Did you exercise your brain today? 🧠
Most of us don't even know what that means...
We often overlook the importance of our brain and focus mostly on our bodies when we think about being healthy. We try to eat well, get good sleep, and squeeze in some physical exercise. But what about exercising our brain?
Your Brain Needs a Workout Too
The brain is no longer a mystery. Like any muscle, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
That might be an exaggeration — but it holds some truth. If you haven’t played tennis in eons, are you in good enough shape to have a match? And if you haven’t climbed stairs in months, are you ready for a three-storey house?
Same with the brain: it needs stimulation.
Research tells us that we need to exercise our brains to stay mentally healthy. But for many of us, it doesn’t even cross our minds. So what does brain exercise look like?
It doesn’t require a gym membership or athletic shoes.
Instead, brain fitness is about stretching your mind — improving its flexibility, strength, and ability to form new connections. It’s easy, accessible, and actually a lot of fun.
Shake Up Your Routine
Many of us think being “busy” keeps our brain fit — but the truth is, routine can make our brain sluggish. Like muscle memory, our brains adapt and then go on autopilot.
To wake it up, you need to challenge it with new input.
Try taking a different route to the market. Fold the laundry in a new spot. Use your left hand instead of your right. Little things like this keep your brain alert and growing.
My Go-To: Sudoku
I love Sudoku. It’s a great way to stretch your brain every day.
Did you know the game likely originated in Switzerland before gaining fame in Japan? It’s a 9x9 grid puzzle made of 3x3 sub-grids. Your goal is to fill in each square so that no number repeats in any row, column, or box.
It sounds tricky, but it’s not. Your brain will catch on fast, and once it does, you can ramp up the difficulty.
There are loads of Sudoku games online, in books, and in apps. I keep a few puzzle books from the dollar store all over Happy Cat Villa — including the bathroom.
Here is a link to Sudoku.com a terrific site for all levels of Sudoku. It also has tons of tips and tricks for learning and improving your Sudoku skills.
I Love to Make Stuff
If you’ve read my other newsletters, you know I love to create — from giant garbage art sculptures to crochet, macrame, and cases/purses made from used pet food bags. And I’m always eager to improve and learn new skills.
YouTube is amazing for this. It’s packed with free DIY videos. I search for patterns and stitches I’ve never tried, and dive right in. I always have a crochet hook and yarn nearby.
The goal? Build new brain patterns so it never gets lazy.
5 Easy Ways to Exercise Your Brain
1. Solve problems daily
Try Sudoku, Crosswords, or even Solitaire. Start with easy ones and build your confidence. Many free apps make this super convenient.
2. Break brain patterns
Use your non-dominant hand, take new routes, change the order of simple tasks. Your brain will thank you.
3. Memorize something short
A sentence from a book, a grocery list, or song lyrics. Say it out loud, then recall it later. Repeat throughout the day.
4. Do something creative
Draw, garden, knit, crochet — anything that makes your brain work in a new way. No need to be good at it.
5. Try something new
New food, a different shop, a hobby, a class. It’s about novelty, not mastery. Just stretch your thinking.
🧩 Happy Cat Sudoku Puzzle #1
Over the past few weeks, I decided to take my own brain challenge seriously and stretch it in a whole new way. I’ve been designing and collaborating with a developer to create my very own Sudoku puzzle from scratch.
Every aspect of the puzzle — layout, styling, interactivity — was analyzed, tested, and refined. Let’s just say there were a lot of versions working through the kinks!
I’m incredibly proud of all the hard work from my little “mini-team,” and even prouder to finally present my Happy Cat Sudoku Puzzle #1!
Ready to give your brain a workout? Try the first Happy Cat Sudoku puzzle!
Click the link below to open it in a new tab:
👉 Play Happy Cat Sudoku Puzzle #1
I made sure the puzzle was interactive. You can click the button at the bottom to check your answers. The cells turn green for correct answers, and a message appears for any wrong answers and for blank cells.
If you’d prefer to do the puzzle on paper, here is a photo of the puzzle you can print. I can also provide the puzzle solution upon request.
Happy Sudoku-ing!
A Question for You
What’s your favourite way to challenge your brain?
Reply in the comments below or send me a message. I’d love to include a few reader tips in an upcoming issue!
What’s Next?
I love cats. For me, a house becomes a home when a cat lives there. Notice I didn’t say when I have a cat. This is because I truly believe the cat agrees to share the space. 😺
In my next newsletter (June 28), I’ll explore why having a pet, especially in retirement, is so important to our well-being.
Stay tuned…
It’s all good!
I meant 'It was fun!'
I did it! My first Sudoku Cat Puzzle. It's was fun! My concentration is not very good these days due to health issues but I I had my first taste of Sudoku puzzle today and I will like to do more. Thank you! Your energy level is amazing. You must be pain-free and sleep well.