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Our Brains' Reaction in These Troubled Times

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Mar 19, 2020
  • 2 min read

Global news has been quite grim lately. It is not unusual to hear of new terrorist attacks, mass shootings and Coronavirus.. How does our brain assimilate this information and allow us to move forward?


Negative Stress

Well, this phenomenon has been researched. Result: Our brain has the capacity to assimilate negative information. We have to fight our first reaction of trying to avoid this bad news. If you choose to fight thinking about these events, you will suffer some serious consequences:

· Negativity settles in your stomach, chest and shoulders

· It clutters your thoughts and distracts you from working on the task at hand

· And, you will experience chronic stress and all the physical ailments that accompany it (tense muscles, digestive problems, lethargy)

· Negative stress will exhaust you


Negative Words Can Lose Their Impact

The fact is – your brain is able to handle all of this negativity. Researchers found that through repetition, negative words begin to lose their power over a person’s mind, reducing effects on mood and cognition.

There is a proper way to process bad news. Instead of reading a headline and getting upset, keep on reading the entire article so that you repeatedly expose yourself to the negative information. This process allows your brain to digest and understand the information so that it can move on to other concerns in your life.

A center of balance must be achieved here. Your brain can be affected with overexposure to bad news, but underexposure is also damaging. Unfortunately, these negative incidents are a part of our new-normal life. We need to learn how to process this information so that we can move forward with our day.


Reference:

Bundrant,M. (December 12, 2013). Simple trick unleashes your brain’s capacity to handle negativity and bad news (based on research). Retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/z043215_negativity_bad_news_brain_function.html

 
 
 

Comments


We are already into June! I am not moving as fast as time apparently. I am just preparing for the “lazy, hazy days of summer”.

June is anything but lazy.  This is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.  This month brings to light the value of living a brain healthy lifestyle, the importance of early detection, and the support that is available for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

The FDA approved the blood test that detects Alzheimer’s disease and identifies what stage of the disease is present.  These tests will be available in doctor’s offices.  What does this mean?  Diagnosing Alzheimer’s was a bit of hit or miss because the methods of diagnosis were complicated and not definitive.  The primary care doctor had to figure out what specialist to refer the patient and lose more diagnostic time trying to get them an appointment.  Determining how far the disease had progressed was even more of a challenge.  With this blood test, immediate results and staging allows immediate, appropriate care to be initiated.  In the early stages of the disease a person can maintain a higher quality of life for a longer period.

The Alzheimer’s Association National Event – Outshine the Darkness of Alzheimer’s.  The Longest Day is celebrated on June 21, the summer solstice.

This is a global effort to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, with participants choosing activities they love to do while fundraising.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) promotes a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by highlighting the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

National Safety Month includes safety measures for seniors – fall prevention, safe medication use, home safety modifications. Check with you local Area Agency on Aging for information.

 

Over the past few years, I have had a friend, Carol Meyer, who has been a part of My Boomer Brain.  Carol has her own publication, InFlow that is published quarterly.  It is amazing.  InFlow Magazine - Your Digital Dose of Inspiration is just that.  She has chosen some of my blogs to publish in InFlow and I am grateful.  She wants me to extend an invitation to look at InFlow for yourself.  Here is the link and access information:

https://inflowmagazine.gumroad.com/l/Issue11

Scroll to ‘Name a fair price’

Enter ‘0’ in the ‘name a fair price’ field to get it for free

Click ‘I want this’ and follow the prompts

 

With summer just around the corner, I’m booking online and in-person presentations for July.  Topics are varied and topical, ranging from memory care, the aging brain, brain health, cognitive resilience, and many more.  If you are interested in organizing an event or want to discuss how brain health can be integrated into your community or organization, please reach out to me directly at patricia@myboomerbrain.com

 

Finally, if you are looking for more in-depth strategies and a roadmap to better health, I encourage you to explore my book, The Boomer Brain. It is a resource designed for anyone over 40 who wants to understand how lifestyle choices impact cognitive aging and what you can do to keep your brain sharp for years to come.  Find it on Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1962133613

 

Slow down your time and enjoy the laid-back pace of summer. 

Pat

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