Applying Those Bookworm Research Findings

You read quite a bit of compelling information in the previous post so now I am going to share with you a simple way to incorporate writing into your life. Right after I read Marina Koren's article, I thought to myself, "Why haven't I been journaling while I read?" I'm not talking of writing pages upon pages and reactions to everything you read. No, I am talking about writing down quotes and words that you want to remember.

Maybe you won't find something to write down every night or when you read, but hopefully you can get in the habit along with me. 

• Keep a journal of some kind along with your book and whenever you come across words/sentences that speak to you, write them down! 
• Share what you have written as that will further engage your mind with the book. Talk with a friend/co-worker/significant other etc., share via social media (I love using quotes as statuses!), use the words in a letter or note to someone, or create a piece of artwork inspired by those meaningful words, or your own unique way of sharing!
• Enjoy going back and seeing what you have written. 

Here is what I'm doing:

Happy reading AND writing! Work that brain! 

Bookworm Benefits for the Brain in Old Age

Recently, on Facebook, a friend of mine shared an article about how being a bookworm can boost brain function in old age. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article, "Being a Lifelong Bookworm May Keep You Sharp in Old Age."  The author of this article, Marina Koren basically summarizes the findings from a brain study, published in Neurology. I suggest you read her post as it is only a page long (and reading is good for you!) and I'm only going to share a few tidbits*.

• "In particular, people who participated in mentally stimulating activities over their lifetimes, both in young, middle and old age, had a slower rate of decline in memory and other mental capacities than those who did not."  -- Makes sense! Use it.... or (say it with me) lose it!
• "Those who didn't read or write often later in life did even worse: their memory decline was 48 percent faster than people who spent an average amount of time on these activities." -- This is a profound finding. Wow. 
• "Reading gives our brains a workout because comprehending text requires more mental energy than, for example, processing an image on a television." -- I want to post this everywhere in addition to the above quotes from this article. How many hours do you, me, children in this country spend in front of a TV? We have got to get our brains churnin' and burnin'! Reading and writing are the gym for our brain. Both develop our memory and stimulate it in critical ways. From what I gather from the article, reading is like running and writing is like lifting weights/doing weight bearing exercises.
• Koren ends her post with a finding from a 2009 brain research study and leaves us with this scary finding: "By 27, mental processes like reasoning, spatial visualization and speed of thought begin to decline." -- So.... who fell off their chair with this? Our brains going downhill at 27?! I'm just about 26.5 years old. Yikes!

So I think the evidence is clear, folks. I know this is one study but it has some excellent points: READ and WRITE often! Do it for your brain now and when you are older!!!

Think I'll go pick up my book now :)

*bold words and emphasis was added by me for fun effects