A (roughly) 12 week program of best practices to ward off dementia.
The Twelve Week Brain Program
Program Goals:
- Move more throughout the day and build an exercise routine into your life
- Find new ways to stimulate your brain through learning and challenging your mind
- Prioritize getting restful routine sleep at night, and incorporate daily de-stressing practices into your routine
- Introduce a new way of nursing your body
- Connect authentically with others and maintain a vibrant social life
Supposed to be “12 weeks”, but it’s not a hard rule.
Weeks 1 & 2
Move more. Try exercising differently. Increase your workouts to 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. Do at least 2 weightlifting routines, not on successive days.
Take classes in something new.
Increase your sleep to at least 7 hours. Time your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime. Don’t have caffeine after 2pm. Go to bed and get up at the same time. In the hour before bedtime do something calming.
Try 15 minutes of deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness exercise.
Eat only when the sun is shining.
Invite friends over.
Weeks 3 & 4
Invite a neighbor over. Stop drinking soft drinks. Download a meditation app.
Weeks 5 & 6
Start a gratitude journal (5 people or situations you’re grateful for, preferably done outside). Add 15 minutes to your exercise routine. Avoid all processed foods. Do 15 minutes meditation before bed.
Weeks 7 & 8
Find opportunities to volunteer. Talk with your doctors. Write a handwritten letter to a younger family member of lessons you can hand down.
Weeks 9 & 10
Basically just check yo’ self on all of the above. Re-read the book for anything you’re not actually abiding by or benefiting from.
Weeks 11 & 12
Ugh. I think the above pretty much covers it.