How to Keep Your Mind Young

People are living much longer lives than ever before but not all enjoy their golden years. Forgetfulness or dementia, long accepted as a part of growing older, is actually not a natural consequence of old age. Some people actually stay as sharp mentally as they ever were but it doesn’t come by accident. Mental acuity can be safeguarded throughout our lives in many ways.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Keep engaging even after you retire. Depression stemming from feelings of uselessness and lack of purpose are common among the elderly. This causes a general feeling of malaise which leads to disengagement from others, increased illness and a lack of stimulation. Interaction with others is essential to excellent performance.
2. Get physical. Maintaining a reasonable level of physical activity does more than keep our bodies in shape. Activity helps us to release endorphins (the feel good hormones) which make people of all ages function more efficiently. Recent studies have found that exercise also keeps our mental functioning in shape. Tests given before and after exercise show enhanced test—and even IQ scores.
3. Make the most of your walk. Walk outside to engage your senses and keep them fine tuned. Paying attention to the diversity of sights, sounds and smells around you. Feeling grateful is an added perk. Try climbing on top of things instead of going around. Things like fallen logs, rocky ground and curbstones at the local park helps to maintain balance and guard our bodies against by falls by teaching us the fancy footwork necessary for catching ourselves before we fall.
4. Relax. Stress is a major culprit in aging people beyond their years. It reduces the brain’s ability to think, remember and work out solutions. Stress is debilitating to the hippocampus, a locus of memory formation in the brain. It knots our muscles, ruins digestion, taxes our relationships and has a negative effect on everything in life. To relax, learn deep breathing, knitting, meditation, yoga or Tai Chi. Try to find something that is rewarding and enjoyable to you. Laughter is a great stress buster. Rent the movies that made you laugh till you cried. Spend time with the people you can laugh with. Enjoy what is good in your life.
5. Be Thankful. Studies show that those who have grateful hearts maintain better health throughout their lives. If you don’t feel grateful, begin a journal of thanksgiving. Write down the kindest acts people did for you, the most loving words, the most meaningful compliments you’re received. Write about the beautiful things you’ve seen, wonderful places you’ve been, amazing people you’ve met. The good things you’ve done, accomplishments, acts of kindness and the times you made a difference should go in there, too. Every day commit to writing down five things and in no time you will have a book of all the things that have made your life worthwhile.
6. Volunteer and commit to something bigger than yourself. Find a cause that touches your heart and roll up your sleeves and use the lifetime of skills you’ve acquired to make a difference. Increase the benefits by enjoying the company of young people or children in Sunday school, Cub Scouts or at the YMCA. Be a Big Brother or Sister. With moms and dads working, children are often hungry for adult attention. They understand limitations as they deal with many due to their age and size. When paired together, children and seniors make for wonderful companions who have a great deal to offer one another.
7. Work at a hobby. There must be something you always wanted to learn but never had the time for. Now’s the time. Take up oil painting, learn a language, host a weekly card game, or design and build birdhouses. Opt for something that requires focus and uses your mind and your hands. There are endless possibilities, many of which require little money.
8. Read. People who enjoy reading are using their minds and their imaginations. They are learning with each page they turn. Talking books are available if you can’t see as well as you used to. The benefits will be the same. Watch TV to stay sharp rather than zone out. Playing along with trivia game shows is fun and it helps you to keep thinking. Watch educational programming like shows on home decorating, or programs about history or cooking which require thinking. Do jigsaw puzzles, anagrams and crossword puzzles. These keep your vision, and hands and minds busy at the same time.
9. Stay married, get married or find a roommate. Studies show that people who have live-in companionship are generally healthier and happier which are two keys to functioning at your best mentally. If this isn’t a possibility for you, then join a senior center or a community center and spend lots of time with others, making friends and growing closer to others.
10. Get a pet. Animals are a great source of comfort, love and companionship. Call up a local vet or pet shelter to talk about what kind of breeds would fit in with your lifestyle. People with pets generally also live longer and are healthier and happier. If you decide on pet ownership, it is a great feeling to know that you have rescued an animal and found wonderful company at the same time.
11. Eat the right brain fuel. Cancer fighting antioxidants are found in deeply colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, many beans and certain spices. Make sure that your diet is balanced overall which is important to all areas of your body. Drink lots of water, six to eight glasses each day is recommended. Maintaining a normal weight reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, and stroke and it also helps you to remain fit.
12. Don’t overindulge when you drink. Drinking too much robs our level of functioning at every age. Habitual drinking over time actually robs brain cells along with destroying the liver and creating health problems virtually everywhere. One to two drinks for a man per day and one drink for a woman will save your head the next day and your body and brain for the rest of your days.
13. Our brains are the headquarters of our lives. They direct our thought, movement, intention, emotion and senses. Every area of the brain require use to maintain high functionality. Learn to multitask by engaging your senses and your body and your thoughts at the same time-—as with a walk along the beach where you see, feel, smell, move and think at once. We are what we eat and our brains run on stimulation. Just keeping life and the daily business of living a grand adventure will keep you young in heart, mind and body.