Giving to your community is good for your brain
Is this all too familiar? You wake up to find the milk container’s been left in the freezer and the car keys are in the soap bowl in the washroom again. As we age it’s important not only to keep our bodies active, but our minds as well. In his book, The Brain that Changes Itself, Dr. Norman Doige explains that learning a new language or musical instrument later in life, will not only improve our memories, but help us live longer.(Watch Mamie in this 1:46 video from Comfort Life TV.)
Mamie Ablamowicz (centre top) has found another way to keep active. By running a crafts group, not only does she get the enjoyment that comes from creating, she also gets to meet new friends as well. Remaining social is important. Building new communities and friendships will actually develop new pathways in your brain according to Barbara Strauch in her book The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain.
There are many things you can do to help maintain a vital and healthy mind. You can join clubs or find new hobbies, maybe even consider working longer as this 89 year old yoga instructor does. Regardless of your interests, setting goals is a helpful way to maintain an active life. And if nothing else, it gives you something to look forward to.
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Related articles:
Exercise your brain to keep young
Volunteering lets you give back
Jay Newman: Seven-year-old volunteer-in-training
What are some of the ways you keep your mind active? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
