Brain Health Art Print
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In between checking the news (depressing, but we have to keep at least one eye on it), eating chicken wings, and watching football this weekend, below are some interesting links to keep you company. I hope you’re as serious about your mental health and mental fitness as I believe you are. You know the drill: Stay informed and keep your minds as active as possible.

8 Breakthrough Ways to Improve Your Memory

Eat the Right Brain Foods

Fruit: It Does a Mind Good!

Decide What to Forget

Something to keep in mind (literally), If it’s good for your body - it’s good for your mind.

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

The Dog Art PrintPicasso, PabloBuy at AllPosters.com

The following was included in an e-mail I recently received. Unfortunately, I don’t have any idea whatsoever who wrote it. It’s too good not to pass along, though.

WHAT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM DOGS:

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you’re not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
• ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

You know how I sign all of my posts on this blog? - Dogs take it to heart. It’s time we started letting ourselves go to the dogs!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

What we eat and drink directly affect more than just our weight and energy levels. Making the right choices can actually help our concentration. WebMd.com (love them!) has put together a fascinating slideshow packed with a ton of useful information and delicious-looking images.

Click the link below and see how many of these brain-y foods you see regularly, and which you need to introduce yourself to.

Can What We Eat and Drink Really Increase Our Focus and Concentration?

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

I was reading through some of my old issues of Psychology Today and I came across a mini article that I’d somehow missed the first go-around.   It was in the February 2007 issue and appeared in the “Insights” section.

The title was “Lend a Hand, Smartypants” and addressed the connection between altruism and intelligence.  Altruism, of course, is the unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others. The author cited a study from the Journal of Research in Personality which showed that altruism may be a sign of general intelligence.

From the article:

Each subject decided how to allocate points between himself and a mystery person he’d never meet.  People who scored higher on intelligence test preferred altruistic options, choosing to, say, take 500 points and give 550 rather than take 550 and give 300.  “From an economic point of view, you would expect that a smart rational person is an egoistic person,” says lead author Kobe Millet.  But the researchers argue that altruism - beyond mere cooperation - is a signal to others of underlying mental fitness because smarter people are in a better position to recoup the costs of generosity.  If you’ve got it, flaunt it. - MH

No wonder some of the most generous people we can think of are intelligent people as well.  Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey.. 

They back this study up beautifully!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

Click HERE to read my latest Self Help Daily post, “The Last 6 Books I Recommended to My Family”

Memory of the TimeArt Print
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Lately, I’ve noticed that fewer and fewer people are making jokes about “senior moments” or harmless lapses in memory. I’m not so sure that political correctness or sudden cases of sensitivity are the reasons. In fact, I’m 100 percent certain that the increased attention we’re all giving to Alzheimer’s and Dementia is the reason.

I just want to say, “Thank goodness!” for all the atttention. Everytime I see a news story or article about Alzheimer’s or Dementia, I get excited. The more attention we bring to mental health, the better the odds become of defeating the beast once and for all.

Sadly, we haven’t defeated it yet. 5 percent of people aged 65 and older fall victim to Alzheimer’s while a much larger portion over 80 fall victim. So, no, the world doesn’t find “innocent” little lapses in memory to be as funny as we once did.

The good news is therre is a swelling amount of evidence that memory lapses DO NOT necessarily foreshadow dementia. Best of all, the tendency to have lapses in memory can be lessened while REDUCING YOUR RISK OF DEMENTIA.

The solution? Mind aerobics!

Below is a 10 Step Memory Workout courtesy of the AARP.

