How do you keep your brain sharp?

My five year old daughter has recently become rather addicted to "Where's Waldo" type activities. I bought her a book for Christmas that progresses in difficulty from page to page. This got me thinking about other ways testers may keep their brain sharp.

When time avails, and I do not feel much like reading, I may do a few cryptograms or word/logic puzzles just to stretch my brain.

What types of activities, outside of testing, do you participate in to keep your brain sharp?

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Permalink Reply by Jake Brake on January 27, 2009 at 12:11
1. Daily physical exercise aboard an elliptical
2. Omega-3 Fish Oil
3. Wii-Fit with my bride
4. Read a book every 2 weeks
5. "Exercise" my midi-studio
6. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku & Spider Solitaire
7. Per day drink a glass of red-wine known to contain resveratrol
8. Promote frequent laughter - with or without the influence of number 7.
Permalink Reply by Michele Smith on January 27, 2009 at 23:31
I also follow your numbers 2, 4, and 7... though sometimes 7 becomes multiplied, especially upon the end of an intense product release cycle :)

I usually walk as well, but this winter the exercise has been mostly in shoveling and moving snow around.

STC TEAMPermalink Reply by phil kirkham on January 27, 2009 at 12:12
Reading the posts on here and the blogs of a lot of the members is quite enough activity for my brain
Permalink Reply by Rob Lambert on January 27, 2009 at 12:43
1. Try and find new ways of entertaining my son
2. Daily run, boxing or weights - amazing how good and alert it makes you feel
3. Play the guitar daily, trying to learn a new song each week
4. Read loads of stuff (Tend to go to the local charity shop and pick a book, generally on a topic I have no keen interest in - then read it and see how it goes, currently reading about Houdini!)
5. Follow these forums and blogs.

Not sure it is working too well for me at the moment as I feel about as sharp as bubblewrap.
Permalink Reply by Simon Godfrey on January 27, 2009 at 13:25
Outside of core work hours I'll:-

1. Continue to read work/testing related material
2. Work on non-objective improvement stuff for work
3. Continue learning VB
4. Go to the gym / football training
5. I'm partial to the odd sudoku
Permalink Reply by Michele Smith on January 27, 2009 at 23:33
"sharp as bubblewrap" is quite funny....

I like the idea of picking up a book on a topic you have "no keen interest in", have you read anything that caused you to "have" an interest in it?
Permalink Reply by Rob Lambert on January 28, 2009 at 9:13
Hi Michele,

All sorts to be honest. I have one of these personalities that seems to flit from one subject to another. Jack of all trades, master of none type thing. I'm therefore taking up a new hobby or interest each week. Probably the most intriguing subject that I picked up and ran with was nutrition. There was a great book on healing with whole foods at the charity shop and it kick started an interest in food nutrition, but more importantly the chinese healing way of using foods. This then led on to Tai Chi which I now practice daily...

The good thing about the charity shop route is that I feel good buying books from charity shops and if it is no good then I take it back and redonate it. Kind of a win win situation. If I'm desperately in need of a new book and have no money then I go to the library and do the same thing.

STC TEAMPermalink Reply by phil kirkham on January 28, 2009 at 9:27
Just started doing Tai Chi, haven't been able to work it into a testing analogy yet....
Permalink Reply by Rob Lambert on January 28, 2009 at 9:37
I've been trying to work that angle also - let me know how you get on.
Permalink Reply by Pavan Govinda on January 27, 2009 at 13:51
I try doing some social work in my free time..
Permalink Reply by Michele Smith on January 27, 2009 at 23:35
Exactly how it is when we have our busy season... trying to "do some social work"....
Permalink Reply by James Christie on January 27, 2009 at 15:33
My mother's 80, with a razor sharp brain (and tongue!) and a social life that makes me tired thinking about it.

She's a ferociously competitive Bridge player, to a very high standard. She claims that it keeps her brain active and wards off old age. She's also hooked on Sudokus and the like.

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