HOW TO KEEP OUR BRAINS SHARP

Q. I’m in my seventies and I’m healthy and active but sometimes forgetful.  Many of my friends say they are also unable to remember things as well as they could in the past.  What can we do to exercise our brains so we can remain mentally sharp as we grow older? 

A. There are many things we can do to exercise our brains and keep them sharp. It will help to understand a little about how the brain works. The left side of the brain controls logical thinking and the right side involves creative and intuitive thinking. The two sides of the brain think in totally different ways. The left brain thinks in words. The right brain thinks in pictures.

We develop the various functions of our brains when we use them. Thus, we develop our right brain when we paint a picture, listen to music, play a musical instrument or sing. We develop our left brain when we read, write, study or discuss something. 

To keep our brains sharp we need to use our brains in new and creative ways. We need to stretch our brains just as we need to stretch our bodies.  People who are artistic or musical will have well developed right brains.  However, most of us have focused our education on the left brain activities of reading, writing and arithmetic.

We can develop the more neglected side of our brains by being aware of the images in our minds. We have visual images in our minds more often then most of us realize. We can use this imaging ability consciously to help us in many ways. For example, to remember Angela Green’s name you might picture a green angel when you first hear her name. This will help you recall it later.

       

Athletes visualize perfect athletic performances.  These images enable them to improve their own performance. Even our bodily functions are affected by visual images. It’s possible for some people to raise the temperature of their hands just by visualizing touching a hot stove.  Similarly, an image of running to catch a train can produce an increased pulse rate.

       

The images in the right brain affect how we function in life. Often negative emotions result from negative images in our minds. We can use mental images to overcome negative emotions. Begin to notice the images that accompany your thoughts. This will take practice and awareness.  Replace each negative thought with a positive image of a peaceful scene or a positive picture of yourself and your situation. 

       

To keep your brain sharp and make it sharper do some of the following:  

1. Take a class that requires some study on your part and some opportunity to express and discuss ideas. Learning a foreign language increases the capacity of the language centers of the brain. The more we use our brains, the more we stretch them. 

2. Picture in your mind doing a task before you do it. This will exercise your right brain’s visualizing ability.

3. Change your routines. For example, take a different route to the shopping center or to church. Our brains get lazy unless we challenge them to work.

4. Work crossword puzzles or other games that make your brain work.  Many people enjoy these puzzles without realizing they are beneficial.

5. Listen to music, take up a musical instrument, join a choir, or take a painting class. It’s never too late to learn. 

6. Meditate and pray. This calms our bodies and our brains, reducing stress.  It also exercises and develops a serene center of the mind and connects us with God. 

“Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, MIND, and strength." Mark 12:30

Blessings, Dottie