Most lists will tell you the typical things like workout, go to the beach, start a Summer fling…. and we agree! You definitely should do all of those things during the Summer. But Summer is also a great time to explore your mind because you don’t have to worry about school work so you can really relax and learn something new.
5 Mind Expanding Activities
1 – Learn Programming
Now I’m not saying you will become a genius programmer but learning how to program will definitely change the way you think. For one you become a lot more logical. The best way to learn is to think of something you want to make. Don’t worry about the way it looks or is designed because that’s all aesthetics. Think about what you want to accomplish and just search it in plain ol’ simple English… the internet will guide the way, I promise!
Here’s the great Steve Jobs on coding:
Now there’ s many options online, and they probably are all good but here’s one that we think you should start with which will help get your mind geared towards thinking like a computer. http://www.programmingbasics.org/en/ Give it a try, its truly mind expanding.
2 – Long Distance Running
Anyone that does long distance running knows this. I’m not here to lecture on the health benefits (which by the way are awesome, been running for 17 years now) but the truly mind expanding moment in long distance running occurs after you get over the first 20-30 minutes or so. But when you cross an hour is when the craziness happens. See you’re actually forcing yourself to feel the effects of meditation. The running causes a rhythmic deep breathing pattern which forces your body to react in a way as if you’ve been meditating like you’re a Dali lama! You will also boost your runner’s high, which is better than any other high.. trust me.. It also boosts your mental focus and stamina. You will also improve your mental toughness and make you more mindful. Do this one summer and you will be a long distance runner for life.
3 – Fail
They say You will learn more about yourself from failing than winning. You have to fail, you would have never learned to walk if you didn’t fall on your face. So why is it by the time we are in college, most of us fear failing. I say go do something you know you will suck at, take on a task which you have no idea how to do. I don’t mean quit or give up, but fail. Failing means you have to do your best and put 100% into it. Fail hard. And then savor it. The synapses will fire that day my friend.
4- Listen to Monaural Beats
Monaural beats are music which use frequencies which communicate with brain to achieve a higher state of consciousness. It is hypothesized that listening to these beats of certain frequencies one can induce a desired state of consciousness that corresponds with specific neural activity. It is widely accepted that patterns of neural firing, measured in Hz, correspond with states of alertness such as focused attention, deep sleep, etc.
Listen to this one and go long distance running, you’re mind will be changed forever!
5 – Teach
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for life. You were the student all semester long and now this summer it’s your chance to become the teacher. You know you know a lot about something which many people have no clue about. That’s your passion. Why don’t you teach someone something about it. I bet they will have a lot of questions which will have you asking questions then. Two things happen when you teach. 1: You actually learn more about the subject. 2: If your subject learns, then you have successful engaged in passing knowledge from your BRAIN to another BRAIN, Talk about Mind Expansion! And I can also tell you from personal experience that its very rewarding knowing you taught someone something they will use for the rest of their life.
Conclusion:
In the end, it doesn’t matter what activity you do, as long as you do something new you will expand your mind, but we highly take these into account and make them part of your daily routines.