1. Exercise regularly.  Study after study prove that aerobic activity reduces the loss of brain tissue common with aging.  The brain LOVES the increased oxygen.
2. Stick to a healthy diet.  Avoid sugar and saturated fat.  Eat lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, spinach, and beets.  The magnesium found in dark green, leafy vegetables appears to help maintain memory.
3. Learn new things.  Aim for learning something new everyday as well as learning as many new activities as you can.  Embrace stretching your mind and horizons.  Some examples are:  Learn a new language, learn to play the piano, learn to play the guitar, take up a new sport such as tennis, golf, or bowling, learn card games, throw yourself into animal activism, take up bird watching, etc.  Basically, just stimulate your neuron activity by exposing it to something brand new and exciting!
4. Get enough sleep.  This is one a lot of people overlook, but it’s very important.  Too little sleep impairs concentration as well as hinders your body from repairing itself when needed.  Be certain you’re getting enough sleep!
5. Get organized.  Searching for missing keys, cellphones, or other personal properties can be frustrating and time-consuming - to say nothing of the blow it deals to your ego.  Designate a particular place for everything.  If you carry your cellphone from room to room, make a certain spot in each room where you’ll ALWAYS place it.  When it turns up missing (and, come on, let’s be honest - it will!), it can only be in a certain number of spots.  When you travel, keep a checklist for medications, vitamins, eyeglasses, toiletries, and so on.
6. Devise memory strategies.  Make notes or underline key passages to help you remember what you’ve read.  Invent mnemonics formulas to help you remember things.  These memory aids are usually verbal “tricks” to help the individual associate certain facts.  “i before e except after c” is one of the most popular ones, while “In 1942 Columbus sailed the ocean blue” is another one.  When I was homeschooling my daughters, I had a lot of fun coming up with little poems or sentences to help them remember facts that could otherwise be nightmarish.
7. Socialize.  Carrying on positive conversations with others helps maintain brain function. 
8. Turn off the tube.  Experts say too much TV can weaken the brain.  However, educational television shows can help you in your quest to learn something new each day.  Animal Planet, The Discovery Channel, and the History Channel all provide great “lessons” in the comfort of your own living room!
9. Jot down new information.  Writing things down helps transfer the information from short to long-term memory.  That’s why you’ll never see me reading anything without pen and paper nearby.  I learned in elementary school that if you write something down, it’ll stay with you MUCH longer than it will if you don’t.
10. Solve brainteasers.  Crossword puzzles, card games, and board games (Scrabble, Trivia Pursuit…) improve your memory.  Make it a point to work the puzzles in your newspaper each day.  It’ll become a daily routine that’ll serve you well.  I LOVE the mind games found HERE - I play them every single day and can practically feel the rush my brain gets!  Street of Dreams and Wild Word Garden are probably my two favorites, but if I ever branched out I’m sure I’d discover other great games, too.  Give them a try, I promise you’ll get hooked.  And your brain will thank you for it.

Make each moment count double!

~ Joi

Anger Management Art Print
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Do you know someone who’s prone to tantrums, road rage, and other extreme outbursts?  If they’re reactions seem completely out of hand, and you’re often left wondering why they overreact so strongly, they may have more than just a “nasty temper.”  They have intermittent explosive disorder. 

According to the Archives of General Psychiatry, Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is defined as three or more yearly violent outbursts that are way out of proportion to the trigger.

From Mayo Clinic:

Intermittent explosive disorder is characterized by repeated episodes of aggressive, violent behavior in which you react grossly out of proportion to the situation. People with intermittent explosive disorder may attack others and their possessions, causing bodily injury and property damage. Later, people with intermittent explosive disorder may feel remorse, regret or embarrassment.

Experts estimate that IED may affect as many as 1 in 14 individuals in the US. For those who are diagnosed with the disorder, help is available. Treatment may involve medications and psychotherapy tto help the individual control his/her agressive impulses.

One of the things doctors look at when making the diagnosis is whether or not the individual is ever able to resist the agressive impulses. If they seem consistently unable to fight it off, they delve deeper to get to the root of the problem. There are other disorders and imbalances they look for as well.

Causes:
The majority of individuals who have IED grew up in a home where there were violent outbursts, and a lot of yelling and anger. When they were children, they were exposed to verbal and physical abuse. It’s believed that there may also be a genetic disorder, so angry/abusive parents can pass the gene on to their children.

Can you imagine the difference a diagnosis and treatment could make in people’s lives? Not just in the life of the person with the disorder, of course. Everyone around them is suffering, but treatment could put it all behind them.

Bottom line - if you, or someone you care about, responds to situations in a manner that’s completely out of the norm and totally uncalled for, there may be a reason for it. The problem is, the person with a disorder, such as IED, doesn’t always realize that their reactions are “over the top.” Hopefully, however, they’ll be reasonable enough to “catch on,” and they’ll realize that if people keep telling them that they explode and overreact, there has to be a reason for it. Everyone in your life isn’t going to tell the same lie.

Then, it’s in their own hands. If they’re mature enough and if they care enough about the people around them, they’ll make an appointment asap with a trusted doctor. Very often there’s simply a chemical imbalance and medication will straighten things out. Soon, they’ll be feeling so good - they’ll realize just how bad things were.

To learn how IED is diagnosed and treated, see Intermitent Explosive Disorder Tests and Diagnosis at Mayo Clinic.com.

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

Long ago, summer vacations were instituted for young people who were needed, by their family, for working on the farm, in the fields, or in the kitchen.  You know, places where few young people can be found spending their summers today.

