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The Impact of Sneaky Stress

It sneaks up like a preying lion and suddenly hits. Out of nowhere we bark at our loved ones with short tempers. Or even more subtle, it simmers slowly as we gradually gain weight and/or lose sleep, our thoughts and interest in things we once loved. Stress takes a toll on us physically and mentally and often we aren’t aware until something snaps.

We all can quote the physical ramifications of unmanaged stress: high blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease and stroke to name just a few. But often what goes unnoticed is the mental impact of ongoing or acute stress. Sleeplessness leads to memory loss. Worrying and multitasking lead to forgetfulness and indecision. The ramifications of stress on our brain and memory are ongoing and long lasting.

When the brain is under stress, it quickly decides what’s important and minimizes the energy given to lesser things. What used to come naturally and easily is suddenly difficult. Deciding what to make for dinner or balancing the checkbook become monumental tasks. It impacts every area of our lives, whether we realize it or not.

It would seem eliminating all stress to protect our brains and bodies would be the logical answer. But in reality that’s not possible and some stress is actually healthy and keeps us moving forward in life. So how do we manage and balance what’s good from what’s unhealthy? That’s up to each of us. But here are a few stress management techniques that can help when stress sneaks up:

Find your happy place. This is a reflective exercise we do in our minds when stress invades and threatens to steal our joy. Identify a place, real or imagined, where you are entirely comfortable and happy. Then, when feeling stress rise, go there on a mind mini-vacation! Imagine how it feels there, take a deep breath and be enveloped in warmth, happiness and love. It can literally lower blood pressure, heart rate and take our minds off the stressful situation we are experiencing. Try it-it works!

Breathe. Most any situation can accommodate a few seconds for a deep breath (or two or three). This gives us a moment to deliver additional oxygen to our brains, think more clearly and make good decisions. It’s so easy to react or speak in the immediacy of a stressful moment, but those aren’t always our best decisions. Instead, take a few seconds to breathe, think, decide and then speak or act.

Pray. Often when taking those deep breaths, I’m silently praying as well. It helps me to let go of the stress, remember what’s most important in each situation, and draw upon inner strength.

Do what you can do and let go of the rest. No one can do everything. The best we can do is what only we can do-control our own thoughts and actions. Do what you can do, in the best way you can and then let go of the rest. Preparation and accepting help from others when needed can help in this area. (More on these in another post.)

Try these techniques and see if managing and balancing the stresses of life help you remember more. Summer can be a time when we don’t think as much about stress. But just like that preying lion, it can sneak up and hit us or simmer below the surface before boiling over. Let’s manage stresses as they come and we’ll make even more memorable moments this #SummerToRemember.

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Step into the Uncomfortable!

Step out of your box, your comfort zone and go beyond what’s easy. I teach and advocate this but at times find it difficult to do myself. We all prefer familiar and what doesn’t require much effort, but that WILL NOT strengthen our mind and memories. The comfy way doesn’t create the cognitive reserve which will help us to utilize our brains to their best capacity when older. It’s time to use not just the familiar, but stretch and grow into the unfamiliar. It’s time to use our whole brain!

Summertime is a time to reflect, relax and rejuvenate. Up until a bout a week ago, for me it was anything but these. It felt like a sprint and I was just trying to keep it all going and manage well. I fell into patterns and routines that were tried and true and would help me function well. There’s nothing wrong with this approach and it was beneficial for that time. However, now that patterns are changing and I have a few moments to breathe, it’s time for something new.

How we learn and take in information best varies for each of us. I like visual and auditory, prefer routines and organization. But there are also times to use my hands, be spontaneous and go with the flow. Summer is a great time to experiment and step out of our natural, preferable routines and try something new. When we do this, we activate parts of our brain that may be underutilized in our normal patterns of behavior. We use our whole brain not just the dominant part, which will be extremely important as we age.

Here’s a quick example-grab a pen, go ahead, right now-grab a pen.

Which hand did you grab it with? I bet it was with your dominant hand-the one you write with and do most things. Now grab that pen with the other hand-feels different doesn’t it? Now write your name with your non-dominant hand. Not so easy? Our left and right brains work differently, yet together. Patterns of behavior and our natural tendencies dictate which side becomes a bit more dominant. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only side we should use!

The more we use the non-dominant side of our bodies, it causes us to think differently. To write with our non-dominant hand we have to really think about how to make every letter. It’s like learning to write all over again. But we can do it, it just takes a different set of impulses to relay the information to that side of our body. Simply by using that other hand, we activate all kinds of brain cells in different ways. It’s similar to using different muscles-when we first use them, they can be sore and feel clumsy. But the more we use them, the easier the motion and the more we strengthen them.

Now we can take this same concept and apply it to how we manage our days, what we choose to do, and how we act and think.  It can be as simple as picking up a pen with the other hand to changing our entire approach or outlook. Whatever we do to use the lesser utilized parts of our brain inevitably strengthens those areas. This allows us to use these areas more as we age. The use it or lose it adage totally applies here. Use these areas of your brain now to not lose them later!

So are you with me? Let’s use our whole brain starting this #SummerToRemember and step out, be a bit uncomfortable and start an adventure of using ALL of our brain. It will surely help us all make our summer moments memorable!

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Celebrate Memorably!

Surprise! Happy Birthday! Congratulations! Our sentiments flow with monumental markers of time: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations etc. We all enjoy and celebrate these important milestones of life as we should. But even better is knowing these social events will help strengthen our memories.

