Here are some easy, lockdown-friendly “mental gymnastics” to keep your mind stimulated while alone in your cell.
The following resource was adapted from the Spring 2021 edition of Inside Journal®, a quarterly newspaper printed and distributed by Prison Fellowship® to correctional facilities across the country.
Written specifically for incarcerated men and women, each issue (offered in a men's edition, a women's edition, and a Spanish-language edition) explains the Gospel in a fresh way, offers encouragement and motivation, and shares practical advice for the daily struggles of prison life. Distributed to prisoners via chaplains, program coordinators, and in-prison volunteers, Inside Journal provides a unique way to share the hope of Jesus with those who may never attend a chapel service or Bible study.
Click here to see the original article: Men's Edition | Women's Edition | Spanish Edition
MENTAL GYMNASTICS: 7 ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO IN YOUR CELL TO KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP
Anyone who has spent any amount of time in lockdown or alone in a cell knows how lonely and isolating the separation from other people can feel. A lack of human contact not only can take a toll on your mental health, leading to anxiety and depression, but it can also cause your brain to become slow and sluggish. Studies show that social isolation can lead to mental fatigue (“brain fog”), lack of self-control, impaired memory, and difficulty making simple decisions.
Just like our body’s muscles need exercise to stay in shape, our brains also need exercise—and the following seven stimulating activities are a great place to start!
1) EXERCISE.
It’s simple: To stimulate your brain, you need to stimulate your body.
Physical exercise increases the oxygen and blood flow to the brain and maximizes brain activity.
One university study discovered that three vigorous, 40-minute walks per week over a six-month period improved memory and reasoning.
You may need to settle for jogging in place or walking in circles in your cell, but movement of any kind is better than sitting still.
2) DO MENTAL MULTITASKING.
Grab something you have two or three of (socks, commissary items) and juggle or toss them to yourself while solving math problems (multiplication tables, simple subtraction, etc.).
Recite the lyrics to a song while sorting items in your cell by size or weight.
Speak each letter with an ordered number (A1, B2, C3, D4, etc.), and then recite the alphabet backward with those same ordered numbers (Z1, Y2, X3, W4, etc.).
3) GO OFFHAND.
Write with your non-dominant hand (if you’re right-handed, put the pencil in your left hand).
Or do a “double doodle” with a pencil in each hand, drawing random shapes or specific scenes.
4) PLAY THE CATEGORIES GAME.
Either on paper or in your head, pick a category (brands of jeans, names of TV shows, famous singers, etc.) and see how many you can list.
To challenge yourself even more, see how many you can list that only start with a certain letter.
5) PLAY THE MEMORY GAME.
Closing your eyes, see how many details you can recall of your daily life.
What specific objects are in your cell?
What color is the floor in the cafeteria?
How many tables are outside on the yard?
What color hair do the different corrections officers have?
Do any of them have a beard?
What did you eat for lunch three days ago?
ARE YOU A CHAPLAIN OR MINISTRY VOLUNTEER?
If so, you can place a bulk order (25 or more) of the FREE quarterly Inside Journal newspaper to distribute behind bars.
Email InsideJournal@pfm.org to learn more!
6) PLAY THE MEMORY GAME, THE DRAWING VERSION.
In this spin on No. 5, use pencil and paper to test your memory.
Draw a map of your hometown. See how detailed you can get with the street and business names.
Or draw your home or bedroom from childhood.
7) LEARN A NEW SKILL OR LANGUAGE.
If you have access to the prison library, check out books on hobbies you can learn in your cell, such as origami (which only requires paper) and calligraphy (which only requires a pen and paper). And lockdown might be a good time to pick up a new language.
Try these ideas or create mental gymnastics of your own. It’s important to keep your mind sharp during times of boredom, loneliness, or lockdown.
And don’t forget to eat healthy and get enough sleep. Your mind and body will thank you.
CREATING A HEALTHY CULTURE BEHIND BARS
For more than 40 years, Prison Fellowship has been going into correctional facilities, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those behind bars and offering the hope of true transformation. Through the use of Bible-based programming, and with the help of thousands of committed volunteers, lives are being changed, hope is being restored, and darkness is being replaced with the promise of a future.
Through in-prison programming like the Prison Fellowship Academy®, Prison Fellowship guides incarcerated men and women through a holistic life transformation to lead lives of purpose and productivity inside and outside of prison.
To learn more about Prison Fellowship's in-prison programming, click here.
For more resources and healthy tips, visit Helpful and Encouraging Prisoner Resources.