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24/7 Brain Input

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Nov 7, 2019
  • 2 min read

It seems absurd to think that our brains are on duty twenty-four hours a day. Even though this might be an exaggeration, our brain gets little down time in this digital world. Information is flooding in from all areas – 24/7 news outlets, email, texts, tweets, and cell phones. We are connected in a way that past generations had never experienced. What happens to our brains with this overwhelming amount of information passing through us?


Electronic Multitasking

It is rare to see people just sit in the park, or at the dinner table, or in the doctor’s office without accessing their cell phone to play a game, read emails, watch a movie or read a book. We allow ourselves no downtime to just let our mind wander for a little bit. This doesn’t seem to be much of a problem on the surface, but what is going on with a brain that never gets to relax? Even though you may think you are using time efficiently, researchers have discovered “that when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas.” (New York Times, 2010). By continually multitasking with electronic equipment, you don’t give your brain a chance to learn and embed memory. When you have downtime, your brain reviews inputted information and decides what information will be stored in long-term memory. When you are constantly stimulating your brain, you inhibit this learning process.


The brain has a finite amount of energy for processing information. If you are in a quiet, peaceful environment your brain can easily process the information coming in. But walk along a busy urban street and the brain becomes overwhelmed from all of the information that is inundating you, and that results in fatigue. So even if you are mindlessly playing an electronic game, you are not refreshing your brain, you are causing it to fatigue.


An Attention Deficit Society

Another affect of constant access – you feel that you must continually stay current with emails, texts, tweets, or you lose the contact advantage of immediate reply. Everything happens so fast and if you don’t keep up - you lose. We have become an attention deficit society. We jump from one thing to another in order to stay current. We cannot even watch TV in a relaxed manner because we switch from show to show in order to eliminate the time spent on commercials.


Give Your Brain a Break

Your brain needs downtime! If you want to increase creativity, thinking skills and memory, stay focused on the event and let your brain sort out the details when it isn’t being inundated by more electronic input. You will maximize your brain’s abilities if you give it a break in the action.


Reference:

Richtel, M. (August 24, 2010). Digital devices deprive brain of needed downtime. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2010 from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/...

 
 
 

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March was an unusual month for me.  Normally I work on articles, give presentations and generally just stay tuned to what is going on in the field of aging.  This month I “learned” a lot.  Last year I learned how to write a book.  At the time I took the course I thought it would just be a natural extension of all the writing I had done over the years.  WRONG!!  The actual writing of the book was the easy part.  Putting it together into a book was difficult for me.  The course gave me step by step lessons on constructing a book.  Then editing and formatting were just as challenging.  On June 7 last year the book was published!  It was one of the most satisfying days of my writing career. 

Naturally, when you self-publish, you do not have a publisher promoting the book and getting it in the right categories for best sales on Amazon.  That was crushing because I really didn’t know to appropriately market it.  I am a brain health person!  In December of last year, I purchased a marketing program that is based on statistics.  I am technical minded and so this approach made sense to me.  The course is almost completed.  Can’t wait to see if it improves sales!

The next step I am looking at is recording an audiobook.  This is another venture I knew nothing about.  But I am already tagged on Facebook for marketing of audio book programs.  Facebook picks up everything.  Now my husband was creative director for an advertising agency and when I told him I purchased another class – he couldn’t believe it.  “This was my business.  I know how to do recordings, why didn’t you ask me?” Well, I knew he was an expert in that business, but this audiobook needs to meet all the criteria that Amazon requires for publication.  So, he can take care of the recording part of this audiobook, and I will navigate the process of meeting Amazon’s requirements.  We worked on the book together like this. 

Then I talked with some coaching experts on the viability of starting group teaching programs.  Reading The Boomer Brain book and implementing the Brain Healthy Lifestyle have two entirely different outcomes.  This lifestyle is important to maintaining high cognitive function throughout the later years of our lives.  Look for updates as to when I will roll this program out.

My last learning endeavor was attending a two-day bootcamp for Speakers.  I am really excited about what I learned there.  That is a late this year or next year project, but it is one I am really looking forward to.

 

What Is Happening in April?

The American Society on Aging is having their annual conference in Orlando Florida April 21-24.  This is the largest multidisciplinary conference on aging and the annual conference for Members of ASA.  I have attended a number of these conferences throughout the years, and it is consequential.  Keynote speakers and special events are focused on combating ageism in our society.  Although this is a professional meeting, the attendees come from all aspects of aging services.  They have their work cut out for them this year!

April is Stress Awareness Month.  We should be aware of stress every month and understand how we can break the stress cycle.  These are stressful times, and we need to protect ourselves

Here is a positive one “April is National Volunteer Month”.  When I am working with new retirees who don’t know what to do, I talk to them about volunteering. It is important to have a purpose after you leave the workforce.  There are so many nonprofits who need help in all aspects of their organizations.  It is a perfect way to give back.

Finally – It was Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds – the oldest major league team in the nation.  Cincinnati takes that responsibility seriously.  There is always an Opening Day Parade through downtown to the Ball Park.  Huge crowds line the streets and every year there is talk of making it an official holiday.  Schools and employers look the other way when there is an empty desk.  No matter what the outcome of the game is, there is so much joy, and you can feel that energy.  I am fortunate that I get to experience that.  We all need some joy right now. 

Enjoy your April.

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