The Joy of a Healthy Brain - Celebrating Freedom

Can you believe it - one half of this year has passed! We are almost in July - the month in which we celebrate our nation's independence...the month we spend time remembering the many freedoms we have. So, as we remember the lessons that we learned in history class about The Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights, and The Constitution, let's remember that we have many freedoms. One of our freedoms is "the right to make choices about our personal lives."

On New Year's Day, many of us wrote a list of resolutions - promises to ourselves to some things differently. How many of your resolutions focused on "brain health?" How many of your daily activities over the past six months have been done to increase your brain's reserve? In other words: "What have you done for your brain lately?" If you have made daily attempts to do new things or to do old things in new ways, then you are actively trying to improve your brain health. If you have been doing "the same old things in the same old way" then improving your brain health has not become a top priority. Fortunately, because we have the freedom to choose our actions, you can begin your new life even today. It is never too late to begin practices that will build up your brain reserve. So, here are some reminders and some new suggestions that you many decide to choose for maintaining a healthy brain:

• Begin or end each day with 30-minutes of dancing to lively songs by your favorite singers (you don't have to have a partner to dance...dance...dance).
• Take a summer school class at a local community college or university.
• Take a craft class (maybe jewelry-making) at a fabric or arts and crafts store.
• Participate in a new group physical activity - like bowling or pickle ball (with doctor's approval)
• Write letters of encouragement to some of our soldiers who are at war in Iraq - soldiers who are fighting to preserve the freedoms that we enjoy; or write letters to veterans in our local VA hospital - thanking them for their service to our country.
• Before turning off the night-light, write a few words in your Gratitude Journal - words of thanksgiving.

July - the beginning of the second half of the year - a time to reflect on how you want the rest of the year to be spent. You have the freedom to choose to do things "as usual" or to "break away from the same old pattern" and stretch your brain, adding something new to your brain reserve and making choices to improve your brain health. You have the Freedom of Choice!