Consider waking up earlier and doing something different in that extra time in the morning, like physical exercise or meditation. Another method to add change to your routine is to switch the time of tasks. For example, if you go for a run, study, read, watch TV, socialize, or run errands at a specific time, you could change the order of these tasks at any time to give your brain a new pattern of thought.常规有助于为你的生活增加规律，但最新的大脑成像研究表明，在进行默认任务时大脑运动会减缓，例如与平日常规相关的任务。相反，实施新颖任务时显示大脑皮层若干区域的活动增加。这意味着改变你的日常生活方式是提高你的脑力的一个简单的方法。可以考虑早点起床，在早晨的额外时间里做一些不同的事情，比如体育锻炼或冥想。另一种改变你生活规律的方法是切换任务的时间。例如，如果你跑步、学习、阅读、看电视、社交或者在特定的时间跑腿，你任何时候都可以改变这些任务的顺序，让你的大脑有新的思维模式。Number 2 - Find A New Path第二，另辟新径The routes you take to work, school, or home are probably ingrained into your memory. After you've done it so many times, it becomes easy. Well, that ease isn't firing up your neurons! Instead of driving the same roads, take an unexpected turn. You can use side streets instead of the highway and vice versa. Another method to change your route is to open your window if the weather permits and identify the sounds and smells you experience. Change comes in many forms, and these sensory changes can help you remember new roads. The hippocampus is deeply involved in processing memories and constructing mental maps, and it utilizes associations between sensory information like sounds, smells, and visuals.你上班、上学或回家的路线很可能已经在你的记忆中根深蒂固了。当你做一件事做了这么多次之后，就变得容易了。好吧，这种轻松并不能激活你的神经元！与其在同一条路上行驶，不如来个突然的转弯。你可以换走小街而不是高速公路，反之亦然。另一种改变路线的方法是打开窗户，如果天气允许的话，识别你所感受到的声音和气味。变化会以多种形式出现，这些感官上的变化可以帮助你记住新的道路。Number 3 - Use Your Nondominant Hand第三，使用你的非惯用手What hand do you favor when doing basic tasks - like holding your phone, eating with a spoon, turning your keys, or writing on paper? You probably do all these things with the same hand unless you're ambidextrous. After repeating these standard tasks so many times, your brain goes into autopilot mode, and you don't need to think much about it. And you guessed it, this lack of conscious thought doesn't challenge your brain. So, switch things up by using your opposite hand! You might notice right away that simple tasks require much more thought. If you practice this exercise every day, not only will you gain coordination, but you can increase your ability to learn, focus, and engage in conscious thought.在做基本任务时，你喜欢用哪只手？比如拿着手机时、用勺子吃饭时、转动钥匙或在纸上写字时？你可能用同一只手做所有这些事情，除非你双手皆惯用。在重复这些标准任务很多次之后，你的大脑进入了自动驾驶模式，你不需要对此多加思考。你猜对了，这种缺乏意识的思考不会挑战你的大脑。所以，试试换成你的反手吧！你可能会马上注意到，简单的任务需要更多的思考。如果你每天练习这个练习，你不仅会获得协调能力，还能提高学习、专注和进行有意识思考的能力。Number 4 - Play Observation Games第四，玩观察游戏Have you ever noticed how easy it is to forget details? Our brains choose to ignore information it deems unnecessary. What color shirt was the cashier wearing at the store last time? What was on your co-worker's mind last week? What was the name of that supporting character on the TV show your roommate was watching? Chances are, you don't know. But you can - if you choose to pay attention. You can play a daily observation game to improve your focus and memory. Choose one quality to observe and look for it everywhere. For example, you could focus on people's fashion, their eye colors, or identifying their emotions. Whether you're at home watching TV or out for a walk in the city, think about your observation game. By giving your brain a stimulus, you're working it out and strengthening it.