Leadership Tips & Training Is Your Brain Fried or Fit?

I have a really bad habit of fixing my oatmeal and walking around the house eating it.  Last week, I sat it down somewhere and couldn’t remember where I left it.  Occasionally, I misplace my car keys or lose my phone, but when I lose my food, something is seriously wrong!  My brain has been on information overload this past month and is feeling totally worn out. No wonder I am losing it!  I have come to realize that we have to be as intentional with our brain health as we do with the rest of us.   Brain fitness is really not that hard; you will barely work up a sweat!  Here are some proven suggestions: 

Maintain a connection with others.  Studies show that people who have an active social life can actually reduce the risk of dementia.  I need a lot of people in my life!  I have friends whom I pray with, another group that I exercise with, and another group that I connect with on a daily basis.  We were not designed to do life by ourselves and sometimes as leaders, we get so busy and become so self-sufficient that we can wake up one morning and find that we suddenly have no one in our life that stimulates our thinking!  I have friends who help me see things in a different light and from a different perspective. 

Keep learning.  I love my in-laws.  My mother and father in law are 80+ and they are amazing learners.   I am delighted when my husband Rob will be talking to his Dad and telling him about a new book he has just read and Papa will say “Oh yes, I finished that one myself last month”.  I want to be like that!  This spring, consider signing up for a course or lessons in something that piques your interest.  Many community colleges offer free courses to residents over 60.

Seek peace.  My mother-in-law says “why pray when you can worry”.  We all live stress-filled lives.  Jesus said it would be this way.  The problem comes when I get into stress overload and I become “distressed”.  Distressed thinking can manifest itself into worry. Too much stress may lead to excess cortisol in the brain which can affect our memory.   Seeking time with God, listening for his voice, letting him lead us beside still waters, rejuvenates my mind and my spirit and reminds me of his sure and precious promises. 

Turn off the TV.  Since we moved to Edisto, we now have some kind of cable on steroids and now have more channels not to watch!  New studies show that people who watch more than seven hours of TV a day can develop memory loss.  I would hate to add up all the hours in a lifetime that we have wasted watching things that have little or no eternal value.

Eliminate hurry from you life.  Nothing makes me crazier than having too much to do in my 24-hour day.  It causes my thinking to become frantic and unclear.  I don’t think through things near as well when I am in a hurry.  I make more mistakes and tend to forget things a lot more! I have a lot to think about these days and I certainly don’t need to have my decision-making process compromised.  Having my prayer time every morning and praying over my “planner” helps me keep things in perspective.  I ask God to prioritize my day so that it should go according to his plan for me. 

Of course we cannot forget about exercising.  You knew that one was coming!  I can’t begin to tell you the studies that conclusively show how exercise keeps the brain healthy.  It helps with blood flow, it lightens our mood.  I have discovered that when my mind is bogged down with confusion if I go for a walk my mind clears!

Stay strong,

Vicki Heath
vicki.heath@firstplace4health.com

Vicki is our First Place 4 Health Director of Leadership Development. She also is a Body & Soul Instructor and is on our two First Place 4 Health Aerobic DVD's. She is one of our First Place 4 Health conference speakers and leads Aerobics and speaks at our Wellness Weeks each year.