Boost Your Memory with this Simple Life Hack

By Kathy D'Agati, Back to Basic Wellness
​We live intensely busy lives. The average adult makes roughly 35,000 decisions per day. It can be very taxing. The only way we can accomplish this is by creating routines that allow us to operate on autopilot.  Is that a bad thing? Yes and no.  We need to simplify some of our tasks to meet all our daily obligations. We would never make it through the day if we had to put a lot of thought into every step we take, but following the exact same routine every day can be bad for your brain.

The wrong habits can accelerate decline, impair your memory, and speed up the natural aging process.
 
Routines follow a specific neurological pattern1: something triggers a behavior, your brain behaves as instructed, and your mission is accomplished, which further reinforces the habit.
 
The problem is, the more you follow that loop, the less effort is required. Over time, your brain becomes more efficient at going through the cycle, reducing the amount of conscious effort demanded.
 
Behavior can become “automatic”—which is excellent for efficiency, but terrible for adapting and changing.
 
A brain that experiences little change or isn’t pushed to adapt will stop
forming new connections and absorbing new information. The longer that lasts, the less you learn and the less pliable your brain becomes.
 
The solution: Force yourself to break out of your ruts, routines, and habits.
 
It doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.
 
Here is something simple you can try tomorrow morning. Make note of how you dress. Do you put your pants on with the left leg first and then the right? Try doing the opposite. I bet you will be very surprised how challenging that will be.
 
Notice how many things you do in the same way day after day and break the routine. Find a different route to a familiar place. It’s surprising the things you will discover right in your own neighborhood if you turn right instead of left to get to where you want to be. I have been delighted to discover some of the places I have seen because my GPS took me on a different path.
 
Avoid anything that feels excessively repetitive. Some repetition is acceptable, and necessary. But too much can cause your brain to stagnate.
 
The good news is you hold the power to build a better brain. You are creating new brain cells right up until the day you die. With the right tools, the right nutrition and the right information, you can live a healthy, vibrant life at every age.
 
Do you want more information about how you can create a Healthy Brain?
 
Please come to our Lunch and Learn on Thursday 10/16 from 11:30-1:30 where we will share many more Secrets to a Healthy Brain.

You can register here: https://web.morrischamber.org/atlas/events/12757/details
 
Kathy D’Agati
[email protected]
201-738-8321