Editorial: How Is Your Brain Doing?
We have certainly seen enough news lately about cognitive decline, which has prompted me to look inward and also ask around to friends to see what is going on with my age group (60-80). Since I am in the upper range of this group, I was interested to hear what other people are experiencing and compare it to what I see in myself.
Many of us do not want to believe we are starting to have cognitive issues. We deny it until it becomes obvious to everyone around us. It would seem that the ego has something to do with this denial. We all want to look in the mirror and see that nice young version of ourselves from 40 years ago. I am almost shocked sometimes how much I look like my mother. But I am certainly aware of the reality of what I see. It happened gradually and like most, I did nothing, somehow thinking that it might be temporary. I did not want to believe what I was seeing or even avoided it all together by not looking in the mirror. That only works for so long.
But we know when things are starting to happen to us. I knew. I could see that there were a lot of times I could not remember names of people that I have known for decades. It mostly happened when I was watching TV and had to look up who that celebrity was. I see it now sometimes when I pull out of the driveway the wrong way because there was a break in traffic with an opening allowing me to quickly jump out, and then remember that was not the direction I wanted to go. I got too focused on the traffic flow and totally forgot about where I was going. I suspect if you know my driveway that you know how easily this distraction could happen…lol. But a major part of the confusion is the lack of focus.
We set the keys down in a place we do not usually put them when we are thinking about something, and then we cannot find them. We go into another room and cannot remember why we went there because our thoughts got distracted along the way. We are all experiencing this and need to acknowledge it. We need to compare notes, so we do not think we are in this alone. It is becoming more problematic and more obvious to many. What can we do about it?
We first need to admit it and maybe seek help. We are the only ones who can do that. I have stopped letting my ego cover it up. I know what is happening. I was in a car accident 15 years ago when a 78-year-old woman ran a double stop sign and red blinking lights. Talk about a lack of focus. I hit my head which prompted my doctor to request an MRI. They found an abnormal number of plaques. It was my first wake up call. The second one was 5 years later when we did a follow up MRI and found there were more. I was starting to see that I was not physically able to do some of the same things as before. Was that tied to the increased growth of plaques or the fact that I had gained weight over the years? Covid hit and the fear of dying was in front of everyone. I decided to get on the stick and do something about my health. No one could do it for me.
I started walking, I gave up alcohol and started eating better with some supplements added into the mix. Many reports point to alcohol as a catalyst to the development of dementia. I decided to take more control of my life and the beautiful time I have left. I stopped drinking alcohol cold turkey. It has definitely had a positive result, no more acid reflux. As we age not only does our skin break down on the outside, but things like the stomach lining break down on the inside. I had acid reflex for decades. I ate Tums like they were the fifth food group. I no longer automatically reach for an alcoholic beverage. I found a substitute drink that was better for me. I found healthier food to eat and controlled the quantity and timing with intermittent fasting to drop twenty-five pounds. Walking as many days of the week as I can has lightened my mood and made my legs stronger.
The idea is that we are each in control of a lot more things than we want to acknowledge. I have gotten many of those things within my grasp. I have decided to do some more things now that these are under control. You know how you have been hearing your doctor tell you about diet and exercise your whole life? I have finally decided to do something about it. They were right. Who knew? Lol…
One of the other things that I discovered over time as I watched my height numbers decline, is that my spine is deteriorating with my discs becoming compressed. I am now about three inches shorter than I was when I was forty. Those discs from time to time press on nerves. About everyone I know has back pain. No sense waiting any longer. This is not going to go away. I started Physical Therapy, which is forcing me to exercise 2-3 times a week along with disc decompression to keep my lower back in decent shape. Building my core muscles, strengthening my legs, and working on balance is really helping. Falling is something we want to avoid at all costs. For me, it has become getting trainers to help me get in better shape with the right exercises and working hard at that. They are teaching me key exercises that I can do at home. I am crafting behaviors in the right direction.
We have all heard the phrase: Junk in junk out. It is time to take that to heart. A chiropractor friend of mine many years ago used to say: eat like a caveman. He was right. The food in our country is killing us. I am the only one who controls what food comes into this house. The quality and simple nature of it has totally changed my diet for the better. When I go to the store now and pick something up, I think, is this something a caveman would eat? It sure cuts things back to the basics.
We each need to take charge of our story. Bottom line, I feel better. My quest is to keep that for as long as I can. I am the only one that can do it. Not acknowledging an aging body can only end in a bad result. The disc center in Berkeley Heights is doing me good. I am about two-thirds into their program. It costs money, but like building onto my house to install an elevator, that money is for me to be able to remain in my house for as long as is possible. Continuing with PT is now a major part of my retirement, so I have made a dollar commitment to it.
We are all thankfully on this same trajectory of aging and it is up to us to get our bodies stronger, but what about the lack of focus? The question is, how do we become more aware? How do we try and stay where we are with focus and memory issues, and not get worse. It has to involve some of the same types of discoveries I have made in the last couple of years. If I can improve my physical state, why can’t I improve my mental state, or at least hold it where it is? I want to read more about this for sure, but I believe that getting a grip on the physical has definitely helped me also with mental decline. I feel better and stronger. Being creative and writing for me are great mental exercises. Running the NJ Photography Forum requires a lot of brainstorming and social interaction. Being active is important.
I am going to work on the following strategies. First, focusing my attention on the present moments. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to help rewire the brain so that keeping attention becomes stronger with everyday things. Neuropsychologists recommend sitting still for a few minutes every day with your eyes closed. Then focus on your breathing along with the sounds around you to help train the brain to be more aware. Then move on to the day focusing on one thing at a time. Create to-do lists so you can prioritize the things that need to be done. They remind us of loose ends that tend to eat away at concentration. We remember in a negative way those things we did not complete vs feeling good about the ones we did.
It is always good to blame social media for things, but once again, this is something within our control. We get engrossed with it and are bombarded with so many images, ads, articles, and distractions. Along the same lines of having too many things in front of us, I need to stop trying to multi-task. This is huge. I need to turn off all of the distractions and focus on one thing at a time.
As for cognitive training, they recommend computer games to improve response times and attention. I like game shows on TV that challenge me to think and answer questions. Reading and evaluating your retention is another good idea. Set a timer and read for 30 minutes. Stop and review in your mind what you have read.
And of course, they always point to controlling stress, getting 7-8 hours of sleep and 150 minutes of walking or exercise. I am happy to hear this connection since I am already making this effort. When we exercise, we increase the availability of brain chemicals to promote new brain connections. And when we sleep, we reduce the stress hormones that can be harmful to the brain, and also clear out some of those proteins that injure it. I am taking note of foods that have been shown to support brain health and finding simple recipes to incorporate them. I am not on any medications that might affect my ability to focus but this might be something for others to look at.
Getting older is out of our control, but I would like to view it as a privilege and not taken for granted. Healthier living is something I can take charge of. The goal is to find that balance between accepting that we are getting older without succumbing to the belief that we can do nothing about it.
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