Even today, for high school and college students summer vacations still serve a purpose.   A lot of kids use the summer months to work to save money for college.  But for the younger grades, the only purpose I can think of is convenience for family vacations.

The drawback to taking a few months off for summer vacation is that young brains tend to forget a lot of what they’ve learned.

According to Psychology Today.com:

University of Missouri psychologist Harris Cooper finds that children typically forget between one and three months’ worth of schooling during the summer. Math and spelling skills suffer the most, while reading is least affected by the break.

Now would be a great time to spend an extra hour each night with your little Einstein in the making.  Buy a few scholastic workbooks (you can find a great selection in the book section of just about any store and an even better selection at Teacher Supply Stores).  Even if your Eistein isn’t so little, extra mental activity is always a good idea.

Of course, the best thing to do is to stock up on these workbooks before the summer months and require a certain number of pages to be worked each week. Since most schools are already back in full swing, it’s too late for that.  Not to fret, though, you can still make up for lost time by grabbing workbooks and setting aside a little time each evening for a month or two.  Some parents and grandparents would balk at the idea thinking that it wouldn’t be a very ”kind” or “fair” thing to do to the child. (What they’re really saying is that it won’t make them very popular with the young person.)  But you and I know that it would be the most kind and fair thing to do for the child.  It could make a huge difference in their upcoming school year - give them a little edge (and that’s always nice to have.)

You really wouldn’t even HAVE to buy workbooks.  Plain, old-fashioned pencil and paper will do just fine.  Come up with 10-20 problems for them to work through each night and give little spelling quizzes.  The benefit with workbooks would be this:  You’d know the problems were age-appropriate.  However, if you’ve been following thier school work, you should have a pretty good idea what they should and shouldn’t know.  If in doubt, get out their papers and books from the previous year. 

Believe me, when they “get” problems that their peers are struggling with, you’ll gain that popularity back and then some. 

A really cool bonus is that you’ll be giving your own mind a nice little workout each night.  If the child is really young, you probably aren’t going to benefit from revisiting math or spelling on their level (unless your math skills are as loatesome as mine!), but when we challenge ourselves to explain something to someone else in a language they understand, we push ourselves outside of our own comfort zone - and that’s always a good thing to do, mentally.

As if we needed another benefit, let’s not forget the sweetness of extra quality time with some of our favorite people on earth!

Make each moment count double,

~ Joi

If I told you to draw a picture of a boy giving a girl a present, how would you draw it? Think about it for a second - picture where you’d place each, the giver and the receiver. Heck, even sketch a little picture if you’re feeling particularly artsy.

Don’t scroll down for the why’s, when’s, who’s, or what’s until you have a clear picture of what your picture would look like.

I thought this was pretty cute. In the always entertaining INSIGHTS section of the June 2008 issue of Psychology Today, there was an article called “Reading, Writing, and Rembrandt.” The author, Matthew Hutson posed the same question you read above. I grabbed pen and paper and sketched out the little scene. I put the boy on the right and the girl on the left (just like I arranged the couple above on paintbrush - don’t laugh!).

The interesting thing is what the article goes on to say:

Ask an adult to draw a boy giving a girl a gift and he’ll probably draw the boy on the left. Try it in the Middle East, and the boy will be on the right…. How we perceive and imagine the world is influenced by the direction we learn to read and write. Typically sentences list subject before object, so most Westerners automatically envision actions happening left to right, and the more powerful party situated to the left.

See? There’s the rub, your’s truly was bassakwards. Apparently, in the scenario given, I see the girl as the main star of the show - even though it’s our hero who’s making the grand gesture.

Since everything that comes from a Psychological standpoint fascinates me, I thought this article was very interesting. Then again, I find everything about Psychology Today mesmerizing. When we were first married, my young husband collected Conan the Barbarian comic books (I’ll bet he’d love to have them as collector’s items today!). He was so cute when he’d buy a new one, grab a Ginger Ale and hit the sofa. He and the comic book entered a whole other world! It’s the same with me when I grab a fresh new issue of Psychology Today. I’ve been known to start reading articles while in line at the register!

If you’re on this blog, you obviously share an interst in mental fitness, self help, and self awareness. If you’ve never “met” Psychology Today, introduce yourself on your next trip to the store. You’ll probably get as hooked as I am.

Make each moment count double and quit laughing at my little people - your joke about Rogaine just wasn’t cool,
~Joi

We adults make many and varied mistakes, you’ve got to give us that.  But one of the worst mistakes we make is when we get too comfortable and overly content with our knowledge.  When we stop challenging ourselves, mentally, we stop growing mentally.  That, as you can imagine, doesn’t lead anywhere worth going.

