And ditching digital in other areas of our lives can make our knackered noggins feel like new too.
From knitting and reading The Sun to cooking a meal and map reading, Kirsten Jones reveals ten ways getting away from screens can boost our brains . . .
READ THE SUN
STUDIES show that the feel of a newspaper page between your fingertips helps your brain connect with the words and boosts your understanding of the subject you are reading about.
Plus, reading regularly from print rather than on screen gives the memory centre of your brain a workout and keeps it sharper for longer.
GET KNITTING
MOVE over video games, a yarn of wool will keep your brain shipshape as we age.
An Italian study found crafts such as knitting and crocheting reduce our risk of memory loss and help us maintain a speedy mind thanks to the planning and problem solving they involve.
Plus the family will never be short of scarves . . .
CALL, DON’T TEXT
MORE than a quarter of Generation Z say they ignore calls.
Yet putting a phone to your ear for a chinwag can help you build better friendships and boost concentration.
Studies claim that calling a friend or family member, rather than texting back and forth, improves your ability to read others’ emotions and even calms your mind.
VISIT YOUR LIBRARY
GOING to the library can give the same happiness kick as a hefty pay rise.
A study commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport discovered a link between frequent visits to the library and the joy of getting a £1,800 bonus.
Reading with your kids also helps to develop storytelling skills and reduces loneliness.
GO GPS FREE, READ A MAP
USING maps on your phone and other GPS devices could be putting you at risk of dementia.
Plan your next adventure on a physical road map instead, which will help you fight cognitive decline by exercising your memory, movement and navigating abilities – the essential survival skills our ancestors used to hunt and gather.
DO A JIGSAW
CRACKING out a 1,000-piece puzzle might sound like an old folks’ pastime, yet piecing together a picture could build a defence against Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies have shown that scouring for those corner pieces can make you 2.5 times less likely to develop the degenerative illness than those who spend time on activities such as TV.
GO SHOPPING
SHOPPING is the key to happiness.
A study by London’s Brunel University found when we buy things in real life it triggers a spike in dopamine, a brain chemical that boosts mood.
And the bigger the bargain, the bigger the spike.
Shopping in the sales keeps you sharp, too.
Working out discounts such as 30 per cent off stretches our brain’s ability to deal with numbers, improving its speed in the process.
DITCH DELIVERY AND COOK
YOUR brain won’t thank you for ordering a takeout at the click of a button.
Regularly eating fried food can lead to memory loss and attention issues, along with a bigger risk of dementia, research claims.
Cooking from scratch has been proven to kick-start the feelgood chemicals in our body.
Multi-tasking also boosts our organisational skills and feeding others calms the nervous system.
SWAP PHONE FOR A CAMERA
A WHOPPING 91 per cent of people prefer to use smartphone cameras than the real deal, according to an online study.
But opting for a retro disposable snapper will work magic on your motor control.
The act of holding a camera boosts hand-eye coordination.
Plus printing and viewing physical pictures helps improve visual memories of places and events.
PICTIONARY, NOT PLAYSTATION
ROUGHLY 40 per cent of the world’s population play video games, but a classic board game is better for your brain.
From Pictionary to Mastermind, Cluedo and Monopoly, these tabletop challenges strengthen parts of the brain responsible for memory.
Studies show that regular players have a higher IQ, information retention and problem-solving skills.