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New Year / Fresh Start

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Jan 7, 2021
  • 4 min read


Is it even possible to have a fresh start this year? Yes – it is possible. We need to coral our mind and get it out of 2020. Enough of that already. Our circumstances haven’t changed significantly over the past week or so. But we already know what living through COVID is all about. The fresh start will guide us to look outside our lifestyles and start reigniting ourselves.


To start this process, I am going to utilize the Brain Wellness Model from the Virtual Brain Health Center. I like this because it expands each category and really covers all aspects of brain health and wellness. There are four categories: Cognitive Engagement, Personal Wellbeing, Physical Activity, and Social Connections. I am going to start with Physical Activities. Most of my readers live in the northern hemisphere and it is winter here. It becomes a bit of a challenge to get outside and exercise. And lockdowns from COVID 19 have kept us isolated and sedentary. This has resulted in weight gain, fatigue and depression. Physical activity is just the right way to initiate a new start.


It seems that we have certain DNA passed down to us from our prehistoric ancestors. They were wired to move. That was a necessity for survival – if you stopped you were eaten! So here we are with this brain wiring to move and we are languishing away in front of a computer or a TV. How do we get back to leading our lives with natural movement? Are we even doing enough during the day to classify it as physical activity? That is the first thing we need to look at. How can we incorporate natural movement into our day?


The Importance of Physical Activity During Your Day

Before COVID, you might have worked outside of your house. You drove to the office and parked far enough away from the building that you managed to get a nice morning walk in. Instead of taking elevators to get to other floors, you walked the steps. And you also kept a watch on the food that you were eating. All of these lifestyle choices kept you feeling pretty good. You can modify this scenario to fit your pre-COVID routine. After evaluating how much natural movement you incorporated into your day start to analyze where you are right now with natural movement in your life. If it is obvious that you aren’t getting any physical activity during the day, you then have to form a plan. For instance, if you sit in front of a computer all day, set a stopwatch for an hour. When your hour is over, get up and do something. Go up and downstairs a few times, have some exercises that you can do. Spend ten minutes on intentionally doing some type of physical activity. That’s your first Fresh Start idea.


The Benefits of Physical Exercise on the Brain

Why is physical exercise so important to brain health? As I mentioned before, we are hardwired to move. When we exercise, we are making our heart beat harder and faster. This drives more oxygen, carbohydrates and blood to the brain. Our prefrontal cortex (the executive function center of the brain) is an energy cannibal. It requires 20% of the oxygen, carbohydrates, and blood from each and every heartbeat in order to function. When we are laying around doing nothing our brain is doing nothing too. In order to have the energy it needs to function, we have to be up and moving. Instead of the fog, forgetfulness and frustration we feel when we can’t remember something, your brain will surprise you on how agile it is.


Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor

There is another function that physical exercise has for the brain. When we are sending more blood, oxygen and carbohydrates to the brain we are releasing BDNF – brain derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF acts as a fertilizer and stimulates new brain cells to bud from brain stem cells. We grow new brain cells when we exercise. This is Neurogenesis – the growth of new brain cells. Up until a number of years ago it was not believed that we were capable of growing new cells. The belief was that we would lose cells until we died. The discovery of neurogenesis was a game changer. And the simple act of physical exercise makes that happen.


Purposeful Activity

Engaging in purposeful activity draws many benefits to you. Volunteering is a purposeful activity. You benefit your brain and your body when you are working on behalf of someone else. When you help someone learn how to use their creative brain, you also benefit. You can help someone integrate a brain healthy lifestyle into their own life. You become their exercise partner and when you do you hold accountability to them and to yourself to get out and exercise. Walking is a good way to get exercise into your life and there is nothing better than having a walking partner. You both benefit from purposeful activity.


Physical Activity is a perfect way to restart your new year. You grow new brain cells, think clearer and feel better. It is just such an easy way to create your fresh start. Make an intention that 2021 will support you in your efforts to lead a brain healthy lifestyle.






 
 
 

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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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