YOUR MIND, IT'S A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

Disraeli, Prime Minister of England during Queen Victoria’s reign, said, “Nurture your mind with great thoughts.” Studies have consistently shown that Disraeli’s exhortation is good for our health, our happiness and our sense of well-being. As it turns out mental gymnastics are as important as physical gymnastics because anything that requires us to think and concentrate challenges our brains and helps wards off the effects of aging. As a result, if you like to play chess, bridge or a musical instrument, do not let old age stop you. And if you don’t, here are a couple of other suggestions for you to ward of father time!

Continue Your Formal Education

Almost every college and university in the country offers courses and degrees for adult learners. Courses can range from the classics to history to foreign languages to more practical subjects such as financial and retirement planning. There are numerous on line courses offered by both traditional brick and mortar institutions as well as new online, virtual “universities.” I have a friend who earned a law degree on line at age seventy who subsequently served as an intern in Mubai, India. He is aging well.

Keep a Daily Journal

I’ve been doing this since I retired and entered my Second Half. I generally do it early in the morning after reading the Bible and praying. I write about things I need to do in my Christian walk as well as reflect on my experiences the day before. I also use my journal to put down goals I want to achieve then refer back to those goals later to see if I achieved them. Reflecting and questioning keeps me engaged spiritually and mentally.

Commit Favorite Poems or Famous Passages to Memory

I attended an off Broadway one man show in which the actor Alec McGowan recited the Gospel of St. Mark without notes or a script. He’d committed the entire work to memory. If you can repeat his feat I am sure it’ll help your brain function more effectively because it’s like a muscle that gains strength when exercised. Committing a poem or address to memory, even memorizing the lyrics to a favorite song is good for the brain. Start with something that’s not too long then gradually work your way up to lengthier pieces.

Read Great Books

Reading books that are challenging or which stimulate interest in new things is a good form of mental stimulation. I've made a list of the great books and hope to make a dent in the list by the end of the year. I have a friend who bought Will and Ariel Durant’s eleven or twelve volumes, oops I can’t quite remember, on the rise of western civilization. I have another friend who became an expert on a particular type of German clocks. In both instances the two people remained intellectually engaged and stimulated in well into their Second Half

Do Puzzles

A number of researchers have argued about the virtues of doing crossword puzzles and other word games as a way of exercising the brain. I am assuming the harder the puzzle the greater the benefit. My personal favorite would have to be the crossword puzzle in the New York Times Sunday magazine. My best effort was somewhere around 5% completed!

Use the Opposite Hand

Try, brushing your teeth, using a fork, dusting the furniture, writing a letter with your opposite hand. Believe it or not, using your opposite hand i.e. if you are right handed use your left hand, to do simple tasks is a very good brain exercise because it forces you to focus and concentrate more intensely.
Other activities for improving mental acuity are learning a foreign language, taking piano lessons, leaning how to cook.

Remember, one of the best ways to slow down the aging process in the Second Half is to exercise the brain by using it. As the saying goes the mind is a terrible thing to waste! So don’t procrastinate (the subject of an earlier blog) and get started exercising your mind. You’ll ward off the effect of aging and be happier and more fulfilled.