Mind & Mood
Your mood and your mental health affect every aspect of your life, from how you feel about yourself to your relationships with others and your physical health. There's a strong link between good mental health and good physical health, and vice versa. In the other direction, depression and other mental health issues can contribute to digestive disorders, trouble sleeping, lack of energy, heart disease, and other health issues.
There are many ways to keep your mind and mood in optimal shape. Exercise, healthy eating, and stress reduction techniques like meditation or mindfulness can keep your brain — and your body — in tip-top shape.
When mood and mental health slip, doing something about it as early as possible can keep the change from getting worse or becoming permanent. Treating conditions like depression and anxiety improve quality of life. Learning to manage stress makes for more satisfying and productive days.
Mind & Mood Articles
Having a purpose in life may help improve health, according to a new study. Study authors found that people who have a strong life purpose were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and other conditions than people who don’t. Volunteering, contributing to the well-being of family members, and hobbies are all things that people report give them purpose in life.
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About 25% of adults over age 50 take a supplement to improve their brain health. While these products promise benefits like enhanced memory and greater attention and focus, research has not found solid proof they work. People can get more brain benefits from doing regular aerobic exercise and adopting a plant-based diet.
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The bacteria that cause gum disease also can travel to the brain, and may lead to Alzheimer’s disease by destroying nerve cells essential for memory.
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Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and mild cognitive impairment are often mentioned together to describe age-related memory loss, but they are not necessarily the same, and they affect people in different ways. While there is no cure for these cognitive conditions, understanding their differences and recognizing common symptoms can provide a window of opportunity to seek medical care before any memory loss worsens.
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A study published online April 4, 2019, by PLOS One suggests that grief from the passing of a close friend can last up to four years and warrants help to minimize negative effects.
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The World Health Organization says healthy habits may prevent dementia.
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Many aspects of health in older age can affect the ability to read, such as poor vision, pain, hand tremors, and difficulty concentrating. Treating an underlying condition can help (such as getting a new pair of reading glasses). And sometimes all it takes to improve reading is using a few strategies. If it’s painful to hold a book, one can try propping it up on a pillow or book holder. For vision challenges, electronic reading devices and large-print books can help greatly. When attention is the challenge, reading in a quiet space or reading out loud can help.
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Spending 20 to 30 minutes in an outdoor setting where people feel they are interacting with nature can lower stress hormone levels.
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A single bout of moderate-intensity exercise can help improve memory, but in order for the effect to last, people need to exercise on a regular basis and at a similar intensity level.
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Soft skills people used during their earlier work career, such as making decisions, being a good listener, and having a positive attitude can help older adults with everyday memory tasks like following directions and solving problems. One way to improve soft skills is to practice the three Ms: mindfulness, meditation, and mantras. These can help strengthen the weaker parts of a person’s soft skills and help improve memory.
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