Image CreditThe importance of mental health and the challenges that some people have in this area are being recognized more today than, perhaps, any time in human history. No longer is society viewing mental health conditions as something people should be able to just ‘shake off’ or a condition that afflicts only the weak or vulnerable.
We’re also becoming more aware of brain related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia that tend to have the effect of robbing the person of who they are. With such awareness, and perhaps first hand experience of such conditions we’re all looking for ways to optimise our mental health and brain function.
It’s important to remember that everyone has the occasional moment of forgetfulness, where they might go upstairs but then can’t quite remember why. These memory lapses can occur at any age, yet interestingly, we associate this forgetfulness with aging yet aging alone does not make someone forgetful – it’s usually a slippery slope of cognitive decline due to an organic disorder, brain injury or underlying neurological illness.
According to Harvard University, a number of studies have shown that you can reduce the risk of dementia with some basic habits:
- staying physically active
- getting enough sleep
- not smoking
- having good social connections
- limiting alcohol to one drink a day
- eating a balanced diet low in saturated and trans fats.
In addition to these basic health habits, you might want to consider the following prophylactic suggestions that are all scientifically proven to slow down cognitive decline and/or avoid it all together.
SUPPLEMENT
There are a number of supplements such as Ginkgo Biloba and certain oils (e.g. Omega 3, 6 and 9) that are well known for keeping the brain (and in particular one’s memory) functioning healthily. Equally important is that you keep yourself hydrated, as your brain’s composition is predominantly water – which is why people often feel so hazy in their head after too many drinks the night before.
MANAGE STRESS
This might seem like a no brainer, but managing stress, is absolutely essential to your mental health. Indeed, many people end up having to visit a cardiologist due to the damaging psychological effects of stress.
Think of it this way, each time you have a particularly stressful incident that puts your psyche through emotional stress – this creates physiological stress in your body that can take its toll over time. Indeed, you can see the effects of long term stress on people’s faces and bodies. If you want to have optimal mental health you need to find a way to manage your stress.
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
There are a lot of ways you can keep your brain active, and the saying “use it or lose it” couldn’t be more true. There are app based games such as Peak that are developed to stimulate a variety of brain performance attributes such as mental agility and memory. That said, doing a simple crossword can be just as effective in terms of keeping the mind active.
The other consideration is that anytime you learn something new and expand your mind, the brain is like a muscle in that it gets stronger the more you use it. Learning a language, for instance, is a great way to holistically train your brain.
