Page 161 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

Support the Aging Brain • 145

where a common belief seems to be that the younger you are,
the better. This is a notion obviously promoted by the young!
At any rate, this tends to wear on us, and some older people ac-
tually believe that they would rather be young again.

“Age doesn’t matter unless you are a cheese.” — Billie
Burke

Worrying about getting older actually hastens mental
decline. We don’t want you to worry about getting older. We
want you to begin preparations for a superb aging process.
An old theory referred to disengagement of the senior
adult as a necessary stage of life as you approached your last
years. Removal from strenuous activity and interactions pre-
pared the older adult to “pass on” and leave family members
and friends behind. This theory was popular until the
mid–1960s. Research has since demonstrated that the dis-
tancing of elders from others leads to physical and mental de-
cline. Elders should not remove themselves from activities.
They should recenter on what is important, stay engaged in
interpersonal relationships, remain or become physically ac-
tive, and maintain a stimulating mental environment.

Those who are happy and content with their lives show
less cognitive decline than those suffering from stress or
discontent.

Negative emotions, such as depression, anxiety, bitter-
ness, and anger, cause mental abilities to decrease. Depres-
sion affects your motivation to remember, ability to
concentrate, and perception of circumstances; it also causes
overreactions to slight lapses in memory. Moving can cause
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feelings of loneliness, grief, and an inability to concentrate.
The reduction in responsibility and social contact after re-
tirement may initially create feelings of a lack of purpose,
sadness, and a sense of loss.
Staying active and engaged in life gives us reasons and
opportunities to look forward to each day and to exercise