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From My Boomer Brain to Your Boomer Brain

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Jan 30
  • 3 min read



In 2006 I discovered how we can maintain an aging brain.  To understand how to reverse aging changes, It was necessary to understand how our brain ages and what brain functions were affected.  I was in my fifties when I started this career path. 


Throughout the years my perspective on the aging brain was evolving.  In my fifties my knowledge of what was going on with my brain was basic.  It was still an academic approach to changing my brain, more so than experience.  My enthusiasm to learn more drove me to seek out teachers and mentors.  Brain health was focused on preventing dementia.  The benefits were amazing, but I didn’t know how to communicate that because I was focused on preventing dementia, not recovering brain aging losses. 


In my sixties I had brain surgery, and this was when I had to use all my knowledge to change my brain.  Your brain needs some serious rehab after surgery.  After using all my knowledge to recover my high-functioning brain you would have thought I would focus on recovering a healthy brain.  But I thought everyone was more fearful of dementia and wanted to know how to prevent it. With my knowledge of brain-health I wasn’t fearful of getting Alzheimer’s disease and because of that, I wasn’t too concerned about the brain-aging losses I was starting to experience.  I wasn’t focused on the right perspective! 


Now I am in my seventies! There is no denying the impact that aging changes have had on my brain!  Now I understand!  Aging alters your brain and has a significant impact on brain function.  This can be unnerving if you don’t know what is happening. 


My focus is now on the aging brain, the losses we sustain and how that impacts our lives.  Our lives change dramatically as we get older.  Retirement, health challenges, financial success or hardship, kids, grandkids, housing, and experiencing the loss of family, friends, rock and roll icons can change how we perceive our older years.   When our brain is high-functioning, we are high-functioning.


Aging is an individual experience.  How do you make the most of your situation?  My articles are shifting to specific challenges to the older brain.  For example, how do you recover top brain function after anesthesia?  How does the brain process grief?  What is the role of resilience in our older years? Finding purpose and passion after retirement is life fulfilling.  How does our past influence our future?  We have an eclectic background as boomers.  How does that influence our world view?  Our brains are the center of our collective memories. 


Right now, there are 7 million people who have Alzheimer’s.  By 2050, there will be 13 million cases of Alzheimer’s in the U.S.  The huge jump in cases is due to longevity and the size of the boomer group.  The older we get, the higher the risks of developing dementia.  There will be more people who won’t develop dementia until they are in their nineties.  This should not be the legacy of the boomers.

Let’s practice self-care by learning and living the brain-healthy lifestyle.  Let’s learn how to recover from life losses and brain losses.  Resilience is a learned trait. Let’s find passion, purpose, and meaning in our older years.  It is hard to imagine, but our retirement years could be longer than our work years.  Let’s learn to make these the best years of our lives.


The Boomer Brain is about the aging brain and lays out a Plan to implement the brain-healthy lifestyle.  My articles will cover all these specific topics and more. However, I know that it is difficult to read this information and then use it.  Change is complicated and it can be frustrating.  To solve this conundrum, I am opening individual and group coaching sessions.  Information will be forthcoming.  In the meantime, I would appreciate your insights on what you would want to read and learn.  Please email me at patricia@myboomerbrain.com.


You are never too old to change your brain!

Pat

 

 

 

 
 
 

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March was an unusual month for me.  Normally I work on articles, give presentations and generally just stay tuned to what is going on in the field of aging.  This month I “learned” a lot.  Last year I learned how to write a book.  At the time I took the course I thought it would just be a natural extension of all the writing I had done over the years.  WRONG!!  The actual writing of the book was the easy part.  Putting it together into a book was difficult for me.  The course gave me step by step lessons on constructing a book.  Then editing and formatting were just as challenging.  On June 7 last year the book was published!  It was one of the most satisfying days of my writing career. 

Naturally, when you self-publish, you do not have a publisher promoting the book and getting it in the right categories for best sales on Amazon.  That was crushing because I really didn’t know to appropriately market it.  I am a brain health person!  In December of last year, I purchased a marketing program that is based on statistics.  I am technical minded and so this approach made sense to me.  The course is almost completed.  Can’t wait to see if it improves sales!

The next step I am looking at is recording an audiobook.  This is another venture I knew nothing about.  But I am already tagged on Facebook for marketing of audio book programs.  Facebook picks up everything.  Now my husband was creative director for an advertising agency and when I told him I purchased another class – he couldn’t believe it.  “This was my business.  I know how to do recordings, why didn’t you ask me?” Well, I knew he was an expert in that business, but this audiobook needs to meet all the criteria that Amazon requires for publication.  So, he can take care of the recording part of this audiobook, and I will navigate the process of meeting Amazon’s requirements.  We worked on the book together like this. 

Then I talked with some coaching experts on the viability of starting group teaching programs.  Reading The Boomer Brain book and implementing the Brain Healthy Lifestyle have two entirely different outcomes.  This lifestyle is important to maintaining high cognitive function throughout the later years of our lives.  Look for updates as to when I will roll this program out.

My last learning endeavor was attending a two-day bootcamp for Speakers.  I am really excited about what I learned there.  That is a late this year or next year project, but it is one I am really looking forward to.

 

What Is Happening in April?

The American Society on Aging is having their annual conference in Orlando Florida April 21-24.  This is the largest multidisciplinary conference on aging and the annual conference for Members of ASA.  I have attended a number of these conferences throughout the years, and it is consequential.  Keynote speakers and special events are focused on combating ageism in our society.  Although this is a professional meeting, the attendees come from all aspects of aging services.  They have their work cut out for them this year!

April is Stress Awareness Month.  We should be aware of stress every month and understand how we can break the stress cycle.  These are stressful times, and we need to protect ourselves

Here is a positive one “April is National Volunteer Month”.  When I am working with new retirees who don’t know what to do, I talk to them about volunteering. It is important to have a purpose after you leave the workforce.  There are so many nonprofits who need help in all aspects of their organizations.  It is a perfect way to give back.

Finally – It was Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds – the oldest major league team in the nation.  Cincinnati takes that responsibility seriously.  There is always an Opening Day Parade through downtown to the Ball Park.  Huge crowds line the streets and every year there is talk of making it an official holiday.  Schools and employers look the other way when there is an empty desk.  No matter what the outcome of the game is, there is so much joy, and you can feel that energy.  I am fortunate that I get to experience that.  We all need some joy right now. 

Enjoy your April.

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