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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Sleeping Good Tonight


There is no doubt we are living longer than ever before, and because of this more and more people are making an effort to take better care of themselves so that they can be healthier and sharper and thus maintain a better quality of life. Naturally, with an extended life span, we all want to maintain our cognitive abilities as long as we can. Brain games are undoubtedly popular tools for staying sharp, but they are only one of many in the arsenal of cognitive maintenance.

Mental stimulation is an absolute necessary for keeping the brain sharp because it helps to generate new brain cells as well as create new connections between existing nerve cells. Cognitive activities like math games, word puzzles and reading, and physical activities that require manual dexterity for motor coordination, can help keep your brain functioning well for many years to come.

As we're talking about quality of life, we also need to broach the topic of emotional health. Depression, anxiety and insomnia all take their toll on our ability to function and can easily lead to cognitive decline as we age. Getting help with these issues can make all the difference between enjoying old age and being oblivious of it. Helpful strategies such as meditation, breathing and relaxation techniques can help you find peace and comfort, for which your brain will thank you with improved cognition and focus. Of course, building healthy social networks with friends and family that you maintain even as you get older is yet another way to stay sharp and connected.
    
In the entire gamut of remaining healthy – we rarely discuss sleep, more so, even if we happen to chance upon it, conversations usually revolve around lack of good sleep. I feel it is necessary we start acknowledging the efforts of our physical self for providing us with a night of good sleep. This will help motivate our emotional self to channelize efforts to make that happen again. Let’s appreciate it and have a good sleep tonight!


-Abhijith