Time to clean out your closets...and your mind?

Have you ever heard a frustrated—and forgetful—adult say, "Sure, little kids can remember a lot. They're so young they don't have many memories to begin with!"

That may be true. A new Concordia University study suggests that it is mental clutter accumulated over many years, that makes it difficult for older adults to process new information and to remember the old.



Compared to their twenty-something counterparts in the study, older adults—whose average age was 67—had trouble keeping irrelevant information out of their heads long enough to focus on the tasks they were asked to perform.

So how do you de-clutter your mind?

According to Mervin Blair, one of the study's authors, relaxation exercises can help. Finding that little moment of Zen in your busy day is key. It is also important to challenge your brain regularly by learning new things and of course, to stay physically active and maintain a healthy social life.

So this spring, take those old clothes to the second-hand store and then go chill on the porch. Your mind will thank you!