Brain Flexibility Exercises

The following exercises are meant to help you learn to shift perspective easily and quickly. Normally, we have a lot of associations and preconceptions attached to just about anything we look at. Try these games and you start to think “out of the box.”

RENAMING GAME

Look around the room and give new names to the things you see. Give each thing a name that normally belongs to something else. For example, rename the window “hamburger” and a pencil “horse.” The only rule is that the never name cannot be associated with the object in any way. In other words, the window should not be named “door” and the pencil should not be named “pen.” For more fun, play this with a friend. Take turns pointing out objects to name, and score a point for each correct (i.e. unrelated) name.

ALTERNATE USES

Take a look at the things in your home. You probably have a lot of tools and objects that perform specific functions—scissors for cutting, mallet for pounding, spoons for stirring, and so on. Now, take a look again and ask yourself what other tasks these objects might perform, aside from their intended use. For example, a compact disc might be used as a bookmark, a pastry cutter, or a Frisbee. A pair of nylon stockings might be used as a garlic holder, a cat toy, or a paint applicator. Play with a friend and see who can come up with the longest list for each object.