Staying mentally sharp as we age

Believe in your ability to remain mentally alert, and exercise your mental talents to stay in peak condition.

By

Lifestyle

July 21, 2020 - 9:24 AM

Courtesy photo

Most older people can remain intellectually sharp late into their lives, but doing so requires two things.  First, believe in your ability to maintain mental alertness and remain optimistic and confident that you can.  Next, regularly exercise your mental talents just as you need to exercise your body to stay in peak physical condition. 

One of the greatest fears of many older people is the loss of mental competence.  

Although obviously a possibility for some, both middle-agers and elders often worry excessively about this occurring.

Besides being nerve-racking, the worrying can encourage the very behavior we fear:  We believe we are becoming forgetful and then point to perfectly natural lapses in memory as proof that senility is setting in. Thus, too often, our fear of mental decline becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, sometimes at a surprisingly early age. Guard against this tendency both in yourself and among your friends and family.

Related
August 11, 2021
October 29, 2019
October 15, 2019
June 19, 2019