This is a time of year many of us look forward to.
Yes, there’s lots to do, and yes, we are busy. But we get to see family and friends. We see our kids’, (little, or maybe not so little anymore), eyes light up because we got them just the right gifts. (Or maybe Santa got it, even though they’re 20 and 18.)
#4 — Stay Socially Connected
Spending quality time with others will help reduce your risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s. Did you know that? Remember #4 of the 10 steps — Stay Socially Connected. It’s important no matter how old or young we are. We know that babies and children who do not get ample emotional and physical attention have greater risks of social, emotional and behavioral problems. We have seen this in children who grew up in orphanages where there was touch and emotional deprivation. Their hormone levels were very different. This included higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. There are a lot of changes that naturally go on in the brains of infants and children. Those changes may not happen in the usual way, or at all, without social interaction. We can see similar problems in children where a parent is too depressed to emotionally engage with the child.
And guess what, even as we get older, social connections remain very important. Family, friends, colleagues at work… Maybe you don’t consider all of the people you come in contact with on a regular basis. Maybe you take some or all of them for granted. Don’t.
After Emergency Surgery
Today one of my office patients was a young man I had to do emergency spine surgery on earlier this year. That was scary for him and his family, but he really didn’t have a choice. And he didn’t have much time to think about it. He had to be taken straight from the emergency department to the operating room. After the surgery, he had to recover. He couldn’t go right back to work, or running, or playing basketball. Instead he had to go to physical therapy and many doctor’s visits. What he was able to do was spend a lot of time, much more time than usual, with his grandmother. In fact, she kept his spirits up when he wondered whether he would ever get back to sports, work, and all his other activities.
This morning he told me that she passed away two weeks ago. Most of his family lives out of town and he was the only one at her bedside when she died. He told me that the year had worked out in a funny way. He obviously hadn’t wanted to be injured. And who wants to be in a position where they need emergency surgery? But, because of that situation he had spent a lot of time with his grandmother. And for that he was extremely grateful.
Connections New and Old
Take advantage of those social connections. Make more whenever possible. And don’t take those old stable family connections for granted. While you’re socializing your brain is making more memories and more network connections. You’re reducing your risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s. You often don’t realize how much you’re getting from those experiences.
Then they’re gone…
Every day…..Say NO To Stroke!
