The brain is made up of a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere, which are connected in the middle by a bundle of nerves called the corpus callosum. Each side of the brain controls the opposite side of your body. When your left hand moves, it's the right side of your brain that is telling it to do so, and vice versa. Each side also processes information in different ways; the left side tends to be the rational side and the right side tends to be more intuitive or artistic. People are often dominant in one side or the other. Since the thinking process is improved when both hemispheres participate, strengthening your less dominant side is a good idea. If you are right-brained, you might try some logic brain teasers and if you are left-brained, you might try some of our Mentalrobics exercises for creativity.

Some additional characteristics of each hemisphere:

Left Hemisphere Handles verbal tasks (reading, writing, talking) Solves problems logically Looks at differences Prefers multiple choice tests Likes to plan and structure information Prefers analytical tasks

Right Hemisphere Looks for patterns or similarities Is fluid and spontaneous Acts upon hunches or guesses Handles visual tasks (like drawing) Prefers open-ended questions Synthesizes ideas Handles aesthetic appreciation