Protect yourself from ‘Festive Brain Drain’

It’s that time of year again: snow is falling and here at Healthy we’re dreaming of delicious roast potatoes. But hours spent lounging in front of the telly are not just bad news for your waistline…
Festive Brain Drain (FBD) is the sluggish mental state that comes from boredom and over-indulgence of the Christmas holidays. Watching too much TV, drinking too much or not being intellectually challenged can all make the end of the holidays more painful.
But there are lots of ways to keep your mind active – without going back into work or school early! Crosswords, sudoku, pub quizzes, games like Scrabble, Monopoly, cards and chess all keep your brain agile. You can even use computer games like Nintendo DS Brain Training to stay switched on.
Tim Forrester from brain training website www.cannyminds.com, says: “Everyone deserves a break from work over Christmas but, if we aren’t careful, it could take at least a week for our brains to start firing on all cylinders at the start of the New Year.”
What will you be doing to keep your brain limber?

Words: Ellie Broughton