As your body gets older, it’s not hard to notice the changes. You get wrinkles. Your hair turns gray (or falls out). Your knees begin to hurt a little bit more. Your skin gets a bit droopy in places. Perhaps you begin to observe some fading of your eyesight and hearing. These signs are tough to miss.
But the affect aging has on the mind isn’t always so apparent. You might find that you’re having to put important events on the calendar because you’re having issues with your memory. Perhaps you miss important events or forget what you were doing more often. But regrettably, you might not even notice this slow onset. For those with hearing loss, the psychological consequence can often worsen this decline.
Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can work out your brain to keep it clear and healthy as you age. And the good news is, these exercises can be absolutely fun!
What is the connection between hearing and mental cognition
Most individuals will gradually lose their hearing as they get older (for a number of reasons). This can result in a higher risk of mental decline. So what is the connection between cognitive decline and hearing loss? Research reveals a number of hidden risks of hearing loss.
- There can be atrophy of the portion of the brain that processes sound when somebody has neglected hearing loss. The brain may assign some resources, but in general, this isn’t great for mental health.
- Untreated hearing loss can easily lead to a sense of social isolation. Because of this lack of social connection, you can start to detect cognitive lapses as you withdraw from the outside world.
- Neglected hearing loss can also contribute to depression and other mental health issues. And having these mental health concerns can increase the corresponding risk of cognitive decline.
So is dementia the result of hearing loss? Well, indirectly. But mental decline, including dementia, will be more probable for somebody with untreated hearing loss. Treating your hearing loss can significantly reduce those risks. And, boosting your overall brain health (known medically as “cognition”) can minimize those risks even more. A little preventative treatment can go a long way.
How to improve cognitive function
So how do you approach giving your brain the workout it needs to increase mental function? Well, like any other part of your body, the amount and type of exercise you do go a long way. So improve your brain’s sharpness by doing some of these fun activities.
Gardening
Growing your own vegetables and fruits can be exceptionally satisfying all by itself (it’s also a tasty hobby). A unique combination of deep thought and hard work, gardening can also enhance your cognitive function. Here are several reasons why:
- Gardening releases serotonin which can relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- As you’re working, you will have to think about what you’re doing. You have to analyze the situation using planning and problem solving skills.
- You get a little modest physical exercise. Improved blood flow is good for your brain and blood flow will be increased by moving buckets around and digging in the soil.
As an added bonus, you get healthy vegetables and fruits from your hobby. Of course, not all gardens need to be food-focused. You can grow flowers, wild grasses, cacti, or anything your green thumb wants!
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts can be appreciated by anybody regardless of artistic ability. Something as simple as a popsicle stick sculpture can be fun. Or maybe you can make a nice clay mug on a pottery wheel. When it comes to exercising your brain, the medium matters much less than the process. Because your critical thinking skills, imagination, and sense of aesthetics are developed by doing arts and crafts (sculpting, painting, building).
Arts and crafts can be good for your cognition because:
- It requires the use of fine motor skills. Even if it seems like it’s happening automatically, lots of work is being carried out by your nervous system and brain. Over the long haul, your mental function will be healthier.
- You need to process sensory input in real time and you will need to employ your imagination to do that. This involves a lot of brain power! You can activate your imagination by participating in these unique brain exercises.
- You have to stay focused on what you’re doing while you do it. This type of real time thinking can help keep your cognitive processes limber and flexible.
Your talent level doesn’t really make a difference, whether you’re painting a work of art or working on a paint-by-numbers. The most important thing is keeping your mind sharp by engaging your imagination.
Swimming
There are a number of ways that swimming can help you stay healthy. Plus, a hot day in the pool is always a great time. But swimming isn’t just good for your physical health, it also has mental health benefits.
Any time you’re in the pool, you need to do a lot of thinking about spatial relations when you’re swimming. After all, you don’t want to smash into anybody else in the pool!
You also have to pay attention to your rhythms. How long can you stay underwater before you need to breathe? Things like that. This is still a good mental exercise even if it’s occurring in the back of your brain. And mental decline will progress more slowly when you take part in physical exercise because it helps get more blood to the brain.
Meditation
Just a little time for you and your mind. As your thoughts calm down, your sympathetic nervous system also gets calm. Sometimes known as mindfulness meditation, these methods are made to help you focus on what you’re thinking. As a result, meditation can:
- Help you learn better
- Improve your attention span
- Improve your memory
You can become even more aware of your mental faculties by doing meditation.
Reading
Reading is good for you! And it’s also quite enjoyable. There’s that old saying: a book can take anywhere. The bottom of the ocean, the distant past, outer space, you can travel everywhere in a book. Think of all the brain power that goes into creating these imaginary landscapes, following a story, or visualizing characters. This is how reading activates a massive part of your brain. Reading isn’t possible without engaging your imagination and thinking a lot.
Hence, one of the very best ways to improve the mind is reading. Imagination is required to visualize what’s going on, your memory to follow along with the plot, and when you finish the book, you get a satisfying dose of serotonin.
Take some time each day to build your brain power by doing some reading, whether it’s fiction, science fiction, non-fiction, or whatever you prefer. Audiobooks, for the record, work just as well!
Better your cognition by having your hearing loss addressed
Disregarded hearing loss can increase your danger of cognitive decline, even if you do everything correctly. Which means, even if you garden, swim, and read, you’ll still be fighting an uphill battle, unless you get your hearing loss treated.
When you do get your hearing managed (usually because of a hearing aid or two), all of these enjoyable brain exercises will help increase your cognition. Improving your memory, your thoughts, and your social skills.
Is hearing loss an issue for you? Contact us today to schedule a hearing exam and reconnect to life!
