I’ve been writing to you about connection and conversation during the holidays and much of it has been focused around challenges. Connection focused on fun is equally important!
Last weekend everyone from Solcere, my medical clinic, gathered at my home with their loved ones for a chance to celebrate the holiday and enjoy each other’s company away from challenges we face at the clinic. My daughter and Dr. Lund played hide-and-seek after dinner while others sat around making ornaments. My home felt so full of warmth and laughter.
There are other activities to boost cognition while deepening connection with friends and family and forming bonds centered around positive emotions. Here are some ideas for your brain-boosting holiday fun!
🃏 Uno: Uno means “number one” for a reason! This internationally popular card game is very easy for everyone to play. It’s a great way to maintain or regain your strategic thinking skills and favorite at the Marama and Clear Mind Center senior living homes.
🎲 Trivial Pursuit: Stimulating memory is a great way to keep yours fresh. The game’s “oldies” trivia is guaranteed to make people smile, laugh or reminisce about happy memories. Don’t have a Trivial Pursuit classic edition? Borrow one from a friend and invite them to play! Or look for it and other board games at your local thrift store.
🅰️ Scrabble: We all forget words sometimes. Scrabble helps us recall words, reach for unusual words, and sharpen our verbal skills. Because Scrabble is both challenging and creative, it’s still everyone’s favorite word game.
🧩 Puzzles: Remember how you wanted more and more complicated jigsaw puzzles as you grew? Puzzles are perfect for exercising our spatial abilities. Plus, you can attempt a single jigsaw puzzle by yourself or multiply the fun with family and friends.
But what if no one wants to play?
Here is a site with thousands of free crossword puzzles so you can enjoy brain-boosting play on your own. You just might get others to participate by asking for help with some of the clues.
Watching the documentary Memories for Life – Reversing Alzheimer’s together can inspire some good conversation around the possibility of reversing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Narrated by Grammy-winner Michael Bublé, it is about the first Alzheimer’s patients who are reversing
their cognitive decline by following a novel therapeutic protocol from neurologist, Dr. Dale Bredesen. I’m featured in the film as well. It’s available to rent or buy on AppleTV and PrimeVideo, among others.
However you celebrate, I hope you are able to fill your holidays with fun and meaningful connection.
Warmly,
Dr. Heather Sandison
P.S. – Did you miss my live Keto Workshop on Monday? No problem! For a limited time you can still access the replay. I revealed special, limited-time pricing for the January Marama at Home PLUS course that includes guided group calls with me and a live coaching session with my expert health coach. I encourage you to take a look.
