FIND A SENSE OF PURPOSE

having purpose is all about seeing your life as being deeply meaningful, setting goals to aim for and having a clear sense of direction.

With many of us in lockdown, it is easy to find yourself floundering a little, or just living a kind of half-existence.

But i encourage you to spend time working out what your sense of purpose could be. This is a profoundly powerful skill well worth acquiring because having a sense of purpose is a great way to keep your brain plastic and preserve that cognitive reserve.

in the past 20 years, dozens of studies have shown that older people with a sense of purpose in life are less likely to develop a slew of ailments — from mild cognitive impairment and alzheimer’s disease, to disabilities, heart attacks, and strokes. and they are more likely to live longer than people without this strong undercurrent. in fact, feeling you have a strong purpose right now might reduce your risk of suffering dementia in the future by up to 20 per cent.

The brain-boosting benefits might be partly explained by the fact that purpose often fires the motivation to remain physically active and take better care of yourself. and this in turn helps you manage stress and makes you less prone to dangerous inflammation. Purpose often engenders a love for life and all the experiences it offers.

it also puts a damper on depression, which can be common as we get older, and is a huge risk factor for memory decline, stroke, and dementia.