The special moments of life provide an opportunity to be with those we love and create memories together. But it doesn’t have to be only special occasions when we gather to mark a memory. We can make any moment memorable with only a few simple techniques.

First off, be present and pay attention-doing so can create a memory spontaneously. We’ve all had those times when something unique makes us laugh or we sense the importance of a fleeting moment. Don’t dismiss these, capture them instead with acute attention to the present.

A little planning goes a long way. Whether it’s a big event or intimate moment for two, a little planning can make or break any social event. When we are with others, our brains think and function differently. The natural give and take and spontaneous interaction provides the mental stimulation which helps our memories. But it also can cause distractions. If we plan some things ahead of time, it can eliminate having to remember everything in the middle of a moment.

Follow through and have fun. If you want to create a moment with others, then do it. Too often, everyday life intervenes and we miss marking moments while caught up in the mundane. Want to have lunch with your friend, join that book club, or take that trip? Then just do it. Follow through, plan it, then have fun in the moments you’ve created.

Be a willow. Flexibility to this type A planner girl doesn’t always come easily. But I’ve learned to be a willow and bend with the winds that sometimes blow our best plans off course. I often ask myself what will matter or be memorable later, my irritation or the memory being created? My annoyance or inability to be flexible may just ruin the moment or even worse, create an unhappier memory than desired. Be smart, pick your battles and be a willow.

These simple and easy tips make moments and memories special. But because they seem so simple, they are easy to dismiss. Don’t. Let’s not pass by our moments. Let’s apply these simple tips and make all our moments, especially those with others, as memorable as possible this #SummerToRemember and everyday.

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Unforgettable Moments

The air is thick with moisture and we sense it’s coming. Clouds build, the smell of rain envelopes, sunlight dims, and the flags are whipped by the wind. Thunder cracks and lightning flashes as we run for the nearest escape from the sideways water pelting our skin. The storm descends before we reach shelter and completely drenches us.

A sudden, intense summer storm wreaked havoc on my daughter’s golf tournament last week and its impact was with us the rest of the day. As she golfed and I watched in our soaked clothing, the sensory experience is one I’ll never forget. I love the heightened sensations of a summer storm, but prefer to enjoy it from inside, not outside! But the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of that particular storm will always be a memorable moment in my #SummerToRemember.

Our five senses of vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste help us to understand, navigate and remember the world around us. It’s said when one sense is diminished in one way, the others compensate. That is true, but we all can work to increase awareness of our sensory world and in the process, assist our memories of it.

I recently had a memory flash filled with emotion and sensory stimuli. Seeing a similar situation unfold sparked the same emotions and feelings from years ago. Emotions and memories are tightly interwoven. Often what prompts and helps form memories is initiated from our senses.

So let’s pay attention to our senses and help our memories along the way. Here a few tips to be more present in our sensory world to assist in making our moments memorable:

  • Notice the little things around you. The smells, sensations in our surroundings, tastes, or visual landmarks and cues–sensory stimuli are endless if only we notice them.
  • Connect what we’re experiencing from our senses to the moment. The sweetness of the birthday cake, the familiar songs and the annoying bugs at the outdoor concert, or the rumbling thunder of an approaching storm are forever associated with that event. Connect the sensory input and you’ll have a trigger for the memory.
  • Replay the moment. Whether it’s telling the story, reviewing  it in our mind or writing it down, the repetitive nature of replaying it cements the memory.
  • Watch for triggers and notice their impact. Some sad or painful memories are often cued by our senses. Pay attention and manage their impact to learn and grow.

Noticing the sensory world and connecting moments will assist our memories. While it may not have been fun to be caught in a sudden storm, it certainly created an unforgettable moment. Take time in this #SummerToRemember to slow your pace and smell the roses (or the rain). Pay attention to all your senses to enjoy every moment as it turns into a memory.

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Remember to Exercise!

How do you like to exercise? Some like a fitness class with the socialization and direction it provides. Others like a more solitary pursuit. Some are more flexible in their approach while others have a firm schedule they follow. Regardless of how you do it, it’s important to remember to exercise.

There’s a wealth of information on the impact of exercise on our minds and memories as well as the obvious impact it has on our overall wellness. Those with a variety of neurological diseases and impairments find exercise increases strength, improves endurance, and minimizes symptoms. Individuals with memory concerns find it can improve overall memory as well as physical function as they age.

There’s really no reason to delay, it’s time to make exercise a priority in our lives starting now! When we remember to exercise we assist our bodies and minds to age as well as possible. The sooner we do it and make it a daily habit, the better we’ll feel and function now and in the future.

Here a few tips to help us all with our own exercise goals this #SummerToRemember:

  1. Get outside! Often exercising outside doesn’t feel like exercise, more like fun!
  2. Make it a habit. Go for a walk every morning or evening, join a regular class, schedule it into your calendar-whatever you need to do to make it a habit.
  3. Use what’s available. We don’t need special equipment to exercise-walk, do strength exercises with soup cans or your own body weight, or swim at the local pool.
  4. Get cleared and if necessary, seek professional help. If you have any medical or health issues, get the okay from your doctor to begin a new exercise regimen. If you haven’t exercised in a while or just want to have a professional get you started, seek help from a physical therapist or licensed trainer. It’ll get you started off well on your exercise habit!
  5. Listen to your body. As expected, new exercises will make us sore as we use our muscles in different ways. But extreme or continued pain, inflammation or weakness are signs to rest and/or see your doctor if not improved with rest.

Let’s remember to exercise our bodies this #SummerToRemember. It will help our bodies, our brains, our memory and all those summer memories we’re making!

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