Ashlea M. Nicholson LMAC, LMFT

10/13/2025

As we wrap up today’s National Train Your Brain Day, I want to leave you with some helpful tips in improving your brain’s health and overall functioning.

1. Memory Boost: work on activities that can help develop memory such as memory games, recall, and other activities focused on memory.

2. Mix Up Your Routine: We tend to be creatures of habit. So try mixing things up by brushing your teeth before or after you get dressed, put your shirt on first before you put on your pants or vice versa, or even take a different route to work or the grocery store!

3. Expand Your Interests: Try to cook something new, learn how to sing or play an instrument, learn a new language, etc. Challenge yourself!

4. Take Time to Rest: Just as it is important to rest after physical exercise, your brain needs it too! Stress and overwhelming distractions cause us to overload. Taking time to unplug and unwind helps your brain to feel rested and relaxed.

5. Self-Care, Self-Care, Self-Care: I personally will preach this constantly with my clients! Self-Care consists of 4 basic parts: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual (soul feeding). Practicing a minimum of 20 minutes daily (that’s 5 minutes in each category) of self-care helps your overall mental health and improves brain health! Learning to care for YOUR needs can be tough at first. Give yourself some grace and patience.

Have a WONDERFUL rest of your National Train Your Brain Day!

10/13/2025

During National Brain Day I am going to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your brain function.
It is important to identify ways to improve each area of our brain and enhancing the overall wellbeing of our brains.
Let’s talk about the TEMPORAL LOBE!

TEMPORAL LOBE:
Listening to music, vocalization activités like singing or reciting poetry, learning a new language, memory games, or daily alphabetizing activities improve the Temporal Lobe activity! Also, physical exercise such as aerobics and strength training benefits both the Temporal Lobe and the Hippocampus which converts your short-term memory into long-term memory!

DID YOU KNOW:
-The temporal lobe is shaped like a thumb.
-It is the second largest lobe of the brain, after the frontal lobe.
-Scientists believe that Schizophrenic episodes of auditory hallucinations might be due to problems in the left temporal lobe, especially in the area that processes sounds.

10/13/2025

During National Brain Day I am going to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your brain function.
It is important to identify ways to improve each area of our brain and enhancing the overall wellbeing of our brains.
Let’s talk about the BRAIN STEM!

BRAIN STEM:
Simple tasks such as deep breathing exercises, tapping, or singing can help boost your Brain Stem functioning. Also, a combination of rhythmic physical activity and mental focus such as, dancing while solving a puzzle, walking and reciting a poem, and doing rhythmic movements like drumming or marching can help improve Brain Stem functioning!

DID YOU KNOW:
-The brainstem is also known as the "lower brain" or the "reptilian brain.”
-The brainstem is the oldest, innermost region of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions.
-The human brainstem is a roughly 3-inch (5-7 cm) long
-10 of the 12 cranial nerves originate in the brainstem, controlling functions like vision, hearing, taste, and facial movements.

10/13/2025

During National Brain Day I am going to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your brain function.
It is important to identify ways to improve each area of our brain and enhancing the overall wellbeing of our brains.
Let’s talk about the CEREBELLUM!

CEREBELLUM:
Making figure 8’s with your hands, finger to nose drills, and complex balancing exercises help improve coordination and enhance fine motor skills.

DID YOU KNOW:
-The word "cerebellum" comes from Latin and means "little brain.”
-Although it is called the "little brain," the cerebellum contains more than half of the brain's neurons.
-The cerebellum is sometimes called the "little brain of love" because it plays a role in coordinating movements that are associated with affection, such as kissing and hugging.
-The cerebellum makes up only about 10 percent of the mass of the human brain but contains more than half of its neurons. Stretched out, its surface area would be nearly 80% that of the cerebral cortex.

10/13/2025

During National Brain Day I am going to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your brain function.
It is important to identify ways to improve each area of our brain and enhancing the overall wellbeing of our brains.
Let’s talk about the OCCIPITAL LOBE!

OCCIPITAL LOBE:
Eye tracking exercises, dance, sports, martial arts, drawing, and crafting can all help improve your spatial awareness and visual perception!

DID YOU KNOW:
-The occipital lobe is also involved in dreaming, as it processes visual imagery during sleep.
-The occipital lobe is part of the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain responsible for higher-order cognitive functions.
-The lobe is interesting because it connects with many other parts of your brain, linking vision to many other abilities.
-It sends information about your experience to different parts of your brain to form memories

10/13/2025

During National Brain Day I am going to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your brain function.
It is important to identify ways to improve each area of our brain and enhancing the overall wellbeing of our brains.
Let’s talk about the PARIETAL LOBE!

PARIETAL LOBE:
Playing an instrument, learning a new language, juggling, and solving puzzles can help improve your fine motor skills! Exercises such as yoga and aerobics help improve the blood flow to your Parietal Lobe!

DID YOU KNOW:
-Helps you with your sense of direction relative to the world around you
-Helps you identify your left from your right
-Takes up to about 20% of the brain’s mass
- The name comes from the Latin word “paries” meaning “wall” or “wall cavity”

10/13/2025

Our Frontal Lobe is VITAL and is responsible for a lot of daily activities and tasks. It is the part of your brain that controls our judgement, impulse control, and helps to regulate our thoughts and emotions.

DID YOU KNOW:
-The frontal lobe is the largest of our brain’s lobes. Taking up to 40% of the brain’s mass!!!
-It is sometimes referred to as the “Seat of Reason”
-The frontal lobe is not fully developed until you are in your early to mid 30’s!!!

10/13/2025

During National Brain Day I am going to give you some tips and tricks to help boost your brain function.
It is important to identify ways to improve each area of our brain and enhancing the overall wellbeing of our brains.
Let’s talk about the FRONTAL LOBE!

FRONTAL LOBE:
Playing games such as Sudoku, Chess, Crossword Puzzles help to improve the functioning of your frontal lobe. These games help to challenge your cognitive thinking and problem-solving skills.

10/13/2025

Today is National Train Your Brain Day!
Did you know that your brain is roughly the size of your two fists put together? How amazing is that!!!
Today we want to recognize ways you can help improve your brain function. Just like physical exercise, brain exercises are vital to your body’s overall health and wellbeing.

Discover the cognitive benefits of flute music on National Train Your Brain Day. Boost memory, reduce stress, stimulate creativity, and enhance focus with the enchanting sounds of the flute!

02/14/2025

In a landmark moment for representation in Hollywood, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American performer to win an Academy Award in 1940, honored for her compelling performance as a loyal enslaved governess in Gone With the Wind.