Healthy Life

     It should come as no surprise – but research shows that people who exercise their minds by maintaining an active social life, engaging in intellectual pursuits and mentally challenging activities (such as crossword puzzles or games), when combined with healthy lifestyle choices, are more likely to be able to prevent cognitive decline as they age and even reduce the risk of dementia.

     Healthy lifestyle choices include staying physically active, getting enough sleep, not smoking, having good social connections, limiting alcohol to one drink a day, and eating a balanced diet.

     I have summarized six strategies found in Harvard Medical School's publication HEALTHbeat that can help keep your mind sharp at any age.

     Keep learning. Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication among them. Pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, or volunteering for a project that involves a skill you don't usually use can function the same way.

     Use all your senses. The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory. So challenge all your senses as you venture into the unfamiliar.

     Prioritize. If you don't need to use mental energy remembering where you laid your keys or the time of your granddaughter's birthday party, you'll be better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important things. Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, purse, keys, and other items you use often.

     Repeat what you want to know. When you want to remember something you've just heard, read, or thought about, repeat it out loud or write it down. That way, you reinforce the memory or connection. And try to,

     Space it out. Repetition is most potent as a learning tool when it's properly timed. It's best not to repeat something many times in a short period, as if you were cramming for an exam. Instead, re-study the essentials after increasingly longer periods of time — once an hour, then every few hours, then every day.

     Last but certainly not least, research suggests that you need to believe in yourself. Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. People who believe that they are not in control of their memory function — joking about "senior moments" too often, perhaps — are less likely to work at maintaining or improving their memory skills and therefore are more likely to experience cognitive decline. If you believe you can improve and you translate that belief into practice, you have a better chance of keeping your mind sharp.