The two most important things for brain health
It was only a few decade ago the prevailing belief was that brain degeneration was part and parcel with ageing. It’s a depressing thought, but luckily the belief was wrong with scientific breakthroughs in the last fifty years showing that the brain is not a static organ, but has an amazing potential to keep growing and learning new things. Brain atrophy was not a side effect of ageing but from a lack of use.Just like exercising keeps your body strong and healthy, there are ways to keep your mind strong and healthy. Here are two of the most important things we can all do to protect brain health well into old age.
1. Keep learning new skills
If you don’t use it, you lose it. A key way to keep the brain in tip-top shape is to keep learning new things. Every time we learn something new, recall a memory or recognise something, we’re keeping the neural pathways in our brain flowing and helping to create new ones. If we don’t exercise the brain, it will atrophy in areas that are not used. So don’t be afraid to stimulate your brain whether it’s keeping up with your daily crosswords, learning a new instrument, cooking new recipes or studying a new skill.
2. Manage stress properly
It’s no secret that stress is bad for the mind and body, but did you know chronic stress can be destructive to your cognitive function and increase your risk of dementia? Stress, anxiety and depression can all decrease neurogenesis (the ability of the brain to make new neurons), especially in the hippocampus, the memory area of the brain. Be mindful of the stress, anxiety and negativity that comes in your life and how it affects you. Find relaxation techniques that work for you to combat the stress in your life. Many people find practising mindfulness beneficial in helping control thoughts so they don’t trigger a stress response.
Related links:
8 ways to age-proof your brain
Clever ways to remember almost anything
7 mental shifts to get yourself out of a rut