{"id":1132,"date":"2021-09-30T05:55:56","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T05:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/?p=1132"},"modified":"2021-09-30T05:55:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T05:55:56","slug":"protecting-your-brain-health-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/virtualbrainhealthcenter.com\/directory\/protecting-your-brain-health-during-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Your Brain Health During the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

All those precautions you’re taking to stay safe during the pandemic? Ironically, they might be putting your brain’s <\/em>health at risk.<\/p>\n

“Our heavy reliance on technology, not seeing family and grandkids, putting off doctor’s appointments, not going to the gym and a lack of physical touch, of socializing, and of purpose \u2013 all lead to ‘negative neuroplasticity,’ the potential to accelerate the risk for cognitive decline,” says former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, now distinguished professor of public health at Arizona State and the author of “30 Days to a Better Brain<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

“Brain health is even more important now because so much is under threat,” he says. The answer? Flip COVID-19’s challenges to opportunities, says neuroscientist Sandra Bond Chapman, founder of the Center for BrainHealth<\/a> at the University of Texas at Dallas. “For everything you do, ask, ‘What is this adding to my life?’ Are you doing crosswords just to pass the time and not be alone? Or are you doing different kinds of activities to stretch your mind and add meaning and purpose?”<\/p>\n

Prioritizing brain self-care pays off in the long-term, she says. “And the brain’s neuropharmacy changes \u2014 you get a dose of dopamine \u2014 just by telling yourself, ‘I can do this; it can happen.'”<\/p>\n

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Brain Need: Mental Challenges<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Hurdle: Less Travel, Arts Outings, Meetings<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

“We need to be even more deliberate and planful now,” says Cynthia Green, president of Total Brain Health<\/a> (TBH), a wellness programming provider. That means looking for ways to “level up” \u2014 increasing the degree of challenge in your activities \u2014 as well as\u00a0 “mix it up” in terms of different types of mental engagement.<\/p>\n

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Make a conscious effort to reframe negatives in a more positive light.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

She suggests making a pandemic bucket list; alas, there’s still plenty of time. What do you want<\/em> to do within the current limits? What skills could you develop? (Brush up on social media and other tech basics at Senior Planet<\/a>.) What remote classes could you take? (See these Next Avenue online learning ideas<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Did you join the COVID-19 jigsaw craze? <\/strong>Though these puzzles are cognitively beneficial<\/a>, it’s important to vary the types of thinking skills that you engage. Try the free Brain Performance Challenge app<\/a> from the Center for BrainHealth, which measures your strategy, reasoning and innovation skills.<\/p>\n

Do you do a daily crossword? <\/strong>Branch from word to number brainteasers. AARP’s Staying Sharp<\/a> (free to members,\u00a0$35.99\/year to nonmembers) is an entire site of daily puzzles, games, and more.<\/p>\n

Addicted to romance novels? <\/strong>Switch to nonfiction. Or try the Academy of American Poet’s Poem-a-Day<\/a>. Switching up literary styles (or listening to an audiobook for a change) engages different kinds of thinking skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two ideas from Green’s company:<\/strong><\/p>\n