Let’s Juggle!

Juggling isn’t just a cool party trick or something to awe your friends with. (Even though I get paid to do that quite a bit.) It’s actually a fantastic way to give your mental health a big, bouncy boost. Yep, you heard that right! Learning to keep those balls in the air can do wonders for your brain. Practicing and messing up is just as important as being able to keep the balls flying.

First off, juggling is like a workout for your brain. It improves your concentration because, honestly, if you don’t focus, those balls are hitting the floor. It forces you to live in the moment – a form of mindfulness, if you will. You’re not stressing about tomorrow’s meeting or yesterday’s awkward conversation, or the test you have to take; it’s just you and those balls staying airborne.

Then, there’s the coordination and motor skills bit. Juggling makes the connections between your brain’s hemispheres stronger, enhancing your reaction times and giving you those ninja-like reflexes. Okay, maybe not ninja level, but you get the idea.

But here’s the real kicker: the sense of achievement you get from finally keeping those balls in the air? Gold.

For the best mental health benefits, practice juggling a little every day. Need help? Check out my learn to juggle videos on YouTube @dankirkjuggler.

Don’t be afraid to mess up. And don’t start with three balls. If you can’t do one in the proper pattern, you certainly won’t be able to do three. Get comfortable tossing one back and forth. Then move on to two in the proper pattern before going for the Gold.

Enjoy the failures. Laugh at yourself. Have a good time with it. And soon you’ll be juggling.