A quick exercise about seeing through someone else's eyes. About 5 minutes. Share your insights in the forum when you're done.
You'll read a brief scenario, then work through it from two completely different viewpoints. The goal isn't to find the "right" perspective — it's to notice how your brain changes when you deliberately shift your point of view. This connects to Month 3's theme of teaching and social cognition.
A 16-year-old arrives home 90 minutes past curfew. No text, no call. Their phone was on silent. When asked where they were, they say: "I was at Emma's house. We lost track of time studying for the chemistry test. I didn't think it was that late."
You are the parent. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What assumptions are you making? Write 2-3 sentences from the parent's point of view.
Now you are the 16-year-old. Same situation, but through their eyes. What are YOU thinking? How does the situation feel to you? Again, 2-3 sentences.
Did your emotional response change between perspectives? What details became important in one view but not the other? What surprised you about this exercise?
Your brain literally changes when you shift perspective. Different neural networks activate, different memories become accessible, and different details seem important. This isn't just "empathy" — it's cognitive flexibility, one of the core executive functions that protects against cognitive decline.
The discomfort you might have felt switching back and forth? That's your prefrontal cortex working hard to suppress one viewpoint while activating another. That effort is what builds cognitive reserve.
Perspective-taking activates the temporoparietal junction, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex — brain regions central to social cognition and executive control. These are also among the first areas affected by cognitive ageing.
Teaching others (Month 3's theme) requires constant perspective-shifting: What does the learner already know? What will confuse them? How can I explain this differently? This is why the "protégé effect" is so powerful — it's a workout for the brain networks most vulnerable to decline.
Head to the forum and share what you noticed. Reading other people's perspective shifts is itself a perspective-shifting exercise.
This month you're adding a social element to your cognitive practice — teaching someone what you've learned. Use this perspective-shifting skill: think like your learner. What do they already know? What will be hard for them? How can you explain it in their language, not yours?
reMYnd is a prevention program, not a clinical treatment. For concerns about your cognitive health, please speak with your GP. © reMYnd by Naomi Ferstera — remynd.com.au