Every adult sometimes experiences the senior moment in which they go somewhere and cannot remember why they came or cannot recall the name of a close relative or a familiar person in a conversation. This is normal and can happen to anyone at any age. But what is concerning is memory lapses and a decline in cognitive function happening regularly. Aging is a major factor that contributes to memory lapses and loss of cognitive & mental functions but it can also be due to various brain ailments, brain injuries, and neurological defects.
You can prevent a decline in the cognitive function of your brain and decrease the risk of dementia by changing your lifestyle and following good lifestyle habits including staying physically active, getting enough sleep, avoiding alcohol & tobacco use, socializing with those around you, and eating a healthy diet.
A decline in memory or cognitive function can be highly frustrating but along with following the aforementioned changes in your lifestyle, you can follow some of the tips and strategies that we have mentioned below. These tips will help to keep your mind sharp and active which will reduce the risk of developing dementia and also prevent a decline in cognitive function:
Keep Learning
Learning at any age is one of the most effective, yet simple ways to keep your mental functioning from declining. According to experts, learning at any age keeps your memory and mental functions strong because while learning, you are actually challenging your brain with a mental exercise that stimulates neurons inside your brain and facilitates communication among those neurons.
Some people have jobs that keep their minds active and even after they retire, they work somewhere because it is a way to keep their minds active and sharp. Those people that don’t have any job, can start learning something new, read books daily, learn a new skill, or mentor someone with the skills that they already have. These are some very simple but effective ways to keep your mind sharp.
Solve Puzzles And Play Board Games
Keeping your mind busy and giving mental exercises can also help to keep your mind sharp and active. You can do this by solving puzzles, solving different anagrams with the help of Anagram Solver, play puzzle games like Sudoku, Crosswords, etc. Just like learning, these activities keep your mind active as these keep your mind stimulated and prevent your mental function from declining. Board games, especially those that involve the use of your mind like Scrabble, Chess, etc are very helpful to prevent a decline in mental function.
Whenever you get the chance, you should try to play these challenging and puzzle games alone or with someone else because they will keep your mind active, healthy, & sharp. If you are having difficulties, you can take help from tools like Scrabble Word Finder that are meant to help people with board games. Apart from these benefits, these games also improve your mood. Solving puzzles or winning at board games causes the release of dopamine which is the happy neurotransmitter that boosts your mood.
Believe In Yourself
Your willpower matters more than anything and you should always believe in yourself that you have a strong, healthy, and sharp mind. When you hear myths about failing memories, how aging can contribute to failing memory, or negative stereotypes, you can struggle with memory tasks because it puts a negative impact on your mind, whereas, when you are motivated and are positive about your mental status, you can do well.
People who think that they are not in control of their memory function or their mental functions are most likely to experience a decline in cognitive function because they don’t believe they have a strong mind or memory. If you believe that you have a strong mind and you can improve your mental functions, you have a better chance of keeping your mind sharp, even in old age.
Prioritize Using Your Brain
Prioritizing the use of your brain instead of relying on others can keep your mind sharp. If you don’t use your mind to remember small things or ponder over how a particular event happened, you won’t be able to keep your mind sharp. Remember that if you don’t use your brain, it is likely going to stop functioning as it should because the more you stimulate your mind, the more active and healthy it becomes. Whether it is a small task or a big one, prioritize using your brain and stop relying on others.
Repeat Things
Repeating the things that you have heard, read, thought about, or seen can help you a lot. When you remember something that you just came to know about, it will reinforce your memory and soon it will be engraved in your memory. Human memory works in a way that when you repeat something over and over again, it is stored in your long-term memory. So, simply by repeating something, you can reinforce it in your memory.
Aging is an inevitable fact of life. How we treat ourselves today can greatly affect our quality of life when we become elderly. As you age, make sure you continue to exercise, eat a well-balanced diet and keep your brain stimulated. The results can be a long and happy life full of memories.
