Boost Your Energy with These Left-Brain Exercises

Are you a mother who spends every day working out how to fit school, playdates, appointments and after-school activities into the family calendar? Or do you work with numbers, write or make major decisions every day? If so, you spend much of your time in a left-brain world, just like most of us.

The left side of the brain is associated with logical, linear, analytical and rational processes such as arithmetic, reading, writing and analysing information. Sound familiar? When you consider how many decisions we make and how much planning goes into daily life, it is no wonder that your left brain can feel overloaded.

Insights from the right brain

The right side of the brain, by contrast, is associated more with creativity, intuition, non-verbal cues, imagination and insight. As children, we relied heavily on our right brain when we played with imaginary friends, dreamed about monsters under the bed and filled our days with crafts, painting and drawing. As we grew older, the left side became more dominant.

Left-brain fatigue

Modern life is extremely busy, and many people who live in a left-brain world reach a point where that side feels tired. It is worth taking time to refresh your left brain so it can continue to support you. Fortunately, the activities below are simple and enjoyable.

1. Breathe out

Notice how you are breathing right now. Are your breaths short and shallow, coming from the top of your chest, or are you breathing slowly and deeply and filling your lungs with air? Most people will choose the first answer, which means the brain may not be receiving as much oxygen as it could.

Lie on your back or sit in a chair and focus on your breathing. Draw air in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. The exhalation should last twice as long as the inhalation. Breathe in for a count of three and out for a count of six.

2. Bounce a ball

Try sitting down and bouncing a larger ball, such as a basketball, until you reach 100. Once you have mastered that, try it with your eyes closed. If that is easy, bounce the ball while standing, first with your eyes open and then closed. If you still find it easy, challenge yourself with a tennis ball.

3. Calming music

Classical or slow music without lyrics can be soothing for the left brain. If you have earphones and play the music only through your right ear, the article suggests this may increase the benefit.

4. Eye movements

While seated, hold your right arm in front of you with your thumb pointing towards the ceiling. Focus your eyes on your thumb. Keeping your head still, slowly move your arm as far to the right and then as far to the left as you can while continuing to focus on your thumb.

5. Adult colouring books

Although colouring does not specifically stimulate the left brain, it may have wider benefits for the brain, including the frontal lobe, which is involved in making “good decisions”, interacting with other people and planning.

6. Chiropractic care

Whenever you are adjusted, the brain receives a large amount of information from the body. This information is compared here to water turning a windmill: the brain needs it. As the brain develops a clearer sense of where the body is, the article suggests that the body may perform better. This is offered as an explanation for the range of health improvements people report while receiving chiropractic care.

Interested in staying healthy? Read our blog post ‘Be True to Yourself‘. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date and be part of our growing community.