Sure, taking time out of your busy schedule to meditate may seem like a waste of time, but growing evidence proves that meditation has more benefits on the brain than just inducing a feeling of inner peace. According to a study conducted at UCLA, life-long meditators had more grey matter volume (this contains most of the brain's neuronal cells, meaning it conducts most of our memory, speech and decision-making abilities) within their brain. Consequently, the brains of meditators are significantly more well-preserved than those who don't take a moment to tap into their inner zen.

Set your alarm clock a few minutes earlier than usual if you plan on trying this brain-boosting hack in the morning. By eliminating your sense of sight (which you would normally use to get dressed), you force yourself to rely on the other senses to complete such an ordinary task. One small adjustment to how you complete this chore can engage, challenge and frustrate your brain in a way that's able to strengthen its overall performance.

"The analytical, 'verbal' part of your brain (sometimes called the "left brain"), tries to label an object after just a brief glance," Dr. Katz explains in his book. "When you look at a familiar picture right side up, your left brain quickly labels it and diverts your attention to other things." However, if you view something upside down, your brain's ability to quickly label something is inhibited, and it has to work harder to read the time since it's not easily recognizable in it's upside down state.

Similar to closing your eyes while getting dressed, wearing gloves while driving blunts your sense of touch, forcing your to rely on other senses and cues to steer the wheel. The difference in touch will influence your brain to handle the act of driving differently than it normally would, hence giving it more of an "exercise" than usual.

While it's true that crossword puzzles or Sudokus don't exactly have well-established data to prove they can help keep your mind sharp, it is known that an inactive mind is more likely to decline. "Memory games aren't a treatment for cognitive decline and sadly, won't make a major difference over time," says Dr. Preter. "However, keeping your brain interested and engaged can delay symptoms of forgetfulness and memory loss, making these kind of games a good way to keep your brain active and engaged," says, Dr. Preter.