This simple habit slows brain aging

A simple way to protect yourself from dementia.

Reading and journaling is not just a pleasant leisure activity, this activity promotes relaxation, helps us to Express our feelings, at least temporarily exempt from problems and struggles with daily stress.

We know that this is not news. We are all aware of the benefits of reading, and always find time to retreat from the world with a good novel. This idea, in turn, we try to convey to the new generation.

However, one aspect very few people think. Reading and writing help us to maintain a flexible mind, are more resistant to age changes.

So we fight aging and possible dementia.

It is in any case does not mean that we 100% will avoid neurodegenerative diseases in old age. However, through reading, they will appear much later and their impact on our lives will not be as strong.

In turn, fun daily journaling is much more than another channel for expression. It’s a world of possibilities that will positively impact on our cognitive abilities.

So, if you haven’t practice these two extremely useful activity, it’s time to start.

We all strive to live as long as possible. However, perhaps 80 or 90 years, life will not seem so pleasant, if its quality is severely reduced due to health problems. It is difficult to live decade after decade, knowing that your abilities fade away.

To chronic cardiovascular diseases or constant pain is added, of course, the saddest loss of memory. However, all is not so scary, because what we will be in old age depends largely on our lifestyle now.

Such activities as reading, writing or Board games with friends allows us to be more flexible and youthful brain.

This conclusion was reached in a study conducted in 2012 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago (USA).

Lead researcher, Dr. Konstantinos Arfanis, an expert in dementia and memory problems, revealed a relationship between reading and writing and the condition of the human brain.

The white matter of the brain, as the name implies, is a fabric off-white color, which shapes our Central nervous system.

It is located between the brain and spinal cord and, in turn, consists of a thin network of axons (processes of neurons, that carry the data).

These axons have a very specific goal: to provide optimal information transfer in the nervous system.

Diseases such as Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis, as a rule, oppose this. In addition, over time this perfect network is disrupted in old age she’s not the same as it was 20 or 30 years.

Habits such as reading and writing, causing enormous activity in the white matter of the brain and strengthen it.
What happens is that the neurologists called “anisotropy”. This property, when the brain is improved the connectivity, the elasticity of neurons. Thus we quickly digestible information.

These classes not only help to create new neural pathways. In addition, we must not forget about their emotional component.

Mental relaxation, which occurs during immersion in a book, or relieved after you carry on the paper of your problems also causes metabolic changes in the brain: the hippocampus works better, increases the production of endorphins…

According to the researches, devoted to problems of mental health and published in the journal BJPsych, just a few minutes each day you will spend to record my thoughts and emotions, will also help you to maintain youthfulness of the brain.

We’re talking about expressive writing, this channel for the organization of ideas in order to “reset” the emotions, fears, describe new projects or put on paper something very personal. This is a great therapeutic method, which is used by many people throughout his life.

If you turn this exercise in daily practice, it will positively affect cognitive abilities. A letter will improve our analytical skills to help cope with emotions and stress…

All this will surely slow down the negative changes in our brain. Reading and journaling complement each other.

If you think about it, everyone who enjoys reading, also like to write from time to time. They tend to talk about the events and, thus, to Express their attitude towards them.

Do not forget that if the brain is not used, it atrophies. The brain, which is spinning anxiety and obsessive thoughts, it becomes slow. Loses the ability to react quickly.

We can avoid this: read a good book, buy yourself a diary, alluring the white pages and asks you to write something.

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