The good news, according to statistics, is that we’re living longer. The bad news is that our bodies frequently outlive our brains. Dementia is on the increase. To gain time by living longer and healthier, we must look after our brain as well as our body.
How to have a healthier brain
Physical exercise keeps the blood circulating throughout the brain where we need it most. It also helps to build new brain cells and improves learning and memory. John Ratey and Richard Manning in their 2014 book, Go wild: Free yourself from the afflictions of civilization, concluded “Sedentary behavior causes brain impairment.” An active lifestyle, both physically and mentally, is good for your overall health, including the health of your brain. So keep up a physically active lifestyle.
Lifelong learning, and the constant mental stimulation that it provides, will offset some of the cognitive decline we experience with aging. Avoiding stress where possible, and being able to cope effectively with it when it does occur, will prevent brain cells from being killed. Minimize the hassles in your life.
Social activities of any kind, where you are interacting with others, force you to practice cognitive activities as you carry on conversations.
Diet can help. For example, older people, who get omega-3 fatty acids by eating fish such as salmon and sardines, or take DHA and EPA supplements, are able to slow cognitive decline as well.
The most effective time management strategy I know is to live longer and healthier.
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