Remember or relearn the multiplication tables. Get in the habit of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing in your head instead of depending on your phone’s calculator. Use the calculator to check your work before paying a bill, just to be sure. The activity strengthens mental capacity and slows mental deterioration.
Practice memorizing passwords. Putting passwords to a little song that includes the application is an effective tool for doing this. Use popular children songs melodies that are easy to recall. Do this with door, alarm, and garage codes, bypassing referring to a list you may carry. You can still have the list. But practicing memorization keeps the mind young.
People who lose the ability to speak can still sing. There is a useful idea here. Consider practicing a few musical phrases expressing common desires or needs of messages. Think of it like engaging in a regular program of exercise. Put to music such phrases like “I am hungry,” “My jaw hurts,” and “I have to use the toilet.” A tune like “I’ve been working on the railroad,” is one of many good options. Any workout, mental or physical, will also help you weather illness. What? Prepare for an illness I don’t even know I will get? Think of it as making yourself over-the-top.
Add structure to your day using a paper or digital calendar. Because our bodies and minds are structured, this activity helps maintain good health. And, you will not miss out on things or be late.
Study new stuff. Learn new skills, languages, or hobbies. The energy of trying is the main purpose. Competent achievement is secondary. The reward is slowing the aging process.
Practice telling interesting stories from your life. Learn to keep them concise and non-repetitive. Make them short. Stick to the interesting anecdotes.
Avoid noting how fast time flies. Time does not fly any faster now than it did in the past. We just forget how we filled up that time. Think of all the things you did in the last year to recognize that it was a full time. Think of all the things you did in your lifetime. You spent the same amount of time doing stuff last year as you did 40 years ago, or whatever. Don’t deny the meaningful and wonderful past you had.
Learn the names of flowers, birds, trees, or cars. If you are interested in sports, memoize the names of your favorite players and their statistics. The same advice applies to movie stars, historical figures, TV titles and plots, or whatever piques your interest. Just commit to memory.
Take a class at a university, church, or community house. Or anywhere.
Health and Spirit by Dr. Jack Zoldan 