YOUR BRAIN NEEDS REGULAR EXERCISE TOO

MEMORY loss is experienced by almost all of us as we get older, particularly the loss of our shortterm memory.

While we are still able to remember much of what was learned in geography and chemistry 50 years before, or the names of the players in our favourite football team of that era, recently acquired information is not so well retained — names, for example. This can be frustrating, but it is not a big problem and can be overcome.

On top of this, reasoning and decision-making processes are slower as a result of ageing. But again, the actual size of the problem has been exaggerated, as indeed have the benefits of quick decision-making. I think we should reframe this as a positive, and re-claim our right to make decisions more carefully!

I will concede that in certain situations (taking part in a quiz, for example), speed of thought is important, but most decisions, and certainly almost all serious decisions, do not need to be taken at speed.

YOUNG people who make decisions quickly may make the wrong decision! One reason for this, as outlined by Daniel Kahneman (winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics), is that people tend to think they are making decisions quickly and rationally when, in fact, the quick decision is often based on a rule of thumb that they have developed unconsciously and which can lead them down the wrong path.

So it is not all about speed. The criticism that we older people are slow can be countered by saying that we are reflective decision-makers.

There are many techniques that can be used to compensate for the loss of short-term memory. If you’ve forgotten someone’s name, ask for their email address as that often is based on their name.

If they have an usual sounding surname, ask them if they know the history of the family name. Your brain will then make new links that will jog your memory next time. Don’t rely on a smartphone to record diary dates for you. Write them down instead and create a daily ‘to-do’ list which you can check each day to help jog your memory.

If you keep losing things, get into the habit of always keeping those things — it’s often glasses and keys! — in the same place.

Take steps to prevent the loss of other cognitive functions, such as decision-making, by giving your brain a daily workout. Include intellectual games such as sudoku and do a crossword every day. As soon as you feel it is less of a challenge move to the next level.

Every day, challenge yourself to learn something new, such as researching your family history — it’s all about avoiding standing still and letting your brain atrophy.

In the long term, consider volunteering to help children learn to read in understaffed school libraries. They are crying out for extra help, and studies have shown that depression is reduced when people feel valued and appreciated for their formal volunteering roles.

For now, ask your family if you can set up a regular time to listen to your grandchild read using a tablet or smartphone. The more you do, the better.

MEMORY quiz taken from Keep Your Brain Stronger For Longer by Tonia Vojtkofsky (Short Books, €11.99)