When we do the same thing every day, we tend to go into autopilot mode. We don’t really think about what we’re doing, so we’re not engaging our brains.

When you switch things up, you’re asking your brain to think and pay attention and forcing it to stay alert. It’s important to kick your brain out of its comfort zone by doing things that are unfamiliar and mentally challenging. You’ll want to push your brain beyond the norm. Stepping out of your routine forces your brain to make new neural connections.

It could be something simple like driving a different way to work or eating your cereal with your left hand. Something more involved, like learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument, will certainly work wonders for your brain as well but will take more time and effort.

If you want to improve your brain, all you have to do is tweak your daily routine. Keep your brain and body active, feed it what it needs and take good care of your mental health, and little by little, you’ll see improvements.