Phyllis Law - June 2020

Keep Your Brain Young

3 Tips for Good Brain Health From Harvard Medical School

As we age, our bodies change, including our mental functions. Cognitive decline is one of the biggest fears of aging, but it’s not inevitable. Though we’re still learning new things about how our brains work, there’s a lot of scientific research that shows how to keep your brain young. If you want to keep your mind sharp throughout your lifetime, then follow this advice from Harvard Medical School. 1. Get a good workout. Exercising regularly helps all the muscles and organs in your body, even your brain! A good workout can lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels, which help your brain and your heart. Harvard Health Publishing, a website of Harvard Medical School, also notes that “animals who exercise regularly increase the number of tiny blood vessels that bring

oxygen-rich blood to the region of the brain that is responsible for thought.”

2. Pay attention to your mental health. Poor mental health can lead to impaired cognitive function. Chronic anxiety, depression, and exhaustion tend to cause low scores on cognitive function tests. But test scores aren't necessarily a sign of future cognitive decline, and Harvard Health Publishing urges readers to maintain good mental health and get restful sleep, as they are “certainly important goals” for improving cognitive function and overall well-being. 3. Stay connected. It’s not enough to focus on yourself. In order to maintain your long-term cognitive health, you should also focus on your connections with other people. According

to Harvard Health Publishing, “Strong social ties have been associated with a lower risk of dementia, as well as lower blood pressure and longer life expectancy.” Make new friends, stay in touch with family members, and maintain positive relationships in your life. They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is certainly true when it comes to your brain health. Do what you can today to protect your mental functions tomorrow.

Our Kids Need Our Help

We discovered quickly that our children need structure. Our kids were used to having something to do every minute of the day, including school, sports, church, and socializing with friends. With all of that suspended, a lot of bad habits were formed, and we needed help to redirect. So I became a client of the firm. Let me explain. We began offering life coaching to our clients about a year ago. It has been wildly successful, especially with our younger clients. Part of our firm’s mission is to provide second chances to live a happier life. We do not just deal with the immediate problem that leads our clients to the firm. We strive to lead our clients to a better place in life. Sometimes that requires life coaching. I

prefer life coaching because it teaches individuals to help themselves. You learn to identify and set goals and create plans to reach those goals. I engaged one of our certified coaches to help my family. I know that sounds weird. And, yes, I paid the firm. Coach Pashia met with each of my children individually via Zoom and with me and my husband separately. We identified strengths and weaknesses, goals, schedules, rules, and consequences. We have a plan now, and everyone is on board. I strongly suggest you give it a try, especially if you have noticed changes in your kids since the pandemic started. Recognizing there is a problem is the first step, and we can take it from there.

My kids have been negatively affected by COVID-19. We have had some positives too, but more negatives. The virtual learning experience for my children was a challenge. In the beginning, we thought it would only last a few weeks, so we just flew by the seat of our pants without much planning. If I had it to do over, I would handle it differently.

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