A book about brain science? Exactly.
A book about learning? Seems so.
A book about how to train the brain? You could say that.
None of these answers are precise enough; the correct answer is: how to make aging affect the brain as little as possible. So this is a book about studying the effects of aging on the brain, a book that reveals the ten laws that counteract the effects of aging on the brain. The author has to admit that when he got the book, he inexplicably wondered how else to learn how to age? After reading it, I have to say: it does need to be learned.
When it comes to aging, people's impression is related to the negative impression, what memory loss, temper deterioration, easy to be cheated. It seems that these are conditions unique to the elderly. Often, we come to the simple and crude conclusion that "people change as they get older. Such a conclusion often leads people into some kind of misunderstanding, resulting in prejudice and misunderstanding of the elderly.
This book tells us that older people have more positive mindsets, are less stressed, and are more emotionally stable than younger people. The older they get, the more they desire and the easier it is for them to remember optimistic messages and feel good about the world. This is because happiness serves as a reward and makes survival more favorable for seniors, so they focus more on the good and happy things and ignore the negative ones. In this way, seniors naturally appear to be positive, less stressed, and emotionally stable.
We all know that memory is divided into: program memory, statement memory. The decline of memory does not go hand in hand, whether it is procedural memory or declarative memory, and their respective declines are not uniform. The memory is divided into semantic memory and situational memory, and situational memory is the most obvious in the process of decline, on the contrary, semantic memory has a tendency to enhance. The book even mentions that multilingual seniors have better working memory performance. This is an interesting conclusion: the brain of multilingual seniors functions better than monolinguals.
Another interesting conclusion of the book is that older people live longer if they continue to learn. The same can be said for teaching a skill to others. Such a conclusion is a blessing for lifelong learners.
From these two conclusions, we can see that the benefits of lifelong learning are not only the intellectual growth, the ability to improve, and the social rewards that come with it, but also that lifelong learning can lead to a different kind of life in old age.
By learning new skills, we mobilize the brain's memory system and keep it active. According to the authors, more active participation in learning activities works better, such as debating with people with different viewpoints. Finding a variety of learning activities that broaden perspectives is recommended over simply participating.
Similarly, teaching skills you have to others can act as a brain health exercise. Because teaching a skill also mobilizes the brain's memory system, it serves the same purpose as learning a new skill.
The second option is reading. Some data show that older people who read more than 3.5 hours a day are 23% less likely to die than those who don't read. The effect is especially pronounced with longer reads. So it looks like running to the library regularly is the best option for senior living.
Another way of brain health exercises is to play video games. The rationale is that older people have a stronger ability to concentrate than younger people and are less resistant to distractions. The skills needed in the game are a new stimulus for the elderly, providing them with an opportunity to learn and practice, as well as a training ground for anti-interference ability.
In other words, brain health exercises are a way to keep the brain functioning, continuous activity to constantly stimulate the various regions of the brain, slowing down its functional decline. No matter what way, as long as there can be constant stimulation on the line, playing mahjong, square dancing can be the choice. For lifelong learners, the brain health exercises never stop and a good old age is not a dream.
Author John Medina a neuroscientist, has written a trilogy of books on the brain. His final book in the trilogy, Setting the Mature Brain Free, proposes ten laws to slow brain aging. The core keywords of the Ten Laws are socialization, training, and habit.
Equal socialization leads to good experiences, and physical and mental comfort leads to a positive mindset that nourishes the brain. Poor socialization or loneliness, on the other hand, can damage the brain. Training, which refers to activities such as lifelong learning mentioned above, is a fresh stimulus for the brain and keeps it energized. Habits, which refer to living habits, good exercise and sleep habits are essential for a healthy life. For the brain, habits are equally important.
To summarize the Ten Laws with a jingle, it is this paragraph:
Forgetting the years, often laugh,
Playing video games, practicing positive thinking,
Learning skills, teaching students,
Want to be demented, impossible,
Playing tai chi, a good night's sleep,
Remembering the youth, do the birthday girl.
Aging is inevitable, how to get old in a healthy way, young not to think, old age can not think. Instead of scratching your head when the time comes, take a closer look at this book now.
Wen/Yun Jiuyi
Declaration: Jiuyi Court has joined the "Knights of Rights" copyright protection program
.......................................
Jiuyi Court, sharing self-growth tips and exploring the world with you