Opening Our Eyes to New Experiences

July 10, 2024

When was the last time you learned a new skill? If you’re finding it hard to come up with an answer, you’re not alone. As we age, many of us tend to stick to what we know and shy away from new experiences that feel daunting or difficult. But research shows that learning new skills and experiencing new things benefits our brains at any age, so let’s learn more!

Maintaining vs. Growing

Just like the muscles in our body, keeping our brains sharp requires maintenance and growth. Maintaining mental and physical abilities is similar to “staying active” by continuing activities that we know and love. Physical exercise, healthy eating, reading books, and doing crossword puzzles are examples of maintaining mental and physical abilities. The term “muscle memory” applies to these skills, and they are definitely helpful for keeping our brains sharp, but they don’t necessarily require us to learn new skills.

Learning new skills requires “growth” and can be even better for our brains. Even something as simple as googling and researching a new topic is considered brain growth. Opening our eyes to new topics, ideas, and experiences is a great way to expand our horizons and get our juices flowing and those brain synapses going!

Mental vs. Physical

Keeping our minds and our bodies in tip-top condition may seem like a futile task as we age, but a little bit of effort goes a long way! Trying new things and learning new skills is good for both your body and your mind, and is a great way to avoid cognitive decline.

Physical enrichment doesn’t need to be difficult. There’s no need to push yourself too hard physically (and truthfully, it could do more harm than good.) But concentrating on learning the rules of shuffleboard, or the flow of a new tai-chi move as you move your body, is good for both mind and body.

Open to New Opportunities

For persons in senior living communities, participating in a variety of activities is even easier. At senior living providers like LCB Senior Living, resident engagement is a true passion point. A variety of engagement opportunities are offered each and every day, with the purpose of “continuing education, culture, physical wellness, and other programs that reflect who we are as multi-faceted individuals.” From movies to lectures, to museum tours to wine tasting, residents have a world of opportunity at their fingertips.

Our Open Campus approach encourages socialization through shared experiences for all residents. In particular, this philosophy allows residents who reside on Reflections Memory Care to safely enjoy the entire community and its engagement offerings throughout the day, while also providing them with a secure sanctuary to return to for mindful programming, care, and safety. This encourages all residents to be active members of the community, to be independent, and to flourish.

Straight from the Source

Now you know the benefits of trying new things, but is it really that simple? We think it is! Two LCB Senior Living residents recently shared their thoughts with us.

“Being in a community gives me a chance to do things I’ve never done before. I am always busy and there is always something to do.” – Barbara K

 

“The people are friendly. The food is very good. The entertainment is terrific. I get to enjoy all of it.” – Louise D

Let’s all be like Barbara and Louise, open to experiencing all that our communities have to offer. By expanding our horizons, we can continue to collect life experiences and thrive at any age!