Growing old is one of those aspects of life that a lot of people like to rebel against. And it is understandable why they would. Humans are uniquely gifted in the fact that we are aware of our own mortality. We can perceive the changes happening to our body and contextualize it against what it means in the long run. And that is a scary prospect for some.

But growing old is also a privilege. One that many people aren’t lucky enough to have. The average life expectancy used to be a lot younger. It was only a century ago that the average life expectancy sat around age 40-50. Whereas it now sits nearer 70-80. Thanks to the advancements made in the world of medicine and the higher living standards we now enjoy.

Even though growing old is a privilege we can’t ignore the fact that it comes with a wealth of new challenges. Both physical and mental. Our bodies start to deteriorate slowly but surely. But these changes don’t need to be as pronounced as you might fear they will be. The first thing to go is usually our minds. We become more forgetful. Unable to process information at the same speed we used to. Which is why it is important to try to keep your mind sharp as you enter into your golden years. And this guide will show you how.

Journaling

Human memory is a fickle thing. Even in our prime years our memory isn’t as reliable as we might think. Something that happened to you yesterday will already have become slightly twisted in your mind. It is why court cases can’t always rely on witness testimony alone. As we grow older our memory gets far worse.

Long-term and short-term memories are stored and processed in different sections of the brain. We don’t fully understand the processes involved. But what we do know is that one type of memory can become more affected by the ravages of age than the other. It is why a lot of seniors have amazing long-term recollection but often fail to recall events from a few hours before.

Journaling is a great way to combat this on two fronts. Writing down your daily activities will help strengthen your memory recollection skills. Because the brain is a muscle. And doing this is a form of working out that muscle. Studies have shown that after a month of consistent journaling people have better memory recollection.

This will also help you consolidate your short-term memories into long-term ones. Rereading your journal entries regularly will bolster the memories. And then the brain will be able to migrate them to long-term storage. We believe that this process occurs while we sleep. Which is why it is also important to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Ensuring you are getting consistent quality sleep every night.

Playing Puzzle Games

We briefly touched on the importance of working out your brain. But how do you go about this in a more rigorous manner? If you wanted your arms to get stronger you would lift weights. Want healthier lungs? Take up running. So what strengthens your brain?

One answer is puzzles. Our brains are a miracle of evolution. More complex than even the most advanced computers. So it stands to reason that, if you want your mind to stay sharp, you need to push it to its limits.

It doesn’t matter what types of puzzle games you play.. Anything that makes you think is going to be helpful. A wordsearch will help your pattern recognition and information recall skills. A game like solitaire will sharpen your logical thinking and problem solving skills. A jigsaw puzzle will improve your spatial reasoning and image processing skills. Logical puzzles will engage your creativity while also testing your cognitive reasoning.

Spending even as little as ten minutes a day doing a puzzle is enough to help keep your brain sharp. Puzzles are also a great way to help elevate your mood and help deal with stress and anxiety. The dopamine release we experience when solving a puzzle is a great way to start or end your day.

Change Your Diet

This is perhaps the most important part of keeping your mind healthy. Different parts of our body need different things to help sustain them. And the brain is no exception. The most obvious thing you need to be eating more of is leafy greens. But you also need to ensure you are getting a good balance of nuts, berries, and fish. The main thing you will be getting from these is Omega-3. While also being great for your body overall, Omega-3 has been shown to help prevent cognitive decline and can stem off symptoms of Alzheimer’s.