Saturday, November 19, 2011

Senior Citizen....Brain Worries?

You are poorer and older than you were last year, and you may be fatter. Your memory is shot. You know deep down in your heart that you are becoming forgetful and what about all your bad habits? Wish you could just resolve to make them disappear? POOF!! All gone.................Not to worry the world is in even worse shape than you are.  That will be my next post.

Here's some good news to bolster you.......

The older brain is a wiser brain
According to new findings in neuroscience, your inability to remember names at cocktail parties or where you left your keys is not necessarily a symptom of early-onset dementia. Instead, it is a sign that your focus of attention has become broader. Getting distracted could be a good thing.

Did you ever think that getting distracted allows our creative juices to flow? "It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind," Shelley H. Carson, a Harvard psychology researcher, told The New York Times.

"A broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and the indirect message of what's going on than their younger peers," adds Dr. Lynn Hasher, at the University of Toronto. "We believe that this characteristic may play a significant role in why we think of older people as wiser." In other words, while younger brains are cluttered up with trivia, your brain is freed to work on a whole lot more important things.

Losing the ability to think, understand, & learn among people over 70 has been declining sharply in recent years. Brain scientists aren't sure why, but they think it's tied to the fact that older people are better educated, wealthier and more active than ever before. People who are better off are more likely to use it, not lose it. So remember: Like sex, mental challenges are very good for you, and you are never too old. Spending time Googling is good for you which makes me soooo happy.  I'm always researching something interesting.

We are also being flooded with remarkable new findings about brain plasticity. It seems that the brain - even the aging brain - is more malleable than we thought. It can even grow new nerve cells. One day, you'll probably be able to take a pill to help keep your neural pathways firing on all cylinders. Meantime, exercise, social connections, flexibility (can you touch your toes?) and eagerness to embrace new experiences are extremely effective cognitive medicine. Now THAT'S Good News!!!

The Holidays are fast approaching.......avoid the rush of a 'million' shoppers coughing and sneezing on you.. Remember,  you need to do some shopping - be sure to check out Online Auction for serious bargains. CLICK HERE for Online Auction

I am selling my collection of advertising, tobacciana, vintage, ashtrays. It's been an interesting hobby for me and will one day be valued very high. They are no longer manufactured for businesses which means now is the time to buy. Take a few moments and browse my store......Supergrannys Treasures.

9 comments:

Aesthetics48 said...

I totally agree with this post, you are distracted when you are younger and certainly wiser when you get older...... and learning new stuff and reading more keeps you abreast and current. Older ain't dead anymore. Much wiser is my keepsake!!

kornkountrytreasures said...

This means there's hope, huh?

Fleapirates said...

Great news, thank you! :D

And it's always nice to have good friends to keep you busy... writing blog posts and stuff...

chateycathey said...

Does this mean I have something to look forward to and not worry about. That would be a very good thing. I always say "newer is not always better" and that would apply to learning new things.

Supergranny said...

Ace, you are a keepsake:)

Korny, always have hope:)

Flea, pffft! Thanks ALOT friend

CC, yes, look forward, you will be surprised at what you know by the time you're my age:)

Retirement Care said...

Yeah! I surely agree that older brain is a wiser brain. Infact it should be,as it has lots of experiences in store.I really like this post!a ray of hope,a fresh breeze of air has been inserted in my exhausted nerves.

Supergranny said...

Retirement, sure glad you stopped by for a short read and hope you'll come again. Don't let your nerves get too exhausted.

Z'anne said...

As a woman of a certain age, I must agree with you. My distractions are always leading me to different creative ideas and techniques. You can teach an old dog new tricks, just don't expect that old dog to return with the ball! ;)

Seniors Retirement said...

As a person gradually becomes old, his/her experiences of life also increases along with age. They can teach their young ones about right and wrong things with the help of those experiences. Obviously a brain with lots of experiences in store is wiser than that of young ones.