Memory Minders

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The Priority of Sleep

To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question for many of us. No matter what stage of life, from infancy to our last days, sleep is always a priority. This has never been truer for me than in the last month.

It doesn’t matter if we are infants, parents of infants, stressed teens or adults, or older adults wrestling with sleep issues, every stage of life presents sleep challenges. Infants, children and even teens need extra sleep for brains to process and develop adequately. Parents of said children need sleep to be able to parent them well. As adults, many issues can interfere with sleep, some we have control over and others we don’t. Older adults often have their sleep interrupted by changing physical conditions and surroundings. Numerous variables impact our sleep, but the one thing that is constant is how important sleep is to our mental and physical wellness.

In the last month, I’ve dealt with physical issues, caregiving challenges and also mental roadblocks which have impacted my sleep. I understand the importance of sleep to mental and physical wellness, but not all the circumstances were under my control. I imagine this has happened to all of us at one time or another. So what can we do?

Control what we can and manage the rest.

At times, I chose less sleep due to unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances. Other times, physical issues made sleeping more difficult and still other nights, worry invaded my peaceful rest. Not all of these were of my own doing. But I did strive to balance what I could to achieve at least a decent amount of sleep. Now that many of the issues have been or are resolved, my sleep is improving. But in the midst of the worst, I did what I could to manage.

A recent article reminded me of what’s all at stake with sleep and our memories. Our brain links memories with the rest of our world when we sleep. If this process doesn’t occur for whatever reason, we wind up not functioning as well mentally or physically the next day. Our memories are impacted and we cannot make decisions well. None of these are helpful as we try to function and learn whether as children or adults.

Here are a few tips that may be helpful when sleep challenges arise:

  1. Make sleep a priority. Don’t put it off thinking you can make it up later. Set a  bedtime and try to stick to it. If you literally can’t sleep as much as you should due to unforeseen circumstances, do your best to get as much as you can and get back on track ASAP.
  2. Don’t do anything but sleep. Don’t eat or watch TV, don’t worry or wonder, let it all go and rest. Write down any concerns you have, try to relax and let sleep come. Often new solutions rise when we lay down our worries with our heads.
  3. Try to plan for contingencies. If physical issues could cause problems while sleeping, take preventative measures. If too hot, use a fan. If in discomfort, try a new position or different pillow arrangements. Think ahead to solve some issues in advance.
  4. If sleep deprived, try a nap. If a good night’s sleep was missed, a short (~30 minute) nap the next day can be incredibly helpful and refreshing.
  5. Keep trying. There will be days and even weeks when sleep eludes us for various reasons in life. But let’s not slide into bad habits. Keep trying to get back on track to a healthy sleep schedule. Our bodies and minds will thank us.

Sleep is an integral part of our lives from birth to death. How we learn to manage and make it a priority in our lives will make an enormous difference in the quality of our lives. So here’s to sleeping well, remembering more and enjoying life one moment at a time.

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Why Healthy Habits Matter

Habits keep us on track-they help us maintain routine, make things easier and even help us remember better. But when bad habits invade our lives, they can be difficult to change. One of the most important habits we can control that impacts our body and mind wellness is our eating habits. Lately, mine haven’t been the best and now I’m paying the price.

Stress, a busy schedule, life events, and let’s just say a bit of laziness has led me to not always make the best food choices lately. It’s a slippery slope and often one not so great choice leads to another and soon weight gain, lack of concentration and overall malaise is the result.

What we feed our bodies is what we feed our brains. Research has shown those who eat healthier often have better cognitive recall and function as they age. There are a myriad of reasons why this occurs and they probably work in tandem for our overall health. The bottom line is if we eat well, we think better.

Many of us know what good food is-fresh, less processed and includes a variety of good fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Yet convenience often trumps healthy. So let’s review some options to make healthy food choices easier to benefit our memory wellness.

Fresh and whole over processed. When on the go, this isn’t as simple a choice. But if we can plan ahead a bit, it becomes a bit easier. Stop at the store instead of the drive through. Go to the produce section rather than the frozen food aisle. Often fresh food doesn’t take much more time to prepare than the processed kind.  Choosing whole grains over processed gives us more of the beneficial vitamins and fiber. Food stores and buffet lines often have salad or other fresh options right next to the unhealthier options. Choose well.

Good fat over not so good fat. Olive oil, less saturated oils like canola or sunflower give us a better option for fats. Butter is a staple in my home too, but when possible swap it out for other healthier options or minimize its usage. Our bodies and brains need fat to function well, but too much of the wrong kind can be detrimental to our wellness.

More dark fruits and vegetables! Half our plate with each meal should be fruits and vegetables. Instead of chips or convenience snacks, reach for an apple or some carrots. Add healthy almond butter or hummus and it’s suddenly a much healthier and satisfying snack. Instead of extra potatoes or meat, fill up by eating the veggies first. The healthy antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber in fresh fruits and vegetables are winners for our brains.

Even though we know how to eat well, we often don’t. But in the long run, convenience causes more problems than it solves. I’m going to rededicate myself to eating healthier for my body, brain and overall wellness, using these healthy habits as a guide. Hope you’ll join me!

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Go Exploring!

Spraining my ankle last month has impacted me more than just physically. Not being able to exercise as I normally would has brought changes including not always feeling as mentally sharp, motivated or energized. With my activity curtailed, I also miss seeing the seasonal changes nature paints in September as I walk. It’s time to explore a different way.

Physical exercise is one of the best things we can do for our bodies and our brains. The increased blood flow helps feed our brain cells and keep them growing and functioning well. Less exercise means less blood flow to help maintain our brains and bodies. But when injured or other life situations occur, we can’t always keep our exercise routine. It’s in these times we need to get creative.

