Engage Your Mommy Brain With These 5 Simple Tips!

This post is sponsored by Zynga, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

As a mom, do you sometimes feel that your brain never gets any use any more?

There are days when I get through the entire day and feel like the most active brain function I had was deciding how to discipline my children (in some appropriate, creative way).

I think back to when I was a teenager. My grandmother (maternal) had Alzheimer's Disease, and it was absolutely horrible to watch her decline, get fearful, and forget who we were.

As you can imagine, due to that experience, I stay somewhat informed regarding the current state of research and knowledge regarding dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

In the last few years, evidence has accumulated that shows that people who engage in activities that make them think hard or learn new skills do better on cognitive and memory tests than people who are less engaged do.

Further, research also shows that people with mentally active lifestyles tend to be less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer's – that's good news to me!

As a result of watching what my grandmother went through, both my mom and I actively work to keep our brains engaged.

For me, it may only be for a few brief moments during the day (right now I can barely sneeze without the kids asking me for something!), but I work to incorporate exercises into my day that challenge my brain in some way.

While the options of how you can do that are limitless, the research-based recommendation is that you choose something that is new and challenges you or makes you think a bit.

Here are my top 5 tips for keeping your brain active and engaged (and healthy!)

Draw out your inner artist

Learn how to play an instrument. Join a choir or music group. Learn how to improve your photography skills. Take a local acting class, or learn how to paint, sculpt or draw. Do some journaling or write an essay – or a book!

Anything that requires creativity would qualify!

Challenge yourself

About 6 or 7 years ago, I took on one of the biggest challenges of my life (to that date). I became a certified group exercise instructor.

While I initially did it for many personal growth reasons, I found that it challenged my memory in a great way. I took on the task of learning how to teach a cardio kickboxing class that is fast-paced and chock full of ever-changing choreography that I need to memorize.

What an experience it has been! Every 2 months I get to memorize an hour's worth of brand new music and choreography. I really feel that doing this works my brain in a super healthy way, and I can tell that (over time), it's easier for me to learn the choreography.

Play a game!

One of my absolute favorite ways to work my brain is to play mentally challenging games! I have a whole bunch that I like, but my current favorite is playing Words With Friends 2.

It is so challenging to my mommy brain to take random letters and create an everyday word. Add to it the goal of scoring the most points to win a game, and I'm hooked!

I tend to play 5-6 people at once, and I'll take several short breaks through the day to play my turn in multiple games. It's perfect because I'm not pressured to play immediately, which fits my mom lifestyle.