Simple steps to keep your mind sharp

My wife calls it COVID brain. After being stuck at home under stressful circumstances for so long we all begin acting dopey. Like prisoners trapped in solitary confinement, we all begin bouncing off the walls. Scientists know that social isolation contributes to “worse overall cognitive performance and executive functioning, faster rates of cognitive decline, more negative depressive thinking, heightened sensitivity to social threats, and a fear of others. There is no cure for COVID but there is a cure for COVID brain. Here are some specific, evidence-based recommendations for people to consider incorporating into their lives to maintain and improve brain health. AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) is an independent group of scientists, health professionals, scholars, and policy experts from around the world working in areas of brain health related to mental functioning. The GCBH and AGE UK were commissioned to evaluate the evidence for making scientifically valid recommendations on lifestyle choices intended to improve brain health.

Read on for evidence-based way’s to keep your mind healthy and sharp from Harvard Medical School and the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH)

Might as well get in the driver’s seat!

These are the “dog days of summer.” Astrologically, this is the time of year when people are at their worst even without the fear of exposure to this virus. As if that is not enough, we have social unrest, political elections, and a very uncertain future for the society we once thought we knew.

Scientists actually do find some serious mental health issues that result from the heat we experience in July and August. This is evidenced by an increase in psychiatric hospitalizations during the summer months and both increased suicide attempts and acts of violence. Humans in general, are just more irritable and in an angry mood. In addition, hot weather causes people to feel tired and motivated to not do very much. https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/summer-heat-and-human-behavior/

Anyway, this general mood disturbance is better managed when you know more. There is hope on the vaccine horizon and some light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. I hope this article helps a little because we are all struggling… including me.

To make a Star Wars analogy, the COVID Death Star seems unbeatable, but like Luke, we have to “Use the Force” of science and also trust our instincts. Hang on, Hans has not abandoned us, but this ride is a bumpy one and we need to be in the driver’s seat with friends we love and trust. If you have not already done so, begin to determine who your “COVID friend pods” are. Do the same for your children because we all need support outside of our immediate family.

Finally some legitimate cause for hope in the fight against COVID-19. A vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford has been shown to produce a strong immune response. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci “any way you slice it, this is good news”. In a clinical trial published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet, a coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has been shown to be safe and generated two “strong” immune responses: the production of both antibodies and T cells, which find and attack virus cells. This means that it acts like a regular vaccine and attaches antibodies to the virus to prevent it from infecting cells but that also it produces lymphocytes that kill cells that have already been infected. This is very unusual in a vaccine in that it offers hope that it can not only prevent the disease but that it may also be used as a treatment. 

We all feel like we need a meltdown right about now. Fortunately, this little girl expresses it perfectly.

https://abc7news.com/little-girl-quarantine-meltdown-4-year-old-phoenix-had-pandemic-we-can-all-relate-to-everything-is-shutdown/6315284/

Feeling like social distancing is putting a crimp your regular exercise routine? Between the stress and changing routines, and constantly changing health recommendations it’s harder than ever to maintain a regular physical activity regime. Add to that 100-degree temperature and its a struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle at a time when staying healthy is imperative. For both our physical health and mental sanity it is crucial that folks maintain a healthy level of physical activity.

You will feel better, have more energy, sleep better, improve immune function, and a host of other benefits too numerous to mention here. If you have not been active then start slowly as Woody Guthrie once said “ take it easy, but take it”.

Despite all the requirements to be socially distant we can still be social and we can still stay physically active!  Read on for tips on:

• Tackling chores around the house
• Exercising During COVID tips from the Mayo Clinic
• Do I need to wear a face mask when I exercise outside? Advice from the Cleveland Clinic
• 5 of the best exercises you can ever do according to Harvard Medical School
• How to avoid heat-related illnesses tips from the Mayo Clinic