How to Stimulate Brain Health during Lockdown

Ideas from a recent article in Flickstree and entitled “How to Stimulate Brain Health During Lockdown”.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on brain health
The coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, along with the lockdown, have significantly affected many people, making them feel anxious, alone, and lost without a set routine and schedule.
While cleaning, decluttering and other activities at home might have helped keep you physically active, you also need to give your brain a proper workout to keep it healthy and sharp.

• Keep a schedule
  While staying at home can completely ruin your schedule and make you go off track, you can always try to maintain a proper schedule and follow a routine to keep your brain functioning properly. Begin by writing down the tasks and events in a notebook or a planner and set a to-do list daily. Also, limit your distractions and focus on your work so that you can complete it in a set time and keep working according to your set schedule.
• Stay mentally active
  Just as physical activity helps keep your body in the right shape, mentally stimulating activities keep your brain in shape, especially during these trying times. To keep your brain active and boost your brainpower, consider playing games like chess or card games.  You might consider learning to play a musical instrument or learning a foreign language.  Meditating, journaling or engaging in activities such as cooking, gardening or painting, can also prove helpful to your mental health

• Socialize regularly
  Although you cannot go outside to meet your friends every day, that doesn’t mean you can’t  socialize with them. Social interaction helps avoid stress, anxiety and depression and keeps your mental health in good condition. Now is the right time to interact with long lost friends and family through calls, video chats or even online with Zoom meetings, or you can meet them by maintaining a proper social distance.  Quite a few local restaurants have outdoor seating reserved for this purpose, for their socially-responsible patrons.

So, don’t wait any longer and start TODAY doing these activities to boost your brainpower.

    = = > click here to read another article by Hackensack Meridian Health entitled “7 Ways to stimulate brain health during lockdown”

As stated in this article:  “Amidst the coronavirus pandemic and current social distancing orders, some may feel a bit ‘lost’ without a set routine and schedule. This, coupled with feelings of loneliness, can significantly affect one’s ability to properly think.”

“Periods of stress can affect many areas of brain function, including memory, attention, thinking, mood (including anxiety and depression) and sleep,” says Talya Fleming, M.D., Medical Director of the Stroke Recovery and Aftercare Programs at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute. “Stress can also affect levels of inflammation in your body, which can affect your heart, blood vessels and alter hormone levels leading to other disease states.”

Below are 4 additional tips to re-stimulate mental growth and put your brain health at the forefront
(In addition to the above tips from Flickstree:  Keep a Schedule, Stay Mentally Active and Socialize Regularly)

Improve memory and attention. Everyday activities like folding laundry and making dinner can be exercises in attention and memory. For a new recipe, read the 3 or 4 steps and see if you can commit them to memory. Then review before doing to be sure you are correct.

Challenge yourself. Start a new hobby or interest. Experiment with different types of music, art or drama. The more challenging the activity the more likely it is to sharpen underlying cognitive ability.

Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet might be as good for your brain as it is for your heart. Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, lean meat and skinless poultry. Additionally, it is recommended to try to limit alcohol consumption as too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss.

Include physical activity in your daily routine. Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging. If you don’t have time for a full workout, squeeze in a few 10-minute walks throughout the day.

Dr. Fleming shares, “By using the above strategies, you can help maintain and even improve your brain health during these times. Don’t be afraid to ask your brain health physician specialist for more information.”

I hope you have enjoyed reading these tips for keep your brain healthy during lockdown.  Please leave me a comment below.

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