Did you know our brains have the ability to learn and grow as we age?
It is a process called brain plasticity and it allows the brain to reorganize neural pathways. But for it to do so, we have to train it on a regular basis. Every time our brain processes new experiences it is enriching our neural passageways. Under-stimulated brains lose plasicity because neural pathways are underused or underdeveloped.
Research results presented at the 2018 American Psychological Association convention indicate that subjective age could be shaped by the level of control individuals believe they have over their lives.
The research suggests that a younger subjective age is associated with a variety of positives outcomes in older individuals, including better memory performance, health and longevity. Research subjects who thought they had a high level of control over the activities in which they participated in each day felt younger than their age.
So older adults take a moment and ask yourself "am I thinking young or old?" And if you are younger I'm sure you know someone older, so let them know that thinking and feeling younger may actually be good for their health!
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