Cognitive scientists used to think that all your neural connections happened in childhood and then slowly were pruned or fell away from disuse. Research at one time claimed there was cognitive decline past a certain age. However, that research was eventually called into question because the early researchers had compared groups of older and younger adults who had been raised in different eras. The results were confounded by factors like differences in educational norms and nutrition when members of each group were younger.
That research eventually gave way to the idea of neural plasticity and neuronal growth lasting well into adulthood. We can continue to grow new neurons or develop new pathways as we age, provide we use our brains like any other muscle – use it or lose it. My grandmother worked on crossword puzzles. A friend continued writing his book, even in the throes of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Try things that stretch you. Read books or articles that require you to pay attention for longer than the 3 seconds you would spend on a social media. Listen to podcasts from a different viewpoint. Pick up a new hobby. Go to a community table discussion and meet someone who has a different perspective about local current events.
Pay attention to the world around you. Notice new restaurants – what was there before? Think about connections between things. Ask questions about why something is what it is and why it is not something else.
Stay curious my friends.
Puzzle Pieces Coaching 