Social Strategies to Boost Your Brain
2. Stay Socially Engaged
Staying involved in society helps you maintain a complex and novel environment in which your brain can thrive and may help to prevent cognitive decline in older persons. Research has explored the relationship between the amount and type of activity, and the risk for dementia. Findings indicate that older persons with five or six social ties are significantly less likely to demonstrate cognitive decline compared to those who had no social ties. Joining a club, or volunteering for a cause or campaign, is an excellent way to develop a stronger social network and boost your brain’s health.
Even if you’re not “a joiner” there are ways to stay socially engaged...
- Find a club or activity that interests you, whether it’s a book club or sports group.
- Make a list of your skills & talents and find organization or groups in your community or city that relate to them.
- Attend school, workplace and other types of reunions or gatherings.
- If you’re a member of a faith group, get involved in their choir or a committee.
- Form your own group; maybe a weekly card game, gardening group or coffee club.
- Scan the papers, notice boards or online announcements for cultural and other public events. Invite a friend and head out to enjoy a new experience.