Exercise takes all forms. The important element of exercise that assists our brains is the aerobic component-creating enough exertion to increase oxygen flow to brain and body. This can be done in a myriad of ways. Just because our normal routine isn’t possible, doesn’t mean we can’t still be physically active.

Here are a few ways we can vary your exercise regimen:

Use different methods. I typically take brisk walks to exercise. But lately I’ve been doing more stretching, isometrics and limited walking within what’s feasible. It’s not ideal but it’s something. Now that my ankle is more stable, I’m going to add biking and yoga to the mix. Doing different forms of exercise also strengthens different muscle groups and keeps our brains thinking!

Take a class. Trying something new or being in a group not only helps us learn new activities, but helps maintain a pace and do so in a social environment-all incredibly brain boosting behaviors!

Do it Together. When exercising alone, we can lose motivation. Exercising with a friend creates accountability and makes it more fun!

Go Exploring. Different venues can create an atmosphere of adventure. I love seeing the colors change when I go for a walk. Exploring different local areas allows me to experience this in a new way while hiking or biking which is different for me. Great for brain and body!

Physically exercising our bodies can become difficult at times due to injury, lack of motivation, boredom, or other reasons. Being creative and exploring new options or opportunities to exercise differently allows us to keep it interesting and fresh. This not only benefits our bodies but also our brains and memories in many ways.

Exercise is an important element of our lifestyle which greatly affects our memories. Let’s not delay, defer or procrastinate, but instead go exploring!

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Don’t Worry, Do Something!

“I’m worried about (fill in the blank of a loved one), their memory isn’t what it should be.” I hear this often and did again the other day. Many suffer more forgetful moments with age. For those of us in middle age, it can be due to increased stress or doing too many things at once to focus and remember well. In our older years, many see forgetfulness as a normal sign of aging and lesser abilities overall. While there is a bit of truth to that, we should still be able to recall what we want, when we want, even as we get older.

My friend said her loved one was less social and didn’t engage in many mentally challenging things any more. These comments were a red flag to me. Often those experiencing memory loss tend to withdraw from socialization because it’s more difficult. They don’t like doing mentally stimulating activities because they’re more challenging than in the past. It’s not fun being in those situations! But in these situations it’s important to stay engaged and also speak to your physician.

Memory loss can be caused by many things including stress, depression, medication interactions, or a physical issue. If these are all ruled out, then a neurological assessment should be done to see if there’s another reason for the memory issues. A complete workup can differentiate why memory issues are occurring and help with treatment.

But one thing that will help us all is mental stimulation. Ideally, we all want to challenge ourselves daily to the point of it being a mental workout, but not stressful. How we do this varies depending on the individual, time of day, circumstances etc. The important thing is to just do it!

Do what you love by pushing yourself to learn something new or by doing it differently. My friend who was concerned about her loved one said he liked to read, so I suggested reading aloud. It activates more of the brain than reading silently. Leisure activities may have to adjust too. If one card game causes stress, try a different one that challenges but doesn’t frustrate. Or simply do challenging things for shorter time periods to give your brain a break.

Another way to push ourselves mentally is to do it with friends or family. Play games together, go to cultural events, learn new things, or travel to new places. When we do things with others we stimulate our brains differently than we can by ourselves. It’s always more fun to learn new things with others!

Aging can create its own challenges and if memory loss creeps in, the difficulties mount. It’s important to acknowledge and seek assistance as soon as memory issues are noted. The earlier strategies are put in place, the better memory loss can be managed. Seek professional help and therapies to assist. Being proactive with mental fitness, being with others and learning memory strategies can improve and lengthen quality of life. Don’t worry about memory loss, do something about it!

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Emotional Memories

It was a beautiful sunny, September morning and I just happened to have the news on TV. A plane had hit the World Trade Center in an apparent accident. I continued my routine and went for a walk with my young son in the stroller. But soon people were coming out of stores asking if I had heard the news-there was another plane.

We were under attack.

Probably not since Pearl Harbor had our country ever felt so violated, so in shock that our idyllic existence could be interrupted or impacted. We were glued to the TV the rest of the day, cancelled plans and our world has never been quite the same. We not only lost thousands of souls that day, but our naivety too. Its impact and memory still have influence today and will for years to come.

The events of 9/11/2001 have forever changed our lives in more ways than we can imagine. It isn’t just about the loved ones lost and brave souls who rushed in to help, but about the impact on our country and world. It is a seminal moment for all of us who lived through that day, just as Pearl Harbor or JFK’s assassination was for past generations.

Emotions and memories are intricately entwined. The brain processes memory and emotion in close proximity and any emotional memory will be remembered more strongly because of this. Think about your most emotional memories-highlights and low moments. I bet you can recall vivid details about each of them and even their subsequent impact on your life.

So when something as big as 9/11 happens, it stays with us. But so do the everyday emotional events that only we know: the sickness of a loved one, a nagging worry, a persistent health issue, chronic stress from our job etc. It may not be visible or understood by anyone other than us, but it’s there nonetheless. The concerns, worries, emotions and stress bubbling under the surface of our existence interfere with our memory. Our brains create strong memories in some areas but can also cause us to be seemingly forgetful in others. It can even lead to depression or worsening physical issues.

When life’s circumstances jolt our world, we need to realize the impact on our memories. We can’t always control what is happening around us, but we can control how we deal with it. Choosing healthy reactions, enacting stress management strategies and understanding the toll these situations create are the first steps in dealing with them. But even when we do all this, things can still seem overwhelming.

If and when life seems to be too much to bear, professional counseling or management may be needed and should not be looked upon as failure. Everyone needs a helping hand at some point. Recognizing this in ourselves and others can help us all deal with the changes life sometimes throws at us. And in the process, it may even help us retain and create new and better memories.

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