How To Keep Your Mind Healthy And Active

While we cannot control the fact that we age, decades of research show that there are many ways that we can reduce memory loss and cognitive decline. Researchers at Stanford University (USA) found that memory loss can be improved by 30 to 50 per cent simply by doing mental exercises. The brain is like a muscle - if you don't give it regular workouts, its functions will decline. Here are some scientifically proven suggestions to protect and sharpen your mind:

• Keep learning – a higher level of education is associated with better mental functioning in old age. Challenge your mind to learn new skills to keep your mind active. Take up a new hobby or learn a language.

• Use all your senses - The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory. 

• Believe in yourself - Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when they’re exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better when the messages are positive about memory preservation into old age.

• Get plenty of sleep – Your brain needs plenty of time to recover, and it can only do that through sleep.

• Relaxation/Meditation - Excessive thinking and continuous mental activity may induce overwhelming stress. Find an exercise through which you can relax your brain. People often find yoga, prayer, massages, hiking, or similar activities to be helpful in this regard.

• Engage in regular physical activity - Regular exercise plays a role in regulating blood circulation through your brain and also reduces the risk of many diseases. Further, the secretion of endorphins after physical activity can positively alter your mood, which also reflects on your cognitive ability.

• Stay socially active – socialising can reduce stress and promote emotional health. Engaging in stimulating conversations keeps your brain active.

• Continually stimulate your mind – just as your body can get ‘out of shape’ from not exercising, your brain can experience the same when not stimulated. Keep your brain active by reading books, newspapers and magazines, solve puzzles or do challenging games such as scrabble, chess and trivial pursuit.

• Feed your brain - Nutrition plays a huge role in our mental and cognitive abilities. Include in your diet omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods such as fish, nuts, seeds and legumes, and antioxidants, found in most fruits and vegetables.

http://www.health.harvard.edu, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

By Sister Karen Smibert