I have stopped challenging my brain

[Takemebacktospain]

Posting here for more traffic.
I was thinking about how life over the years has become a bit of a repetition of the same stuff: work, school pick up, bed time, repeat. Weekends are mainly for DC’s activities and I end up my evenings scrolling my phone in bed although I do have a pile of books near me.
I feel as if I have stopped learning and I know this is partially also my fault. I need to find the energy inside me to be stimulated by new things again although I know part of this is also my own fault. Does anyone else ever feel this way? What do you do to keep your brain more engaged and stimulated and if you do do things, does it come natural or do you have to remind yourself to challenge yourself?
I am thinking of taking small steps like get into gardening and try out new recipes/learn how to bake etc. I also need to get back into reading but find it so hard when I get off the habit for a long time.
Any tips welcome.

I love the Open University, but it's now very expensive.

I play chess, albeit on my phone but it is more mentally challenging than mindless scrolling! I have an app where I play the computer and one where I play other people.

I do wordle each day and the 1% club daily app questions.

I have killer sudoku puzzle book and do at least one a day.

I read one chapter of my book a day, I had fallen out of the habit of reading so set a realistic aim. Sometimes I read more but this small aim has got me into the habit.

Jigsaws! Surprisingly good fun, keep you occupied and if you put on some music and have a glass of wine it’s a nice way to spend the evening.

Are there any colleges that do evening classes near you?

@MyDogHumpsThings to be honest my life is full on with full time work and small DC and I am trying hard to squeeze in some sport as well so I don’t have time to go to a college at this stage. Maybe when I am
older it could be fun!

I am finding it SO hard to go back to the habit of reading. Used to read a lot when I was at uni but ever since smartphones and then DC I can’t properly get back into it. Any tips other than the one chapter things?

I have a reading tip! Don’t read in bed! I couldn’t concentrate on books after I finished my PhD (so used to speed-skimming article), so started reading a chapter per night in bed. It sent me straight to sleep. If the same thing is happening to you, don’t go to bed, read elsewhere.

I do daily word search puzzles and a colouring app....not much but it helps

Could you learn to crochet or knit - another simple thing you can try. Anything is better than doom-scrolling.

I felt exactly this way when i started mat leave. I found I was more motivated when I can include my family in some way.

So we are learning a language as a family. I know duolingo is controversial but it works for us as it fosters a bit of competition. Then we can plan holidays around it and also watch TV in that language together which is quite nice.

I also have picked up an instrument I haven't played since I was in primary school. Rusty was an understatement- but it is surprising how much is coming back with 15 mins a day practice and a beginners book.

Lastly I've been learning to develop my cooking skills a bit. I've tried to add a new thing to the basics I can already make. So making a beurre blanc or garnish like fried sage leaves. Simple to some but it's really accessible if you already do some cooking. Plus it's fun to cook the new bits for others and get their tips / feedback.

Duolingo. You won't learn a language, but you will make a start on learning one. Then you can progress to reading or listening to very simple short stories which will have the novelty of being in a different language.

I am the same as you @Takemebacktospain - I was an avid reader. I have started to do puzzles on my phone during my commute, learning how to do cryptic crosswords - much easier now the kids are older, reached a high and stable place in my career, which means I can stop doing all the extra work to gain recognition etc that you do when more junior.

I've always read every night before going to sleep, and in the day time too during the holidays. I teach languages, but I enjoy learning new ones to vaguely conversational level and I listen to audiobooks in the languages I speak. Dh and I do the Saturday Times jumbo cryptic crossword every weekend. We play board games, some of which require quite a lot of thought! I also do knitting and crochet, which can be relaxing, but patterns often need a bit of working out.

I feel the same. And I'm a researcher so I should be really curious about learning new stuff!!

I've started really trying with reading again and the biggest thing that helps is keeping my phone out of my room. And not trying to read serious or worthy books. I started with crime fiction.

Audible and one book a month? Something new each time (non fiction)

I literally have the opposite!

When COVID lockdown hit, my life was weird and intense looking after my Tasmanian Devil toddler, I coped by getting into tons of hobbies to distract from reality.

I still do it!

I'd recommend just starting something up, and practicing it everyday. When you get competent at something new, after say a year, I find it addictive, I just want to try more things & whatever new thing you do sharpens your brain.

I was always a big reader until children came along but I always managed to squeeze in a few pages here and there. Now that the phone is always distracting me, I find that even a couple of pages in the morning and evening are enough to get a book finished sooner than I thought. I also set a timer for 20 minutes or half an hour to read before I’m allowed to touch my phone again😊

Mat leave completely killed me mentally and I felt like I was in a permanent fog. Learning/using my brain woke me up again.

I started by signing onto various clickworker and online surveys. It was perfect when I have limited time and it was nice to make £30-50 a month when I wasn't earning.

I then followed various online tutorials. Digital painting (for krita), 3d modelling(blender) anything where I could learn and use the software for free. I'm now writing a novel.

I think you need to study what motivates you. I really relish a deadline I realise so giving myself challenges e.g. an hour of writing/drawing/learning every day for a month. It's shocking looking back what the difference is.

Also if you a doom scroller and feel you aren't doing enough proactive stuff, I find podcasts really helpful. You can feel the same aimless consuming of media but just use your ears and use your hands and eyes for something else, cleaning, drawing, felting, petting the cat, it always feels much more productive then staring at your phone.

I tried audiobooks and podcasts but my mind just wonders. Reading keeps my attention better than listening in terms of books. The only podcasts that kept my attention were some true crime/unsolved crimes such as Serial. I had amazing general knowledge pre kids and I want to get that back but can’t keep my mind on those types of podcasts (Your dead fo me, newscast etc).