Page 84 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

68 • Chapter 3

2. _____ I start to get going about 10 A.M.
3. _____ If I’m up in the morning, not much gets done.
But at lunchtime, I come alive.
4. _____ I get a surge of energy in the afternoons.

5. _____ I tend to make appointments for evenings, be-
cause I have the most energy then.

6. _____ I would really like to work at night and be home
during the day.

You may have noticed a pattern to the answer options. All
responses to number 1 indicate that you function best in the
early morning, 2 in the late morning, 3 midday, 4 midafter-
noon, 5 early evening, and 6 late at night.
In learning situations, many people want silence in order
to concentrate, while others prefer background noise such
as music. With the passing of years, a natural preference for
background noise may interfere with our ability to learn as
our hearing becomes less acute. If you are trying to concen-
trate and someone is making too much noise, ask that per-
son to be a little quieter. Try earplugs if you need quiet.

Other Environmental Effects
Other environmental factors that affect our ability to
process and retain information are temperature and light. If
the surrounding temperature is too high or too low, we are
uncomfortable, irritable, easily distracted, and our ability to
concentrate lessens. As we age, we require better lighting in
order to see more clearly. Proper illumination allows us to
see a speaker’s lips to assist our hearing, to read more easily
and more quickly, and to perform tasks more accurately.
When you are experiencing difficulty concentrating,
whether to memorize something or to recall something,
check out your environment. Is the temperature comfortable
or the light bright enough? Are there too many distractions?
Are you struggling to hear or read? Do you need to move
around or find a pencil and paper to doodle? You need to ac-
commodate your natural preferences and requirements in