How to Improve Your Mental Habits and Stay Sharp as You Age
If you're wondering how to improve your mental habits, start by building daily mental exercises. Focus on caring for your physical form and do your best to seek the emotional and memory support seniors need.
Are you caring for your heart and mind in your golden years? According to the World Health Organization, more than 16% of seniors suffer from some level of mental or emotional illness. As we slow down in our advanced age, it's easy to let our daily cognitive health falter.
Carroll is an ideal city for Ohio seniors looking into their mental health and habits. Beloved for our idyllic rural scenery and picturesque countryside, our town is perfect for nature lovers and history lovers alike. Whether you're here for the military museums or the rolling hills, we're proud to have you!
If you're curious about daily cognitive health, we're here to help. Read on to learn more about the brain wellness aging seniors need to focus on.
Why Do Mental Habits Matter?
To start, what do mental habits do that other forms of exercise and self-care can't do? All the mental stimulation tips in the world aren't useful if they feel pointless.
Mental habits help us to keep our emotional and mental health in check. By creating habits, we work to improve our daily lives.
The best part is that this isn't a difficult task. Just making a concentrated effort on something with a routine is all it takes! These may be daily habits or weekly habits, such as planning certain events.
Some common mental habits include:
- Daily affirmations
- Weekly dedications
- Exercising on a set schedule
- Working to be more positive
- Exercising your mind every day
- Focusing on creative habits when possible
According to the National Council on Aging (or NCOA), focusing on our mental health can help us age with greater joy, contentment, and purpose. In short, deliberate mental habits will improve our mood and quality of life.
How to Improve Your Mental Habits
Now that we better understand the purpose and usefulness of habits, we can look into some of the best improvements seniors can make. Here is how to improve your mental habits.
Stay Puzzled
When was the last time you did a puzzle? Nowadays, people move so fast that no one takes the time to sit and work on a problem anymore. But with daily puzzle-solving, you can keep your mind engaged.
Puzzles are more than just a fun hobby to engage in with your neighbors and community. Working your mind on a puzzle helps you to sharpen your mind, focus on problems, and enhance your critical thinking.
Remember that there are countless types of puzzles! Don't restrict yourself to only Jigsaw puzzles. Word puzzles, picture puzzles, and even riddles are all great ways to keep your mind engaged.
Looking for a spot to work on your puzzles? Here at Carroll Place Assisted Living, we provide engaging activity rooms and community nights. There's always something waiting for you, so browse our amenities to learn what's next!
Learning Languages
How many languages do you speak? According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, about 17% of American adults are multilingual.
In our golden years, we're often looking for ways to fill the days. Why not begin working on the language you've wanted to learn?
There's more to this than just staying busy. Many psychologists believe that learning language helps to support our cognitive health.
Focus On New Skills
Along with learning new languages, you should always work to learn new skills. There's no reason to think you're stuck with the skills you have in your older age!
Take the time to find skills you haven't yet learned and begin working on them. The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, but the second-best time is now! Working on these new skills can become an excellent daily habit to work on the brain wellness aging adults need.
Work Daily
Daily cognitive health benefits come from just that - daily habits. Work on making these habits a daily event rather than just "once in a while."
Find new skills and habits that you can adopt for a daily routine. These may involve exercises or even a new sleep schedule.
Furthermore, make sure you understand what memory support seniors need and how such support impacts your daily schedule. Carroll Place wellness programs are made to improve your daily routine, not change it!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Easiest Daily Habits?
Don't focus on what's "easy," focus on what's effective! Daily habits will always feel difficult at first as you adjust to this new schedule. Working to keep yourself accountable and focused is never easy, even for the simplest of tasks.
That said, the best way to make this an easier task is to pick something you enjoy. If you're dreading whatever you've picked every day, it becomes more of a daily punishment than a routine.
Find something that makes you happy while also supporting your heart health. Perhaps this is a wholesome meal that focuses on your health, or maybe you've found an exercise that's fun for you to do.
Finally, finding ways to blend social events in with your habits will help. Build a mental habit of socializing on certain days, for example! Doing so will improve your social life while building a habit.
Where Can I Learn More?
There's always more to learn when it comes to daily habits. You can find more mental stimulation tips from your friends, family, and the staff at your assisted living community. You should also make an effort to look into local classes!
Understanding the Memory Support Seniors Need
When deciding how to improve your mental habits, take the time to find something you're passionate about. Choosing something that sparks joy makes it an exciting habit rather than something you're dreading every day.
Here at Carroll Place Assisted Living, we know there's more to happiness than a routine. We're proud to help fill your life with connection and joy, highlighting engagement, creative kitchen sessions, movie nights, and social events. Contact us today to schedule a tour of your new home!