Loneliness is a health risk. It is an emotional equivalent of physical pain, and even triggers the same responses in the brain. Healthy older adults who experience prolonged feelings of isolation and loneliness can suffer related health consequences, such as premature death, heart disease, and stroke.
“Couch potato” is a kind term for a lazy person who just sits on the couch watching TV instead of being active. We know that physical exercise is vital for body health, but did you know that mental exercise is beneficial for mental health and can help stave off dementia?
While many things have been put on hold in 2020, there are some things that have not—like the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and the caregiving responsibilities that accompany it. Despite these limitations, the compassionate professionals who serve the Alzheimer’s community have not lost their zeal for helping families. There is still a multitude of ways to get assistance.
Despite the prevalence of brain-health risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, dementia rates have been decreasing over the past decade or so. It seems that an increase in education is a contributing factor to the decline.
Do you remember the days when you played board games with your friends and family? Those neighborhood bridge tournaments were honing your thinking and memory skills, according to a recent study by the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
We may try to avoid it, shut it out, ignore it, and minimize it, but we can’t escape this COVID-19 pandemic. Thinking “happy thoughts” about it won’t make it go away, but our thoughts (and attitudes) have a lot to do with how we cope with this new, unexpected life.