Blue Zone Your Memory No. 15: Decision-making

Decision-making and forgetful moments

Do you often feel that decision-making is difficult during times of forgetfulness? Now, more than ever there are a lot of alternatives to every decision. Once you make a decision it is natural to want to see it through, because giving up too early can also be a mistake. The important thing to remember is that decision-making involves more than intellectual processes, which is just one dimension of wellness. So how do we avoid complicated pitfalls, such as holding onto a poor decision when the costs are too high? Try not to make decisions based on a small amount of information such as using mental "rules of thumb." Avoid framing or seeing all potential outcomes in terms of pluses and minuses because this stimulates our emotional filters and can lead to irrational decision-making. Watch out for sunk costs, as it may be time to walk away from a once favorable decision to avoid further loss of investment. Taking time to reflect and meditate may be the key to opening up your spiritual beliefs about the decision in question. Avoid making decisions in isolation, discuss your concerns with your friends, family or mentors. In addition, maintaining a calm atmosphere and environment where decisions can be systematically evaluated is another tip for making better decisions. All too often there is a heightened sense of arousal during decision-making, which is called "auction fever." Decision-making involves many processes and many aspects of the dimensions of wellness. Therefore, it is beneficial to take the time to recognize the intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, and environmental aspects of decision-making to relieve the possibility of stress, anxiety, and apprehension occurring during this process.

Blue Zone Your Memory No 14: Procedural Memory

Exercising Your Procedural Memory

Procedural memory is part of the storage mechanism for long-term memory, and it contains memory for skills, such as those needed that require perceptual, motor, and cognitive skills for difficult tasks. Examples of these tasks are cooking a meal, dancing, riding a bike, playing an instrument, and walking. They may also include habits such as brushing your teeth or balancing your checkbook. An interesting point to remember is that most of these skills were actually learned gradually over time. Therefore, when you begin to notice a decline, in your function of one task or another, it is essential to be patient. When you chose the skills and procedures that you feel you should retain and are within your current abilities, please remember that it took time to learn these skills and habits, and it may take a little time to relearn them to the level that you once remember.

Blue Zone Your Memory No 13: Walking and Memory

Walking and Memory We know exercise is good for our functional fitness and improves most bodily functions. Recent research also ties walking to the reduction of memory related disorders. According to the American Academy of Neurology, walking at least six miles a week may cut this risk in half, You can follow this research at http://www.aan.com/press/index.cfm?fuseaction=release.view&release=870. All walking counts, so how do you know if you are actually walking six miles a week? You can use these math facts, one mile = 5280 feet and on average people take 2000 steps per mile depending on their individual stride distance. You can use this average or for a more accurate assessment you can use the stride distance calculation by measuring a distance of 50 feet, and walking and counting your steps for this distance using your normal pace. Then divide 50 by the number of steps counted and that is your stride length. Then divide 5280 by your stride length to determine your average steps per mile.

Blue Zone Your Memory No 12: Holiday Stress!

Holiday Stress

Stress leaves a physical imprint on the brain. Sometimes stress can be beneficial for survival, and sometimes it can create illnesses and performance decline. For example, positive stressors might occur during an attack on our immune system, when systems become activated to enhance our immunity and ward against infectious disease. Seeing family during the holiday season can create positive stressors that help the hippocampus remember family gatherings and the sight and sounds of Christmas. Enjoy this Christmas, knowing that some of the hustle and bustle of the holidays can be actually healthy for the brain!

Blue Zone Your Memory No 11: Online Quizzes and Games

Games for Memory!

The Mnemonicizer! http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/cognition/tutorials/mnemonics/index.html The Blind Spot! http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chvision.html Short Term Memory! http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/cognition/tutorials/STM/index.html Interference! http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/cognition/tutorials/Interference/auindex.html Human Memory! http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/cognition/tutorials/ModelOf/memory1.html Recognition! http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/cognition/tutorials/penny/pennies.html