Creatures of Habit - Easier is not always better

Human beings are creatures of habit. We find an easier way to drive to work, so we always drive that way, even to the point where we wind up at work without realizing how we got there! We eat the same food, talk to the same people, watch the same TV shows - over and over again.

In the long run, there are high costs to being in a rut, both psychological and physiological, experts say. As people age, the number of branch-like connections that link nerve cells in the brain together (dendrites) which convey information tend to thin out. The dendrites, which are chemical links, allow us to process information, memorize it and do critical thinking. It's part of why people who don't have any disease have "senior moments" where we forget why we just went into the kitchen.

Active brain cells produce more brain chemicals which help keep brain cells alive. By providing a new pattern of activity, brain cells that wouldn't normally get activated will be stimulated. That in turn causes them to produce larger quantities of brain-enhancing chemicals.

Some specific activities include learning a new language, writing a short story or learning a new musical instrument, especially if none of those activities is something you do all the time.

You can also simply change your daily activity and routine and gain the same benefits.

Try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand. Drive a new route to work. Move your waste paper basket to the other side of your office. Sit in a different area in your church or synagoge. Meet new people. Try a new card game. The idea is to weave a more dense network of connections so if a few fray as you get older, you'll have others to fall back on.

One of the worst things you can do for brain health is to watch a lot of television. It isn't that TV by itself is so bad, because brain wave tests have basically shown you go into a neutral, almost sleeping state. But other sutdies have shown that TV watchers are sitting down, eating high-fat, high salt junk food and not exercising their mind or body.

Some practical advice from experts on mind games that you can play to help build dendrites:

Learn how to pay attention. Too often we drift into our mind or a mindless activity and avoid observing or participating in something interesting around us.

Play intellegent games. Bridge, chess and Scrabble are examples of good brain games. Crossword puzzles are also good mental stimulation that will improve attention acuity and jog your memory skills.

Be social. Being with friends and using your emotional, intellectual and social skills is essential for good mental health.

Keep a diary or journal. Writing down what you did or thought or felt during a day makes each day different and helps in memory retention.

Please contact Elderwood Senior Care for more information regarding our programs and services. (716) 633-3900

For more information about "Powering your Memory" - contact the Alzheimer's Association at (716)626-0600.