Exercise:  What Do You Think?   

 

The flight attendant explains over the address system that “in case of emergency, secure your oxygen mask before assisting a child with theirs.”  A six year old boy on a flight with his mother asks “why”?  What should the mother say?

 

Is the flight attendant’s instruction to take care of adults first applicable to other aspects of a parent’s life?

 

Exercise Goal: Reasoning and communication. 

Brain Site Activation:  Frontal lobes, auditory cortex Wernicke’s and Broca’s area.

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Exercise:  Apply the moral of this fairy tale to life in general.

 Alice in Wonderland and the Cat come to a fork in the road.

Alice says “I don’t know which way to go.”

The Cat asks, “Where do you want to end up?”

Alice says, “I don’t know.”

 The Cat says, “Then, does it really matter?”

Exercise Goal: Abstract thinking and reasoning.

Brain Site Activation: Prefrontal cortex and basil ganglia.

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Exercise:  What are the missing words or phrases of the following proverbs?

 

…………………………nothing gained.

 Where there is a will ..………….

 ………………..……….spoil the child.

 ………………………….saves nine.

  Absence makes…………………………

    …………..….must come to an end.

    Too many …….. spoil the broth.

Exercise Goal: Verbal sequencing. Medium to long term memory.

Brain Site Activation: Parietal cortex and left cingulate gyrus.

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Exercise:  Look at the figure below. One of the pilings of the square appears to be in the front of and in back of the frame at the same time. How can this be?

Exercise Goal: Visual perception of congruence. 

Brain Site Activation: Frontal and parietal regions of the right hemisphere.

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Exercise:  Consider the following analogies:

 

In what way are fire and water alike?

In what way is a question and answer alike?

In what way are reading and learning alike?

 

Answer as quickly as you can.

Exercise Goal: Critical thinking and brain speed.

Brain Site Activation: Prefrontal cortex and limbic system.

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Exercise:  Maintain and enhance your cognitive abilities based on neuroscience principles. Each exercise takes 5 minutes or less.  Write down your answers or just keep them in mind. Enjoy.

Exercise Goal: Focus, concentration, planning and controlling emotions. 

Brain Site Activation:  Left frontal parietal area of the brain. Amygdala activation and stimulation of the orbitofrontal cortex.

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Exercise:  The Survival Game

Exercise Goal: Careful planning and common sense.

Brain Site Activation: Action of neurotransmitters monoamines at the synaptic cleft. Lower brain stem survival instincts.

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Exercise:  Imagine you were taken into a room to meet yourself at age 18.  What would you say to each other?  Would you like each other?  What advice would you give to each other?

Exercise Goal: Introspection.

Brain Site Activation: Limbic System and prefrontal cortex.

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Exercise:  Imagine that a wonderful miracle in your life happens tonight while you are sleeping.  When you wake up in the morning, what is different?

Exercise Goal: Imagining and enjoying fantasy.

Brain Site Activation: Medial prefrontal cortex. Excitation of gamma brain waves called the “neural eureka” effect.

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Exercise:  How long does the last five minutes of a football game seems when your team is ahead by three points?  Like clock time? Less time? More time?

Exercise Goal: Time perception.

Brain Site Activation:  Prefrontal cortex; low Betabrain waves.