No matter how exciting your job is, it is inevitable that it will come to feel like routine. Whether you started your own business, started working in a specialized field right out of college, or made a big career change part way through your adult life, it’s likely that you’ll reach a point where you feel that you could do your job in your sleep. 

While becoming an expert at your job is great, no longer feeling like you’re being challenged isn’t. If you’re happy with your job and don’t want to make a change, there are other ways to challenge yourself. Here are four fun ways to improve your cognitive functioning in your spare time. 

Learn a second language

Though at one point it was believed that learning more than one language caused confusion and developmental delays in children, it is now believed that it has the opposite effect. Becoming bilingual can improve your memory and focus. Some have also suggested it may prevent dementia and other aging-related brain disorders, but more research is needed to confirm this. 

In addition to the cognitive benefits, learning a second language has many practical implications. It can help you communicate with others when travelling to a foreign country, as well as significantly improve your job prospects. 

Get out of your comfort zone

It’s easy to get set in your ways. Maybe you’ve always told yourself you’re not very good at baking, drawing, or writing. Take a class in a subject or activity that you don’t excel in. While different people have different strengths and weaknesses, trying to improve one of your weaknesses will stimulate your brain in a new way. 

Even if you don’t become an expert in the area you’re trying to improve, you’re likely to at least improve marginally. You never know when that niche skill might come in handy! 

Read more books

Everyone knows that they should read but finding the time can be challenging. Approach reading not as a chore, but as a way to relax and disconnect from technology and the responsibilities in your life. You’ll be surprised by how much you can read just by setting aside a half hour each morning or evening. Grab a cup of coffee or a mug of hot tea, curl up in your favorite chair, and dive into the words on the page.

While reading anything is good for cognitive development, skip the Harlequin romance novel and challenge yourself to read something a bit different than what you’d normally go for. 

Solve puzzles and board games

There’s a stereotype that crosswords and puzzles are just for older people, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Like reading, doing a crossword in the morning with a hot cup of Joe is a great way to get your brain going each day. 

Solving a puzzle or playing a board game with friends and family is a wonderful way to connect with your loved ones while stimulating the cognitive process. Puzzle books are also lots of fun and make great entertainment on long drives or while camping – find them here!