Boost Your Brain (26 page)

Stress Reduction Tips

PLAN AHEAD
Invest in a good phone app—or an old-fashioned paper planner—and schedule your days and weeks in advance. I usually set time aside the first day of each year and set ten goals I’d like to achieve that year. On the first Sunday of each month, I set goals I’d like to accomplish that month, and each week I spend fifteen minutes on Sunday nights jotting down what I’d like to accomplish the following week. Every morning I spend five minutes writing down tasks to complete that day that will move me toward my weekly, monthly, and annual goals. Knowing what to expect can greatly reduce your level of stress and help you avoid overscheduling.

LEARN TO SAY NO
It’s hard, especially if you’ve gotten yourself into the habit of helping out whenever asked, but learning how to say no to requests for your time or energy is key to reducing your stress.

LIMIT EXPOSURE TO PEOPLE OR SITUATIONS THAT CAUSE YOU STRESS
Your stress chart will help, but ultimately you have to make a commitment to avoiding some people or situations that cause you stress.

CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE
When stressful situations present themselves, try to put them in perspective in the grand scheme of things. Accept that some things in your life are beyond your control. Do the ABC exercise and work toward changing your attitude and emotions. And practice being upbeat and positive.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
If you’re concerned about famine in Africa, or that you pay too much in taxes, or that your child’s school doesn’t devote enough time to art, do something about it. It might be as simple as writing a letter or attending the next school board meeting to voice your opinion, but taking action can help you break a pattern of anxious thinking. This gives you the pleasure of being proactive, as opposed to the agony of rehashing the same negative thoughts.

PRACTICE INTROSPECTION
It’s easy to get caught up in our hectic lives, running from one commitment to the next without giving much thought as to why. Take some time every few weeks for a little introspection. Ask yourself,
What am I doing in life? Where am I going? What’s working for me and what’s not working? What is important to me and how can I achieve it?

GET HELP IF YOUR STRESS SEEMS UNMANAGEABLE
If your stress level seems out of proportion, or you’re concerned that you might be depressed or suffering from an anxiety disorder, ask your doctor for a screening.

Checkup Time

Congratulations on completing week eight of your bigger-brain plan. By now, parts of your brain have rejuvenated and you feel sharper and more mentally nimble already. You have one month to go, so spend a few minutes thinking about what has worked so far—and what hasn’t. Jot down three major accomplishments you’re proud of and three challenges you still need to tackle.

Accomplishments

1. _______________

2. _______________

3. _______________

Still to do

1. _______________

2. _______________

3. _______________

Week Nine

We don’t often think about the possibility of a stroke until late in life, but as you’ll read in
chapter 12
, the conditions that lead to a stroke often develop long before any symptoms appear. No matter what your age, you should be aware of the factors that contribute to strokes and take steps to limit your risk.

Remember, a stroke is only the tip of the iceberg: although some blood vessels were blocked enough to cause it, many other blood vessels are likely half blocked and are at risk of becoming fully blocked in the future. Risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, carotid artery and peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation, heart disease, sickle cell anemia, high cholesterol, inactivity, obesity, and smoking. Heredity may also play a role.

Stroke Tips

AVOID HYPERTENSION
High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke, so knowing your blood pressure reading, and keeping it regularly within the normal range, is critical.

BEWARE OF DIABETES MELLITUS (TYPE 2)
Diabetes often co-exists with other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or obesity, but it’s a brain shrinker on its own as well. If you are overweight, get checked for diabetes.

KEEP YOUR BLOOD FLOWING
High cholesterol can clog arteries throughout the body, slowing the flow of oxygen to the brain. Be aware of your cholesterol levels, and strive to keep your HDL and LDL levels in the healthy range.

STAY HEART-HEALTHY
Coronary heart disease, heart attack, and other cardiovascular disease substantially increase the risk of stroke. Inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol all increase the risk of both heart attacks and stroke.

QUIT SMOKING
Smoking kills. And it damages the cardiovascular system, and hence increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Week Ten

Congratulations on completing nine weeks of the brain fitness program. You’re three-quarters of the way to your goal. By now, you feel sharper—and you’re not the only one who’s noticed. Friends and family are complimenting you on your memory and clear thinking. You’ve added synapses, new neurons and blood vessels, and bolstered your brain highways. Your CogniCity is flourishing. If you ended week nine on track 2, try moving up to track 3. If you ended week nine on track 3, repeat the third week of track 3 for the remainder of the program, adding intensity and variety when possible.

Week Eleven

You’re approaching the end of your twelve-week plan. Now is a good time to revisit the healthy-body discussion we had in chapter 3. If you’re overweight or obese—and haven’t already taken steps to address your weight—work with your doctor to create a plan for the months ahead.

You should also look back over your pulse and blood pressure notes for the past ten weeks. Are they within the healthy range? If not, talk to your doctor about addressing any underlying health problems. And take a moment to consider any medications you’re taking. Are they still necessary? If you’re unsure, talk to your doctor.

And one last bit of advice as you head into your final weeks: Tell your friends and family about your brain-boosting efforts and successes. Encourage them to join you and start their own brain fitness programs. As you move out of the program, you’ll find having friends and family living a brain-healthy lifestyle will help you to maintain the good habits you’ve established so far.

Week Twelve

This is your last week. Make it your best. Add intensity in one or more areas, or move up a track if you haven’t already. As you finish this week and rate yourself for the last time, consider your next steps. If you’ve established solid habits—and changed your life—you can continue without the structure of my brain fitness program. If you’d like to continue following the program, simply use what you learned to create new challenges for yourself. There’s no limit to your brain potential. Keep harnessing the power within—and enjoy the results.

Graduation!

Congratulations on completing your twelve-week brain fitness program. By now, you should be better able to remember names and faces and feel more mentally clear and creative. If I were to perform a brain MRI on you, I would likely see that your hippocampus is bigger and your cortex considerably denser. On EEG, your brain would likely be humming along in the focused, calm, and alert alpha range.

There’s just one more step to seal the deal: your final Fotuhi Brain Fitness Score. Please rate yourself from 1 to 3 on the following brain fitness calculator: