Staying Sharp Over the Summer—Here's How
After an unprecedented school year, summer break is now thankfully upon us. We’re taking a break from our hectic schedule and egregious caffeine consumption and it feels great. Let's be honest- burnout was so real this year making this relaxation period more than deserved. While academics may be the last thing on your mind over the next few months, you’ll be thankful come the fall for trying to keep your mind sharp this summer. Often, with little to no brain engaging activity people tend to lose developed skills over the summer and have to spend extra time re-learning old material to make up what was forgotten over summer break. Mind enriching activities like the ones listed below will help you keep on track for the fall semester, but remember, spend some time this summer allowing your body to rest as well.
Read
Summer reading has been assigned for years with good reason. Reading is a relaxing and enjoyable activity that improves brain connectivity, increases your vocabulary and comprehension, and empowers you to empathize with other people. Just as you workout your body this summer, reading helps exercise your brain. Grab a book and sit by the pool or run to the beach– it’s a great way to enjoy your summer break while maintaining the knowledge you’ve gained this past school year.
Exercise your body
Take advantage of the warmer temperatures and longer days and get moving outside. Whether it be a walk, run, bike ride, or yoga, exercise has many health benefits, some of which affect the brain’s functions directly. According to The Harvard Medical School, by engaging in physical activity you “increase the heart rate which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It aids the release of hormones which provide an excellent environment for the growth of brain cells.” By exercising regularly you can improve your memory and thinking skills as well as your physical health.
Switch up your media channels
Although the consumption of social media is daunting, try to limit the mindless scroll. Conventional consumption of media allows our brains to absorb information at a much more advantageous rate promoting the brain to learn new information. Now, taking time to learn isn’t limited to books. There are many ways we can relax while still engaging our brain. Podcasts, audiobooks, music and movies are all different forms of media that still promote new conversations and ideas. Explore your interests, or begin to educate yourself on a new topic. This is the time to do it!
Keep up with a hobby
You may have picked up a hobby over the pandemic, or learned how to use a new software program in class. Keep at this new interest and experiment with new projects for yourself. Learning and engaging with new material and information while building skills is a great way to keep your brain sharp over the summer. If you’re out of ideas of what hobby you’d like to explore, checkout websites like pinterest or this list of 100 hobbies that don't require you to spend money to get inspired.
Talk with a friend or neighbor
During our time spent sheltering in place, we’ve become more reliant on social media to communicate with others. Social media has been great to keep us connected during these unprecedented times but act as no real replacement for verbal conversations. Face to face interactions are essential for human’s prosperity. We connect and empathize more during face to face interactions. So take the time to ask those close to you deeper and thought-provoking questions. One thing here is evident: Happiness and meaningful interactions go hand-in-hand. What Psychology Today calls “Feel good” conversations trigger higher levels of dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, and other biochemicals that give us a sense of well-being. Deep conversations are beneficial for our brains as well as our relationships.
Keep a journal
Journaling is a great activity to keep in touch with your mental health and to increase brain activity. Journals allow your feelings and emotions a place to go when you may be unsure what to do with them. During the summers we are away from campus and may feel more alone with our thoughts than usual, try using your journal for reflecting at the end or beginning of your day. Use the journal to sort out and organize your thoughts in whatever fashion you see fit. While journaling may not seem too influential at the moment, just a sentence each day can help the brain to remember far more details of that specific day years down the line. Not only will your memory improve, your emotional recognition and regulation will improve as well. Beyond the helpful mental health benefits, journaling also helps develop writing skills. When transitioning back to writing academic papers, your brain will already be attuned to strong writing abilities.
While your summer vacation is undoubtedly a time for you to disconnect and recharge, your body and mind will thank you for exercising through this period. Even if you spend two or three hours out of the 168 hours of the week exercising your mind you’ll return back to campus sharp and ready to learn.
We do not own any of the images in this article.
Featured image found here.