By Amanda Ferrara, Student at New York University

Image courtesy of 9comeback/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It might be tempting to spend the next few weeks sleeping late, watching movies and staying in pajamas for days at a time, but that will make getting back into the swing of things in late August that much harder!

When you let your mind relax for too long, no matter how good it feels at first, you’ll find that the feelings of laziness and boredom will start to take over. Here are five ways to keep your mind active and fresh over the summer!

Read

Reading is one of the best ways to keep your mind working. Goodreads is a great resource to discover new books based on suggestions from other readers and from your friends. The site also provides reviews and recommended titles based on books you already read and loved as well!

Stay on Top of the News

If books aren’t your thing, you should definitely try to stay current with events happening in the world. Read newspapers, watch the news daily or browse it online; you’ll stay in the loop and it might spark some new and interesting conversations with your family or friends.

Exercise

Did you know that exercise can not only make you feel better, but it can make you think better? There are multiple studies suggesting that physical activity may increase your ability to learn new things more quickly and to improve your memory. Anything from fast walks around your neighborhood to intense Pilates classes can help keep your mind sharp!

Mind Games

Any newspaper or magazine (and even the Internet) has crossword puzzles and Sudoku, so work your brain by doing a puzzle a day. You can also download games on your phone such as Ruzzle or a word search app  to keep your mind active at any given point in the day. If you’re going to insist on watching television all day, you might as well play a mind game during commercials!

Find a Hobby

Dedicate your summer to learning new things. Cooking, knitting, kickboxing, drawing, working on learning a new language … the possibilities are endless. Make a summer bucket list and include both new activities and new goals for yourself. By doing this, you’ll feel a lot more productive and accomplished by the end of the summer!