Aging - Keeping Our Brains Healthy

Studies have shown that those who age successfully and who remain mentally alert well into their elder years share certain characteristics. It is a chosen lifestyle that will pay off by extending their enjoyment of life as they age.

One of the most important of these characteristics is being positive and feeling good about ourselves. Part of being positive is looking at our glass as being half full instead of half empty. And for this reason, it is important to think about how we view ourselves and how we perceive the world around us. It is also necessary to learn to adapt to life’s many challenges and by doing so, we will feel we have control over our lives. By being in control of life, it will be easier to continue, as we age, to sustain a social network with supportive relationships.

Those who are able to maintain this type of a lifestyle throughout their lives, studies show, seem to live longer, more actively and with less mental decline. Also because they have remained more active during their lives, they are often more pain-free and without the physical limitations that their counterparts who have become sedentary may experience. By remaining active, they will also likely continue to maintain friends and family relationships, travel, enjoy social activities in their communities, join clubs, and take courses thus keeping themselves more mentally alert. Some studies indicate that it is important to continue to learn new things and to pursue activities that are intellectually stimulating in order to challenge our brains, particularly as we age.

Memory difficulties are most often associated with aging. It is important to remember that tension and stress are associated with memory problems and so it is necessary to attempt to avoid stress as much as possible in our lives. Memory issues can be lessened also if we pay attention to new things, listen when we are spoken to, focus on what is important, and to verbalize and visualize.

By continuing to be active and involved with life most elders, with good health, perseverance, and admittedly some good luck should be able to remain mentally alert their whole lives.