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Brain Hygiene for Middle-Aged and Elderly Intellectuals

YANG YINCHANG

BRAIN activity is the basic way mental workers create value in their labor. Thus brain hygiene is especially important for intellectuals.

The ability of the cranial nerves influences various mental activities such as thinking and memory, and is closely linked with mental and physical health. As with other organic parts of the body, the brain begins to decline when a person enters middle age. For most people, the brain cells begin to reduce at the age of 50, and this causes a failing memory and slower re¬actions. If compounded with diseases such as arterioclerosis, the failing of the brain comes sooner.

If brain debilitation begins before 50, it is called prema¬ture senility. Except for physical factors, this is closely connected with psychological factors, particularly the rational use and protection of the brain.

Never Overtaxing the Brain To protect the brain, one must first of all keep using it.
Excitation and inhibition are the two basic behaviors of the cerebral nerves. The capability of its excitation, the degree of its inhibition and the speed of transition from one to the oth¬er are measures of whether the brain is strong or weak. That is to say, a healthy brain should behave according to the objective laws and needs in one state or the other, and transmit promptly.

Although everyone's mental ability has limitations, it is very elastic. As with physical strength, it can be increased through training. The more one uses the brain, the wiser he becomes. But the training should proceed step by step.

Middle-aged people should overcome laziness. This is because physiological changes, such as overweight, have become a burden to various organs and systems of the body. On the other hand, some people may become content with their achievements and reluctant to advance further. Both are harm¬ful to the brain. With the aging process and the decline of physiological functions, laziness will develop, which will accel¬erate the failing of the brain. Some retirees are not good at arranging their lives, so that within one or two years their aging becomes obvious.

The reduction of brain cells is one reason for the failing of the brain. In a human's lifetime this reduction is insignificant. There are great potentials in the brain that have not been ex¬plored. As long as middle-aged and elderly people are willing to use the brain and are good at using it, they can keep a good memory and their efficiency in learning.
The major problem with most middle-aged intellectuals is not laziness but overtaxing the brain. When the brain is tired, one cannot concentrate on anything, thinking is slow, and even dizziness and headaches appear. This is a signal from the tran¬sition process in the brain from excitation to inhibition. Fatigue of the brain is a normal phenomenon and can be eliminated with rest. But long-time overtaxing of the brain exceeds the en¬durance of the brain nerves and may cause brain function disor¬ders, i.e., neurasthenia. So, both laziness and overtaxing of the brain lead to premature senility of the brain. To avoid this, attention must be paid to adjustment of the brain's imbalance.

Adjustment of the Brain
This means proper balance between work and rest as required by the laws of alternative excitation and inhibition of the brain. Generally speaking, a break of 10 minutes once every two hours is necessary. During such breaks, go for a walk or do exercises to inhale fresh air and limber up the joints. These can relieve mental fatigue and tiredness caused by sitting for long periods.

Periodic changes in the form and content of work alter¬nates the excitation and inhibition of different areas of the brain. Such changes result in people not feeling tired even when working for a long time.

Sleep is the protective inhibitor of the brain and is the most important form of rest. Some people think that the older people become, the less they sleep. This is not correct. Middle-aged and elderly intellectuals should guarantee them¬selves 7 or 8 hours of sleep nightly. Otherwise they cannot recover from the mental work of the day. Long periods of inade¬quate sleep not only bring on low spirits but also harm the brain.

Adjustment of the brain is not only the need of mental work but an important measure for protecting the brain. Time schedules may vary for different intellectuals but the principle should be "stop for a rest when tired and return to work when recoverd." Pavlov said that "nothing is stronger than rhythm in the activities of the human organism." Regularity in life builds up a rhythm in the excitation and inhibition functions of the brain and makes them adapt to daily life.

Aiding Memory

The first symptom of a failing brain is failing memory, es¬pecially recent memory. Almost every old person has this expe¬rience: the newly happened things are forgotten easily but the things that happened long ago, even in childhood, can be re¬membered clearly. Because of this, old people feel it difficult to memorize new things.

Recent memory is short-term memory, the initial stage of memory. After learning new things, the middle-aged and elderly should consolidate them, turning short-term memory into long-term memory. They should take advantage of their accu¬mulated knowledge, connect the newly learned knowledge with old knowledge to help memorize it. Another method is to take notes, which are not only convenient to check but helpful to memory. In fact, everyone can devise methods of his own to raise memory ability. A good memory is not only the need of mental work, it is one of the measures of saving effort and keeping the brain fit.

Keeping in a Good Mood

The psychological changes in the middle-aged and elderly intellectuals are great. Middle-aged people are often nervous because of the double burden of career and family. When en¬tering old age, the division of their family, the separation from their offspring and the reduction of social activities make them lonely. Weaker physique, illness and fewer interests in life may cause depression and vexation, which are harmful to health and the functions of the brain.

People who live long often have different secrets, but a common one is keeping in a good mood and being optimistic. Continuing to learn helps relieve depression but cannot eliminate it. When worried, it is important to comfort oneself and not allow the worries to linger in the mind. Second, keep some hobbies, such as chess, painting and calligraphy, raising flow¬ers, fishing and so on. These help adjust the brain and improve one's mental state. Third, pursue a perfect life. This includes not only one's career but marriage and family. Even in old age, single people should find a marriage partner, the widowed should organize a new family. Fourth, pay attention to appear¬ance. "Slovenly" is often used to describe some intellectuals. Taking care of appearance and clothing awakens vigor. Fifth, enjoy family happiness. Middle-aged and elderly intellectuals should not become unsociable and eccentric. Besides social ac¬tivities, they should entertain together with children and young people, a process that makes them forget their years.

Strengthening Physique

Except for physiological and psychological factors, physi¬cal condition is another important factor influencing the health of the brain. Adequate nutrition, a rational diet, giving up smoking and alcohol are all necessary. Emphasis should also be placed on the most effective method of strengthening the physique — sports.

Sports is commonly recognized as the most effective method of preventing and treating disease and prolonging life. Statistics show that with people between 40 and 50 there are great differences in physical condition between those who per¬sist in sports and those who don't. Continued participation in sports or manual labor can prolong a life by 10 years on the av¬erage. Sports strengthen the physique and temper the will, im¬prove the state of mind and coordinate the functions of the or¬gans and systems of the body. It reduces obesity and blood fat, and prevents and treats arteriosclerosis. For mental workers, movement can relieve mental fatigue, accelerate the metabolism rate, raise the capability of the brain to control the excitation and inhibition function, and bring good sleep.
Finally, although most people admit that exercise, enter¬tainment, diet and sleep are important to mental health, many do not pay enough attention to them because of tight time schedules. Yet spending time on exercises raises work efficien¬cy and wins more time for work. This is the dialectical logic of time consumption.