你有没有注意到细节是多么容易被遗忘的？我们的大脑选择忽略那些认作不必要的信息。上次在店里，收银员穿的是什么颜色的衣服？上周你的同事在捣鼓什么呢？你室友正在看的电视节目中的配角叫什么名字？很有可能你不知道。但你其实可以，如果你选择关注。你可以玩“每日观察”游戏来提高注意力和记忆力。选择一种品质进行观察，然后到处寻找它。例如，你可以关注人们的时尚、他们眼睛的颜色，或识别他们的情绪。无论你是在家里看电视还是在城市里散步，想想你的观察游戏。通过给你的大脑一个刺激，你就能使它发挥作用并强化它。Number 5 - Tell Stories第五条，讲故事No, this one isn't advice about lying. Your stories should be memories, whether you've experienced the story or heard about it from someone else. Every morning, think about a story and then prepare to tell others. If you want, you can even rehearse it. The key is to make it engaging, and if you can, make it more engaging every time you tell it. This will help you in your social life, and it's a great way to exercise your memory.不，这一条不是关于撒谎的建议。你的故事应该是记忆，不管是你经历过的故事还是从别人那里听说的。每天早上，想一个故事，然后准备讲给别人听。如果你愿意，你甚至可以排练。关键是要让它吸引人，如果可以的话，每次讲的时候都要让故事更吸引人。这将有助于你的社交生活，而且也是锻炼记忆力的好方法。Number 6 - Memorize Your Lists第六条：记住你的清单Lists are handy, especially for those who have tendencies toward forgetfulness. Lists do the remembering for you. And… that's exactly why avoiding lists can actually improve your memory! Don't just ditch lists altogether… Make your list, but instead of relying on it when you need it, try to memorize it. Then, when the time comes, see if you can remember your list without looking. For example, if you have a grocery list, review it a few times before you leave. Take it with you, but don't look at it until you're done shopping. Do this a few times, and watch your memory improve!清单是很方便的，特别是对于那些偏向于健忘的人。清单为你记住任务。而且，这就是为什么避免清单能够真正提高你的记忆力。不要立即丢弃所有的清单。写你的清单，与其在需要的时候依赖它，试着记住它。然后，到时候，看看你是否能不看就记住你的清单。例如，如果你有一份购物清单，在出家门前再看几次。带上它，但再你买完东西之前都不要看它。多做几次，你的记忆力就会提高。Number 7 - Stop Relying On Tech第七，停止依赖科技Like lists, technology is another tool that makes our lives easier. But if you want to strengthen your brain, you'll need to make it work harder. And an easy way to do that is to avoid technology. Instead of going right to the calculator or the spellchecker, try to solve simple problems on your own. Consider memorizing your friends' phone numbers. It will improve your memory and could help you in a sticky situation. You can also turn off your GPS and consider looking at a map to find your way. This will improve your innate sense of direction as well.就像列清单一样，技术是另一个使我们的生活更快捷方便的工具。但如果你想强化你的大脑，你需要让它加倍运动。要做到这一点，一个简单方法就是避开科技。不要直接使用计算器或拼写检查器，尝试自己解决这些简单的问题。试着记住你朋友的电话号码。它会提高你的记忆力，而且在棘手情况下也能助你一臂之力。你也可以关闭GPS，并考虑查看地图来寻找路线。这也会提高你天生的方向感。Number 8 - Practice Problem-Solving第八，练习解决问题This one is an exercise in problem-solving and creativity. Think up an imaginary problem. Let's say you own a small business. You have a thriving restaurant that gets overwhelmed during lunch since so many people get takeout before heading back to work. But a fast-food restaurant is opening up just across the street. What would you do to avoid losing business? Get creative by thinking up problems you've never experienced. What if you only had $20 a week to spend on groceries? What would you cook this week to stay on budget and give you enough nutrition? Or, what would you do if you were stranded on an island? Problem-solving in this fun and creative way will forge new connections in your brain and improve its function.