Brain Awareness Week
Updated: Apr 10, 2019
We all have one, but we don't always look after them so well. 🤯
1 in 6 people will be affected by brain disease and disorders in their lifetime.
Nearly all migraine sufferers and 60% of those with tension-type headache experience reductions in social activities and work capacity.
you can join the National Headache register for more information on how to manage your headaches and help raise funds into headache research.
Here are some Pointers from the Brain Foundation to maintain a Healthy Brain
Exercise and challenge your brain – don’t be a couch potato
Nourish your brain with a healthy diet, drink alcohol in moderation
Enjoy physical activity
Make “safety first” a priority – wear a helmet, drive safely, take any head injury seriously
Learn to manage stress and depression
Relax and sleep well
Have regular checks for blood pressure, diabetes, heart rate, cholesterol
Do not smoke or use illegal drugs
Human mental decline typically begins before 40
We must take measures to keep our brains in shape, no matter what age
The brain needs exercise. Practising skills leads to better performance
Unused parts of the brain stop working
Challenging the brain with new activities wakes up new areas
Try things you don’t already do – an accountant might study a new language
Challenging creates new pathways that appear to become alternate routes when neurones die off in middle and old age.
Research suggests – Reading to a small child enhances mental development – Ongoing mental stimulation provides some protection against mental decline
How can you exercise and challenge your brain ?
Exercising the brain is doing anything that makes you think, such as “what did I do last Saturday?”
Avoid using calculators
Swap TV for mind games or a book
Play games that involve memory (bridge) or thinking ahead (chess)
Take up a new hobby, learn a musical instrument, study a new language
When you read a paper, consider your own editorial
Prepare for retirement as a time for “serious leisure”, for a hobby or activity that involves “the whole being”
