On a normal work day, I get up at 4 am and start my long arduous commute to work in my basement.  It could take me a whole 3 min. to get down there if there is a lot of traffic that morning.  If there is traffic, it’s always around my kitchen area where there could be something left out and in the way that distracts me from the task at hand.  I try to find alternate routes to work when that happens because I can really be bogged down in there for as long as 15 to 20 min.  I have a very clear objective in the morning: avoid the kitchen.

 I get up that early in the morning because I honestly want my brain as sharp as possible for whatever task is at hand that day.  I love that the house is as quiet as a church mouse and I have free run of the living room, kitchen (even though it’s a boobie trap) and basement.  It is honestly the best time of the day for me in terms of creativity.  That’s huge!  Because as we age we take for granted one of the most precious gifts we have been given—our brains.

Have you ever been mid sentence and just lost your train of thought?

Have you ever been mid sentence and just lost your train of thought and who you were talking to lost it as well?

Have you ever put something down in the house and then for the life of you, have no idea where it is?  Only to find it a day later in a draw or on some obscure shelf?

Ever set up an elaborate color coding system for something in your house or your job and then not remember what it all meant so you had to start over or just scrap it?

Still can’t remember all the names of the parents of your child’s fourth grade friends even though you’ve known them all since your child was in PreK?

Do you remember a time when you were just flowing with creativity and so much around you inspired you?

Have you ever written up a long list of things to do so you could avoid forgetting it all only to lose the list somewhere in your house/office/car and not be able to check it all off?

 Losing your mind is not a normal part of aging; it’s a normal part of everyday neglect.  High stress, poor nutrition (even if eating all the “right” foods), being sedentary, being stuck in a rut and lack of proper vitamins can really do a number on your brain.  Eventually, it translates into poor cognitive response from your brain and you are left standing in Starbucks staring at the menu as if it changed from the day before and they added 10 new items! 

 It’s time to exercise your brain to keep it sharp as a tack and as pliable as clay.

 1)       Break the Chain!

I know it feels good to have a regimented schedule where we get a lot done in a day, but doing the  same thing every day is just as bad for us as eating the same thing every day.  Step outside of yourself at least once per week and do something different.  Learn something new.  Stretch your mind like you do your muscles and your wallet! My nose is always in a book or I am forever in a class of some sort.  Learn, learn, learn! 

2)       It’s Playtime!

Remember when you were younger and you would get those silly puzzle type books for Christmas or your birthday?  They would have connect the dots in them, crosswords, word play and etc.  Didn’t you just love those?  Good, go buy one right now.  Get on it and get cookin’!  Books like those are the “treadmills for the mind”.  You will be that much sharper once you do a few crosswords and word scrambles that challenge your current level of thinking.  Even if you do not get them right, you’ll be that much wiser.  Hurry up, Highlights is waiting for you.

3)       Power Foods to the Rescue!

Omega 3 oils, nuts, fatty fish and some white fish, chocolate (yes, I said chocolate) and tomato juice/sauce are all brain loving foods.  Get them in your diet.  Are you surprised to see the good fat there?  Honestly, I am going to start snorting it now and just cutting right to the chase.  Do we need any more examples as to why it is so important in our lives? 

4)       Ok Killah, Chill Out!

A bit high strung?  Working 25 out of 24 hours in a day?  Packing more in before lunch than an entire city full of workaholics can in a week?  Not good!  Back it down or you are priming yourself for a great brain frying event.  You are going to burn out faster than a cheesy incense stick purchased on a Manhattan corner!  And burn out means only one thing: fried brain cells.  Say hello to confusion, fog, mood swings, large memory gaps and more.  You need to get a handle on your situation now before you incur permanent damage.

Now all of this exercise is occurring outside of the gym and is very doable!  There are no excuses here.  Get to lovin’ and pamperin’ your mind right now and stop the leaky faucet in its tracks.  You may be so far gone right now that you don’t even know you lost your mind—now that’s a shame if so.  Let’s all hope for the best if this is you.  But if you have enough where-with-all about you to know it’s going down, then get on it!  A mind is a terrible thing to waste!  (As well as a good meal and an even better dessert.  Another post for another time, for sure!)