It is natural for older individuals to feel as if they are a burden to their loved ones, as they need more help with daily activities of living. One secret to ‘staying young’ if you will is to continue to learn. Keeping ones mind sharp also alleviates the feelings of being a burden. There has always been a huge emphasis on learning but the cycle must not stop due to age. Learning is a continuing process that should occur throughout every stage of life.
Many studies have been done to confirm that learning a new trade whether it is quilting, photography or even playing bridge aids in memory loss and cognitive improvement exponentially. Strengthening the connections between parts of your brain helps alleviate the effects of dementia and challenging activities strengthen entire networks in the brain.
Next time you are wondering what you can do for the day, don’t shy away from the challenge of doing something that is fun and will help you in the long run. Look around to see who is offering a quilting class or bird watching – Bird watching isn’t just about looking at different birds but learning about them, their origins and patterns. Join a book club and discuss how your perceptions have changed over time or from listening to one another in the group. Don’t be afraid to turn on a computer. The Internet has so much to offer in the learning arena.
Don’t settle for a TV show on the couch, get up and keep moving and keep learning!
