Use It Or Lose It!
Brain development and cognitive longevity are fresh on my mind currently. It’s very interesting to me that when we look at the minds and abilities of older generations there appears to be such a wide spectrum. Some people are sharp as a tack at 100 years old while others fade away into their 70’s or 80’s. Some absolutely blow us away with their physical capabilities and seem to never slow down while others require walkers or wheelchairs. I realize there are a number of factors that come into play with regards to both physical and mental longevity but are we able to have, at least some, control over how our minds and bodies age?
The more research I do the more it becomes clear that if you don’t use it, you WILL lose it! This might sounds like common sense but in this day and age common sense doesn’t appear to be that common. If you train for a marathon then stop training, 1 year later you won’t be a good runner. If you study a subject for 1 term in school, you won’t remember it in 10 years time. The mind and body have the ability to operate at a high level but we need to constantly be pushing both in order for them to last! For the sake if this post, let’s focus on the brain. After all, studies show that your mind has the ability to maintain peak form for much longer than the body does. After all, what would we be without the captain steering the ship?
There are many ways to keep your mind sharp and help to ensure you don’t become the crazy grandparent that keeps asking how those little people got inside the TV. Below are my top 3 things you can do (easily) to stoke the fire in your mind and keep it burning bright for the rest of your life!
Number 1 – READ
Again, this seems like common sense right? Unfortunately the digital age has replaced a good book with a good movie, or a good Youtube video, or 20 good Youtube videos. We are resorting to our phones and computers to help cure our boredom and that in turn is slowly melting our brains (In my opinion). Studies have shown that since the introduction of smartphones, 25% more North American people suffer from nearsightedness. These amazing pieces of technology are unfortunately changing our bodies for the worse. That being said, do I think you should get rid of your phone or computer, definitely not. What I do think is that you should be reading every single day. This will help keep your mind sharp. The brain is constantly at work while reading, whether it be your imagination, the physical act of reading line after line or maybe you are learning something new. Reading is like taking your brain to the gym, do it everyday and your brain will be jacked! (figuratively).
Number 2 – Brain Games
Your brain sees the world the way you have trained it to see the world. The more you know, the more your perception of things change. For example, some people see a card trick and think “Holy Sh#t! Magic!!” others look at it and know exactly how it was done, therefore, less impressed. Playing brain games, putting puzzles together or solving riddles are all great ways to test your brain and expand your mind. They will help you in everyday problem solving and without a doubt will help you keep that brain of yours sharp as a tack!
Number 3 – ABL (Always Be Learning)
Always Be Learning is one that people think might take up too much time but I can assure you it wont. You don’t need to be like those people on Jeopardy who somehow know everything about everything. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your life for the pursuit of knowledge, I’m just asking you to learn something new at least every week. For example, take 30 minutes out of your day and learn the alphabet in sign language. 30 minutes is all it will take. Not only will you have learned something but you will be proud of your accomplishment and undoubtedly show it off to friends or family. Learning is great for our brain because it keeps it working. As long as we are pushing ourselves we will make progress.
Don’t allow laziness now impact your life later. It’s hard to imagine now because you are of able mind and body but one day that will start to fade away. If you don’t do everything in your power to maintain your mental health, it will drastically decline. Just like they said in 40 year old virgin….”Is it true that if you do not use it, you will lose it?” In this case, the answer is YES!
