Brain Exercise

I always find, when I have nothing planned to write, that the most unusual things sometimes pop out. I have not done much to talk about either yesterday or today, which I had off. I played with my pastels a little yesterday and played with a fair bit of Wii and watched a lot of TV...

You know what? I am pretty bored with my life. I have a messy home that needs lots of work. There is a lot of things I could do. I have many projects I could tackle but I only ever have so much courage to go round. I think energy levels are a big problem for me.

I have more brain energy than I do body energy but maybe I am not using enough of that brain energy in my life. My job doesn't use it on a day to day basis, it requires brain stamina but only when there is a problem do I have really think hard. Maybe if I used my brain more, then I would be less bored?

I am sure I read somewhere that boredom can be a cause of depression. Am I depressed? Possibly. Lethargy infiltrates my life and it has for so long in so many ways. I am not unhappy most of the time. And I do feel happiness.... but....

I need to do more with my brain. Craft and art are for my soul, not my brain. The Wii is for my body. Walks feed so much of me, my body, my soul.... But my brain, where does that truly get it's workout? How do you work out your brain?

I just went away and did a little reading - it seems the brain is designed to work best in a body that receives physical exercise. It seems our brains need quiet and they need music but irregular noise is less beneficial.... Slow consistent learning is more likely to be retained that rush learning. Variety helps the brain to remain flexible so it can still learn. And imagining is really important too, even imagining exercise helps develop muscles... (go here)

So.... I spend time imagining, I am starting to exercise more, I am listening to more music... I could use more variety and a bit more of a brain workout. With the introduction of things like brain training there is all sorts of stuff you can buy on the net. So puzzles and maths are the things that spring to my mind. not so much things like sudoku or logic problems - once you have learnt the method.... I used to do them but I found they get dull after a while - that whole variety thing!

Now I used to do a fair bit of Maths and I have forgotten a lot of it. I could probably pass a GCSE, not sure about A-level and definitely not degree level Maths any more. Maybe it is about time I gave it a go again. See how much I remember. Now the best ever Maths textbook is Stroud.

Once upon a time I was an undergrad Physics student (*giggle*). I had just taken a year out and my Maths was rusty. I bought every book recommended pretty much, except Stroud's Engineering Maths and it is the one I should have bought first. I bought the follow up, Further Engineering Maths though.... So I am going to get that book and have a play, see how my brain likes it. The third edition was the current one back then and now costs 1p plus postage and packaging.... I don't think I need the more expensive fourth or fifth edition, Maths has not changed at that level too much....

So if you know anyone about to embark on further studies in Engineering, Sciences or anything else involving Maths, including Maths, get them that book.... And no, I didn't finish the Physics degree, I got ill dropped out and went back and did Environmental Science a few years later. I liked it more.

I might buy a puzzle magazine as well.....