When I was a young boy, my mother and I had a daily ritual. We would open the Des Moines Register and work together on the Jumble word puzzle. It was a simple exercise, rearranging letters into words, but I remember how much fun we had challenging ourselves and each other.

We also played Mastermind, a board game where one player created a secret code using four colored pegs, and the other had ten opportunities to crack it. Each guess provided clues about which colors were correct and whether they were in the right positions. It required logic, patience, memory, and an ability to learn from mistakes.

Today, decades later, I begin my mornings with Wordle, competing with my brother to see who can solve the puzzle in fewer guesses.

I used to think these were simply enjoyable games. Now I appreciate that they may also represent something more important: exercise for the brain.  More than ever, our minds need exercise, just like our bodies.

Scientists call one of the brain's remarkable capabilities neuroplasticity, the ability to adapt and reorganize neural connections through learning and experience. Contrary to what many once believed, this capacity doesn't disappear when we become adults. Research suggests that what we do each day matters enormously.

A 2023 study followed more than 10,000 older adults and found that people regularly participating in mentally stimulating activities, including puzzles, games, and writing, experienced lower rates of dementia.

More recently, a major 2025 clinical trial involving over 2,100 older adults found that a structured combination of physical exercise, cognitive challenges, healthy eating, and social engagement improved cognitive performance over two years. 

The message is clear that our brains respond to how we live.  Let that sink in for a moment.

Reading books challenges our imagination and comprehension. Learning a language or musical instrument demands new connections. Meaningful conversations require us to listen, interpret, empathize, and respond. Physical exercise improves circulation, supercharges our brain to be adaptive, and improve our mood.

Even ordinary experiences, such as learning any new skill, visiting an unfamiliar place, or considering an opposing viewpoint, can engage deeper levels of thinking.

Alternatively, research suggests that prolonged passive television viewing is associated with poorer brain performance. Nothing wrong with entertainment or watching the world series, but doing so for hours on end will train your brain to become lazy.

I like to think of our minds as a garden. A healthy garden doesn't happen by accident. It requires nourishment, attention, variety, and occasional weeding. Neglect it long enough, and those weeds begin occupying the space where something beautiful might have grown.

Our minds are no different.

We nourish them through reading, learning, movement, and relationships. We strengthen them by embracing challenges, exploring unfamiliar ideas, and occasionally doing something we're not very good at.

And perhaps we prune them by reducing the endless scrolling, passive entertainment, and repetitive routines that demand little of us. (Hint – audit your daily routines for poor habits!)

Here's a simple challenge for the coming week: Spend twenty minutes every day deliberately exercising your mind. Read something challenging. Solve a puzzle. Learn something unfamiliar. Have a thoughtful conversation. Better yet, do something different each day.

My mother probably never considered our Jumble ritual an exercise in neuroplasticity. She was simply spending time with her son, having fun, solving problems together.  I did something similar with my daughters, and today I do a version of it with my brother. What a gift she gave us!

So…what are you planting in the garden of your mind?

Tony Thelen is the founder of The River Coaching & Consulting, LLC, an executive coaching and advisory firm serving leaders around the world. He is the author of "Am I Doing This Right?" and "Things We Desire – The Desiderata Turns 100." He writes The River, a weekly column focused on personal growth, leadership, and living a fulfilling life. Learn more at The River Coaching & Consulting.