Memory Resolutions…
by Barbara Roberts
LOVE to get together with friend groups, lately only over Zoom, but I’m always wary when one says something like, “Remember when we were in college and…,” because sometimes I totally don’t! Of course, it has happened all along this journey and relates to all phases of life. I’ve read enough about how we form memories to know that there has to be a reason for us to deem something important enough to store it, with connections, so that we CAN pull it up again. Which means that although two or more people experienced something, it might make more of an impression on one than the other. Occasionally, given enough details, the “Aha” moment might occur and save me from having to shake my head and admit that I do not. Whew!
Now, it’s pretty commonplace as we age that little experiences like misplacing your keys, forgetting a person’s name, or completely blanking out on a calendar item, start to crop up. If you are worried, every time you can’t remember a word that was “on the tip of your tongue,” that you’re headed down the mental decline path, worrying doesn’t help. Stop. Breathe. Focus on something else, and then come back to whatever you forgot. I’m sure there is a scientific name for that phenomenon; my interpretation is if we stop stressing, whatever it is will come to us. We have to use our brains – like everything else – or lose capacity. Even searching, trying to remember, is valuable exercise.
Despite the fact that our brains are aging right along with the rest of our bodies, we can keep them healthy by continuing to form new memories, learning new skills – like how to do even more complicated tasks on the computer, and/or finally tackling that foreign language we have always wanted to study. Now, we might need extra time, but that is part of the normal aging process. Scientists encourage us to keep trying to get outside our comfort zones because they have evidence that our brains continue to have the ability to change and adapt so that we CAN handle new tasks and responsibilities as we age. We have all heard that crossword puzzles, Bingo, Scrabble are great for exercising that muscle, but so is sharing your life history. For example, you could write out your life story, or put together a special album of photos and mementos and write the stories about them. Your family would love having slices of history like this, and going down memory lane would provide you the chance to reflect on your life. If these are not your cup of tea, don’t worry; there are so many other ways to train your brain.
Do you like music? Listening is bliss, but the real exercise comes from doing. That means putting in the effort to learn to play an instrument, or utilizing your singing talent, maybe with a group in a choir. You could also join me in learning Latin dance. Besides interacting with all kinds of people, it puts you in the position of having to learn patterns. For me, it’s the best of both worlds: The music is great to listen to and it motivates you to get up and move. You have to work at getting your feet to dance in concert with the music. When you go to a dance studio, you don’t even need a partner when learning the “shines,” and when we do partner work everyone switches around. Less structured dance classes are offered at gyms, and you can even access a wide variety of them on your TV, on YouTube. These sensory activities all promote brain health, but that isn’t what you’re thinking about. You do them because they are fun!
Do you have a pet? Besides the comfort gained from man’s best friend or a cuddly kitty, there is researchout there that having pets is conducive to both mental and physical health. They can help you manage your stress levels and lower your blood pressure. They combat loneliness. Dogs, especially, are great at encouraging you to move, and they help with cognitive function. If this is something you are considering, you will find there are several other benefits to having a pet. You also need to educate yourself on potential downfalls.
Attending lectures, going on nature walks, and dabbling in art classes might be more to your liking. Even having a stimulating conversation, where all parties listen and speak, promotes the building of critical thinking skills. And if you do that over a game of cards, you get double points! Reading an interesting book is a wonderful way to engage the brain, but it should not be the only brain-building activity; combine it with the discussion of what you took from the book, perhaps as a member of a book club, and you again get double points.
This is not a commercial, but if you belong to AARP, there are so many resources at your disposal… Over the last “many” years, I have pretty much made use of my membership in AARP by reading the articles in their publications, and using the card to access discounts. And, when doing research for the book, my co-author and I were drawn to some of the pieces they wrote on the topics we tackled. This not only expanded my use, it helped clarify some thoughts, as we did not want to reinvent the wheel. However, I recently discovered that they provide a plethora of resources that I had never bothered to look into! In addition to guidance on money matters, all aspects of health, different types of insurance, independent living and caregiver services, travel, and retirement, to name a few, they delve into “Staying Sharp.”
I clicked on it and Bonanza – a whole new world! Lots of research articles – easy to understand – on topics such as music and memory, women and sleep, movement to prevent brain aging, socializing for brain health, are just a few that I found on the site. There was a balance exercise in one section that based how long a person could hold the position to determine brain health, and there were several games to test your mental skills.
As you can see, we have SOOO many resources available to us. My advice to you, and which I follow, is to find something that interests you, and make the most of your life by exercising both the body and the brain.
