Last week I posted my review of Lumosity (you know, the set of games that are supposed to train your brain), and not long after that I bumped into 12 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Brain.

One of the suggestions is - you guessed it - mind exercises. However, rather than listing programs like Lumosity, the author suggests games like Scrabble and crossword puzzles, as well as activities like learning new languages and interacting with others.

Free activities, and games you probably have lying around the house. (I know I’m not the only nerd with some random edition of Scrabble in a closet. Hmm…on that note, I wonder if Monopoly counts…no, that probably falls under stress inducing.)

Common sense tells me the more you use your brain, the sharper it becomes.

Also included in the top 12 are foods to improve memory and help control anger, activities to reduce stress, and suggestions for getting better sleep. (Not a mind-blowing source of information - on the other hand, I didn’t know the bit about bleached foods contributing to bad nerves - but definitely a refresher.)

Wow, what a week it has been, my friends. The weather here has been sunny and in the upper 60s/lower 70s (which Chopper loved), I found a ridiculously inexpensive and surprisingly potent scented oil while wandering aimlessly around Wal-Mart (mmm, Christmasy cinnamon), and I finally found the name of the song on one of the new Blackberry commercials (it’s “Live the Proof” by Jim Boggia, if anyone’s interested. It’s great. Seriously.).

And, of course, we Americans elected our leader for the next four years. Something I (but not Chopper) found even more exciting than the rest of it.

So, what else went down this week?

This week at Mental Health Notes, in addition to questions about physician-assisted suicide and a review of Lumosity, quite a few famous names were the topic of discussion, including William Shatner, Brooke Smith, Maurice Benard, and Barack Obama.

Regarding mental health advocacy, educational opportunities abound. It may be too late to attend the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s 3rd Annual Rebecca’s Dream Gala, but the DBSA is currently accepting registrations for both the Peer Specialist Training 5-Day Course and the next Peer Specialist Continuing Education (CE) Webinar, “Trauma-Informed Care: What the Peer Specialist Needs to Know.” Too, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is promoting the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) free teleconference training, “Children’s Mental Health Problems and the Need for Social Inclusion.”

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Over the past couple of days, I’ve been reviewing Lumosity, the “scientifically designed brain training program.” You’re probably somewhat familiar with it, given that it’s been featured in media sources and magazines like The New York Times and Women’s Health, as well as all over the Internet.

There’s been some controversy surrounding programs like Lumosity, and the source of much of the controversy gathers around one question:

Do these brain games really work, or are they just rip offs?

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you whether or not they work. I’m not a scientist, or a doctor, or Derek Shepherd. However, I can tell you that I had fun playing the Lumosity games, and I did feel a bit sharper, mentally, afterward.

Read on for my review.

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