I find myself drawn back this week to considering the importance of regularly giving the brain something new to chew on.  Our brains are organized to thrive on novelty, and to generate neurons whenever we learn something new, or experience something unusual.  We can engage a new language, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, or anything that captures our attention and curiosity and introduces something new or challenging to our brains.  New neurons keep the brain healthy, and we need them just as much as we need new cells the rest of the body.  When we engage activities that generate neurons, we give a powerful and important gift to the body.

Recently, I vacationed at a spa and had a truly delightful time receiving care and engaging activities I don’t have much time to do at home.  Among the experiences I had at the spa, which was in the mountains, was to encounter wildlife in a way that’s not available in New York City.  One morning, I saw bobcat cubs playing on the roof of a small building on the spa grounds.  One night, after a great deal of rain, I heard sounds coming from the surrounding mountains I haven’t heard in many years – the deafening songs of frogs and I don’t know what else on a wet summer night.  My ears were captivated by the many unusual sounds that accompanied the frogs, and my imagination played with what it would be like to be in the middle of a forest or jungle without the walls and screen door all around me.  I felt closer to nature than I have in a long time, and my brain, body, mind, and emotions enjoyed being immersed in so much sound and in the presence of so many life forms.

In a world where routine can capture us in its constant repetition, it’s important to consciously add in moments of novelty.   For this week’s experiment, I invite you to notice one new thing each day, or to become aware, consciously, of one moment each day that offers you an opportunity to engage or notice something out of the ordinary.  This may mean learning one new word each day, in whatever language you choose, and then finding a way to use that word at least once that day.  It may mean figuring out a problem you haven’t been able to solve, or do some mental task that challenges you, like maybe putting together a toy for your child or reading an instruction book for your computer or cell phone, or balancing your checkbook. 

Whatever constitutes novelty and challenge for you – and it will be different for each of us – play with this experiment.  Consider it a vitamin for your brain – something that gives you a boost by generating new neurons.  And, as always, allow yourself to bring along curiosity as your main companion, as well as a dose of playfulness.  The goal isn’t to make this work.  The goal is to reinforce the value of novelty and fun challenge as being as healthy for your brain as working out, lifting weights, and all kinds of physical activity are for the rest of your body.