这一条是锻炼解决问题的能力和创造力。想出一个假想的问题。假设你拥有一家小企业。你的餐厅生意兴隆，但在午餐期间却忙得不可开交，因为很多人都是在返回工作前买饭带走。但街对面就开了一家快餐店。为了避免失去生意，你会怎么做？通过思考你从未经历过的问题来获得创造力。如果你每周只有20美元购买杂货会怎样？这周你会做什么菜来保持预算并给你足够的营养？或者，如果你被困在一个岛上，你会做什么？以这种有趣而富有创意的方式解决问题，将在你的大脑中建立新的连接，并改善其运作功能。Number 9 - Read Aloud第九，大声朗读Reading is an excellent practice for anyone who wants to stay sharp, but did you know that listening to a story and reading a story engages different brain circuits? Brain imaging has shown that three distinct brain regions are engaged when a person reads silently, reads aloud, or listens to reading. Reading aloud to yourself, listening to an audiobook, or having a friend read to you can engage your imagination in a new way, giving your brain some much-needed stimulation. If you want to engage your brain and strengthen your relationships, you can ask a friend or significant other to take turns with you reading to one another. If you know any children, they'd probably love that! You can also listen to audiobooks or read to yourself for some brain engagement and alone time.对于任何想要保持敏锐的人来说，阅读都是一种极好的锻炼方式。但是你知道吗？听故事和读故事会产生不同的大脑回路。大脑成像显示三个不同的脑区运作，分别于当一个人默读、朗读或听读时。朗读给自己听、听有声读物或让朋友朗读给你听，都可以以一种新的方式激发你的想象力，给你的大脑一些急需的刺激。如果你想调动你的大脑并加强你的人际关系，你可以请一位朋友或其他重要的人轮流和你一起阅读。如果你认识任何孩子，他们更会喜欢这样。你还可以听有声读物或自己阅读，享受一些大脑活动和独处时间。Number 10 - Write On Paper第十，在纸上写作In our modern world, we type more than we write. After all, it doesn't make much sense to draft an email on paper, but writing on paper can help you engrain information into your memory better and faster than typing. This can be especially helpful when you're acquiring new knowledge. Your brain's filtering system, the Reticular Activating System or RAS, notices relevant information and helps you actively focus. Writing with a pen or pencil triggers this filtering system and helps you pay more attention.在我们的现代世界里，我们打字胜于写字。毕竟，在纸上起草一封电子邮件也说不通。但在纸上书写可以帮助你将信息深入到你的记忆中，比打字更好、更快。在你学习新知识的时候，这一点尤其有用。你的大脑的过滤系统，网状激活系统或简称RAS，可以注意到相关的信息并帮助你积极地集中注意力。用钢笔或铅笔书写会触发此过滤系统，帮助你提高注意力。Number 11 - Look From A New Perspective第十一，从一个新的角度看事物You might take the orientation of objects for granted. Our brains are hard-wired to separate right from wrong in terms of our environments. When you see something the right way, your brain's left hemisphere labels the object and moves on. When it's oriented the wrong way, the right hemisphere kicks in and works to process and interpret the visual information as if it were a puzzle. To activate your brain, turn familiar objects upside down and simply look at them. It can be anything - a picture, a clock, or a labeled bottle. It might seem weird, but it's an easy way to engage your brain and hardly think about it.你可能认为你的主观世界是理所当然的。我们的大脑天生就能区分环境的正误。当你以正确的方式看待事物时，你的大脑左脑会标记该事物并继续前进。当它朝向错误的方向时，右脑便会开始处理和解释视觉信息，就好像它是一个谜题一样。为了激活你的大脑，把熟悉的物体倒过来，然后细细观察它们。可以是任何东西，图片、时钟或贴有标签的瓶子。这可能看起来很奇怪，但这是一种简单的方式There you go - 11 ways to stimulate your brain for mental growth! When you live your life with intention, you can introduce new experiences in every sense to your brain. These novel sensations will strengthen areas of your brain that control your memory, emotions, attention span, problem-solving abilities, learning, and processing.现在你有了11种方法来刺激你的大脑，促进心智成长。当你用心生活时，你的脑中就会出现各种新的体验，这些新奇的感觉会加强你大脑中控制记忆、情绪、注意力、解决问题能力、学习和处理的区域。By Brainy Dose译：Charlotte