I’m not suggesting that we have to enroll in college classes.  In fact, the bulk of my own education hasn’t been acquired anywhere near a classroom.  What I’m suggesting is this:  Each day, go out of your way to learn at least one thing that you didn’t know the day before.  It’s as simple as that.   You could “tackle” a new subject each week (or month, depending upon the depth of the subject).

For example, when I was homeschooling our 3 daughters, we had our regular subjects each day.  But for the last hour of the school day, we had what we called “Unit Studies,” where we dove into subjects that varied by the week.  One of the funnest things we did, at the beginning of each school year, was to come up with the different subjects we’d be covering in our Unit Studies. 

The subjects (some weekly/some monthly) below are a few of the ones I recall off the top of my head:

• The Underground Railroad
• Tigers
• Mary Todd Lincoln
• Madagascar
• Cleopatra
• Bach
• Beethoven
• African Elephants
• Sharks  (I timed it to coincide with Discovery Channel’s always amazing Shark Week. Yay, me.)
• The Renaissance
• Vincent Van Gogh
• The US Government
• Shakespeare
• The Bronte Sisters
• Eagles
• Thomas Jefferson
• Dinosaurs
• Snakes
• Harriet Tubman
• Polar Bears

Etc… etc… etc…

Subjects such as these would make wonderful “Unit Studies” for all of us to pursue.  If we took a different subject each week and nightly  read online articles and/or library books about our subject - within a year, we’d be experts on over 50 different subjects! 

I know I don’t have to tell you how much our brains would love all that stimulation.  Quite frankly, it’d make us more rounded, much more interesting people as well.

You can use the subjects above, or round up some of your own that interest you. Listed below are my favorite educational websites. They’re the perfect place to find subjects AND informative articles.

My Favorite Online Educational Websites

• National Geographic
• Discovery Channel
• MSN Encarta
• History.com
• Algebra Help (I need all I can get)
• Extreme Science
• Science at NASA
• Smithsonian Education
• Animal Planet

Of course, you can also Google your subject and act accordingly. The main thing is to just get started and, then, to keep it up once you do.  Have fun with it.  Your brain is going to love every educational moment.

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

I’m not sure why, exactly, but when the weather lowers its thermostat and autumn begins to push summer off the horizon, many people come down with a nasty case of the blues.  The older generation often refers to this time of year as a “lonely time.”  I’m not sure if the reasons boil down to young people going back to school, less sunshine, or neither or both - but the reasons aren’t nearly as important as putting a smile back on life’s face.

The problem is, most people, when they’re down, tend to stay down.  Literally.  They’ll hit the couch or maybe even the bed and figuratively pull the covers up around their ears.  While it sounds pretty cozy, it’s the worst possible thing to do when you’re out of sorts, emotionally.  If you’re sick or tired, going to bed’s a brillaint option, but if you’re down in the dumps, it seals your fate.

One of the best things you can do when the blues hit is to hit them back with activity.  Activity actually works, not only on the lightest shade of “blues,” but on mild to moderate depression as well. 

It’s not clear just how exercise improves depression. It seems to raise the levels of chemicals in the brain that elevate mood.   Even endorphins, natural pain killers, rise with sustained physical activity!

There’s more to it than just a rise in feel good chemicals, though.  Exercise makes you feel as though you are in control of your life.  When you regularly exercise, you realize that you’re taking active steps in improving your health and appearance.  This realization, alone, has been proven to make people feel better about themselves.

You should look for an aerobic activity that’ll raise your pulse for at least 30 minutes a day. If you’re just beginning to exercise, for the first few days, you should start out fairly easy - just exert yourself until you feel tired.  Then, move toward the stage where you exercise until you’ve worked up a sweat.  That’s when those feel good chemicals will start to buzz all around you!

Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity at least 4 days a week.  If you can do more, all the better.

Most importantly, choose an activity you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you probably won’t keep it up very long. You want to engage yourself in an activity that you love so much you actually look forward to doing it.  For me, I love walking and yoga.  If I know I’m going to do one or the other at a particular time, I look forward to it all day.

A really, really great idea would be to start TODAY.  Why not hit the pavement now???   If you’re nowhere near the doldrums, don’t let that stop you.  Think of it as a preventive measure:  If you start getting more activity right now, maybe you’ll be able to avoid the blues altogether.

Wouldn’t that put you ahead of the game?!

Make each move count double,
~ Joi

Photo Credit: Photo Everywhere