I think there is far too little discussion of how to retain our mind’s youthfulness and flexibility. Surely, the brain’s muscle needs to be exercised in the same way that we (hopefully) engage in regular physical exercise. Minds, like bodies, face the danger of degeneration in the form of stiffening. They can age quickly when a person becomes anchored in unquestionable convictions and perspectives, automatic replies, and resistance to being reshaped or challenged.
Keeping your mind fresh is a process far subtler than just making sure that you don’t forget where you left your keys or the name of that movie star. It is more like mental yoga—performing internal stretching that enables your mind to remain superbly elastic and agile.
Here are five simple but powerful techniques to rejuvenate and exercise your mind. They derive from my rigorous academic research on the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.
1. Hold Onto Questions While Delaying Your Answers. A mind that is busy formulating answers instead of asking questions gets old fast. Ask yourself more open-ended questions. They may be big (‘What is true love?’) or personal (‘Should I stay in my relationship?’). Notice that your mind rushes to seek an answer. That delays its reactive mechanism. Listen meditatively to the question, as if your mind were a quiet pond. Move into the heart of the question, letting it open your mind to what you don’t already know. Trust that the answer lies in true listening to the question. Generally, strive to live with open questions. Try this: at the beginning of every week, formulate a question that enkindles your mind. Listen gently for the answers to come toward you. Living with questions keeps your mind awake and dynamic.
2. Use ‘Negation’ to Cleanse Your Overloaded Mind. Pose a question to yourself, then use it to mirror all the automatic responses stored inside you. Questions trigger our ‘I-already-know’ mental response, with its ready-made quotes, past experiences, and knowledge. Write down these ‘answers’ so that you can empty your mind of its contents. When your mind is empty, it is lighter, available, and present – and open to fresh ideas.
3. Listen Without Reaction. When you receive information—reading the news or listening to people—without immediate reactions, you enable your mind to remain spacious and accommodating. Take a deep breath and focus on the listening, not the judging of what you’re hearing.
4. Open to New and Challenging Ways of Thinking. A surprised mind is a young mind. Readily experiment with perspectives that take you out of your comfort zone. Seek out books, articles, and films that make you rethink things from another point of view.
5. Practice meditation. Meditation helps you temporarily abandon your familiar identities and fixed positions, revealing the mind’s nature of fluidity and elasticity.
These five tips will ensure your mental agility remains vibrant throughout your life.
