TRY THESE BRAIN-TRAINING GAMES

1) READ a book chapter or magazine article. When you’ve finished, pick up a notebook and write down as many details as you can remember. In a few sentences, summarise the author’s intention and your own analysis of the chapter or article.

) GO ONLINE and search for a local community for an activity you enjoy. You might be able to join an event and meet new people. You can also correspond with an online group who share your interests.

3) INVESTIGATE the possibility of buying a small electronic keyboard so you can start learning how to play simple songs on the piano. Many keyboards come with pre-programmed songs that you can learn with the help of light-up keys.

4) PULL out your old photo albums and go through them (ideally with a friend or family member to enhance the benefit). Try to remember the context of each picture and discuss it in as much detail as you can — use all your senses (can you remember a smell? The feel of the fabric? any sounds?). Jot down in a notebook a few words about the event or memory. The idea is to make your memories as vivid as possible. These memories are islands from which you can build connections to other important memories.

5) TRY complex knitting. one mistake people make is not realising that an activity requiring problem-solving at the start can swiftly become repetitive and therefore less protective of brain function. Knitting stops being effective for your brain once you’ve decided on the pattern. so if you love to knit, find a complex, ever-changing pattern to keeps you on your toes.