AARP Rewards Community Learning & Earning Contest August 2022

Please make notifications stop going to my email I tried to go to settings but it won’t work!

I read as much as I can daily to keep my brain stimulated.

I've taken entrepreneur classes, I read Scripture, I am considering taking another language to help those who's healing is not in complete fruition of not being able to hear-Sign Language. I watch the Natures animals out here from bees, ladybug, squirrels, frogs, possom, skunk, deer, all kinds of birds. I've been able to explore an apartment as an arbortorium where caterpillars expand to butterflies of all variety. Engaging my brain activing comes mostly comes from Above-Live Entertainment. Thank you. Stay Healthy!!!! 

I recently moved to a retirement village and joined an exercise class as well as attending other events designed to introduce new residents to other long term and new residents. In doing so I am challenged to learn a multitude of new names. So I practice remembering names by assigning or attaching their name to something I already know or am familiar with such as a place or thing. I am also volunteering with Meals on Wheels which, again, challenges me to remember new names along with helping me to socialize with the community.  I am also pushing myself to join different groups for activities. Even while working I have never been engaged in so many different scenarios for for learning and changing.

Keeping my brain active and engaged is really a whole body experience . Taking OLLIE classes has been a great way to connect with my community, which has lead me to volunteer as a docent at Cal State University Long Beach Contemporary Art Museum. Interacting with beautiful works of art, and experimenting with creative techniques
is stimulating, as well as, fun.
Daily walks energizes my mental capacity, while having an attitude of gratitude enlivens my spirit. Positive relationships with family and friends keeps my husband and I feeling fortunate and blessed.

I meditate and read from a spiritual text to prepare my mind every morning. I enjoy gardening on my balcony after I get up, then I take my service dogs on a walk (which varies from a mile to just across the street, depending on my pain level). I have a mild allergy to the sun, so I have to wear a light jacket. Despite having to cover up, it still feels good to be outside in the sun. This helps me to maintain a relaxed and positive mental state throughout the day. To continue keeping my brain active (Did I mention I've had to isolate BEFORE COVID? I have a compromised immune system, so I can't go anywhere. There's only a handful of people that can be around me and most of them have to wear a mask), I will cook, sew, do my nails (my natural nails are very long, so it's cheaper to do them myself), and/or take care of my service dogs.

After I walk the dogs in the evening, I'll do a workout/ weight training for, at least, 30 minutes. This helps me get any negative thoughts out of my mind and gets me ready to go to bed. Lastly, I'll read an actual book, or play single person card games. I'm a musician, so I'm always hearing/ listening to music, which leads me to singing/ playing an instrument. This is my antidepressant. It stimulus my brain and releases endorphins. It keeps my depression in remission. 

I'm embarking on a new journey to help me continue to further stimulate my mind by starting an intellectual podcast and learning to speak another language, as well.

Somebody I love died from dementia and it made me want to take better care of myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. I have degrees in psychology and sociology, so I strongly believe taking care of/ exercising my brain is very important. 

I am staying at work since it is challenging to find ways to do tasks differently with the latest technology and changes that keep occuring to our work software applications.

I do word games almost every day. I am recently recovered from a bout of covid (mild, thankfully!); when I was on the mend, my interest in word games came back. I don't want to say I couldn't do them while I was sick, but the interest wasn't there.

I play multiple word games, complete puzzles and play solitaire and bid whist online. I read books and exercise 3-4 days a week. I also take online classes and recently enrolled in a class to learn how to trade options.

I try to ride my coaster bike at least 5 miles a day, play wordle and try to change up daily how I do things.  Use right hand instead of left, change my daily routine.....