Positivity and optimism might protect against cognitive decline,
reports AARP's Global Council on Brain Health
by Kathleen
Fifield, AARP,
October 10, 2018
Want to boost your
brain health? Try getting happy, suggests a new report from AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health,
which looks at how mental well-being — comprised of things such as your mood or
outlook — can affect aspects of cognition as varied as memory and
decision-making.
The report from the
council — a working group of scientists, doctors, scholars and policy experts,
among others — pulls together previously published research into how mental
well-being may change with age and how, in turn, such changes may affect things
like your ability to reason, to cope with challenge or even to help fend off
dementia in later years. One interesting point, for instance, is how feeling
you have a purpose in life might reduce your risk of future dementia by up to
20 percent.
Sarah Lock, the
council's executive director, says the group’s new work was motivated in part
by earlier AARP research showing that 96 percent of adults think that managing
stress well is important to maintain their brain health, but only 43 percent
are able to manage stress effectively. Knowing that anxiety and depression are
often linked with cognitive decline, the council decided to examine the current
evidence on whether adults who are able to cope better with stress, anxiety and
symptoms of depression are able to reduce their risks for cognitive decline as
they age.
Along with outlining
seven key elements of mental well-being — including things like
self-acceptance, vitality, positive relationships, purpose in life and optimism
— the report stipulates that “most of these elements can be shaped by changing
your own attitudes and behaviors.”
Older people may even
have some advantages in doing so, given how more life experience tends to
improve many mental well-being factors, such as self-confidence, even as aging
presents other challenges, the group notes. “Despite feelings of loss that
often occur as people age, getting older does not necessarily mean people are
less happy. In fact, on average, the opposite is true. Numerous studies have
found that people report greater mental well-being as they age past their
mid-50s into the later stages of their lives.”
To boost well-being,
the council offers some recommendations related to things such as mood and
outlook: learning to come to peace with your past decisions, acknowledging what
you can’t change and learning to quiet negative, excessive thoughts, perhaps
through something like meditation.
The group also
suggests monitoring multiple medications. “For example, medications can
interact to amplify their side effects, including sleep problems, mental
grogginess, anxiety, bouts of depression and mood instability,” according to
the report. “This can especially be true if you get medications from multiple
health care providers. It’s important to regularly discuss your medications —
including vitamins and herbal supplements — with a health care provider who
knows you well.”
But most of their
suggestions amount to healthy lifestyle tips, and that’s no mistake, Lock says.
“We know that engaging in brain-healthy lifestyle choices boosts cognitive
health and that people who choose to integrate more brain-healthy activities in
their lives also report greater mental well-being and better cognitive functioning.”
Among the tips from
the report:
1. Look
for activities you enjoy. Regularly doing something that makes you
feel good, as simple as it sounds, is possibly the most important things you
could do — today! — for your mental well-being. So take that hike, splurge on
your knitting supplies, or sign up for a choir or singing group.
2. Seek
out meaningful connections with others in your community. Get to know your
neighbors. The 2018 AARP "Brain Health and Mental Well-Being" Survey
found that the more often adults 50 and older socialized, the higher their
mental well-being scores were.
3. Become
a regular volunteer in the community. Those who volunteer tend to have
less anxiety, depression, loneliness and social isolation, as well as a sense
of purpose in life. The 2018 AARP survey found that adults 50 or older who
volunteer at least once a year have higher mental well-being scores than those
who don’t volunteer.
4. Aim
to get enough high-quality sleep. To that end, maintain a regular
schedule where your sleep/wake hours do not fluctuate, and avoid
watching TV in bed. Also stay away from all digital screens before bedtime.
Studies have found that the LED light emitted by digital screens may prevent
the brain from releasing the sleep hormone melatonin. (For more tips on getting
good sleep, see the GCBH's “Brain Sleep Connection Report").
5. Eat
healthy foods. Experiment with different fruits, vegetables and
healthy proteins to create a healthy diet. The 2018 AARP survey found that men
and women age 50 and over who reported eating more nutritious and well-balanced
meals also had higher mental well-being scores than those who said they rarely
ate nutritious meals. (For detailed information on nutrition and brain
health, see the GCBH's “Brain Food" report.)
6. Find
opportunities to exercise, particularly outdoors. Explore green spaces
in your neighborhood and community, including state and national parks. Also,
try gardening. Digging in the dirt can be a great way to relieve stress,
get exercise and promote mental well-being.
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