Helping the Mind

After a minor mishap recently I was left with a sore right shoulder for a while. Nothing too serious, however I was advised to stop using my right hand as much as possible. It is my dominant side so be able to continue to function in day-to-day activities like eating, brushing my teeth, etc. I began using my left hand. While awkward at first, my ability slowly improved.      

As I was beginning to feel sorry for myself I came across an article on how to stretch brainpower in order to avoid cognitive impairment. And lo and behold one of the suggestions was that everyone should shake up their daily routine by using their non-dominant hand to perform some tasks from time to time. So what I was forced to do proved to be useful for my brain after all. Other suggestions to shake up our routines from the experts include taking different routes from time to time when driving to work or visiting family and friends.

            Of course, other things we can do to improve our brains as we age. According to experts, exercise appears to protect both the structure and the function of the brain so that there is a reduced decline in brain tissues in older adults. Regular exercise is associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

            Cortisol, the stress hormone, has been associated with memory impairments. One way to reduce cortisol is with meditation which anyone can practice. Also research shows that participating in brain-stimulating activities encourages the development of synapses. Activities like learning a new musical instrument, learning a new language or playing video games are all brain protective.

            I don’t think that mental lapses like forgetting where we left our car keys are all serious. Many times they occur because we don’t pay attention to what we are doing. The trick is to become more mindful in the present moment.

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