1. Diverting Attention

• Try to think of something pleasant.
• Count numbers in your head or run a song through your mind.
• Play mental games with yourself to keep your mind off the pain.
• Replay in your mind pleasant experience in the past.
• Think of people you enjoy doing things with.
• Think of things you enjoy doing.

2. Reinterpreting the pain sensation

• Try to feel distant from the pain, almost as if the pain was in somebody else’s body.
• Don’t think of it as pain but rather as a dull or warm feeling.
• Think of it as some other sensation, such as numbness.
• Don’t try to think about it as your body, but rather as something separate from you.
• Imagine that the pain is outside of your body.
• Pretend it is not part of you.

3. Ignoring Sensation

• Don’t think about the pain.
• Tell yourself it doesn’t hurt.
• Don’t pay any attention to it.
• Pretend it is not there.
• Go on as if nothing happened.
• Ignore it.

4. Coping Self-statements

• Tell yourself to be brave and carry on despite the pain.
• Tell yourself you can overcome the pain.
• Tell yourself you can’t let the pain stand in the way of what you have to do.
• No matter how bad it gets, you should know you can handle it.
• See it as a challenge and don’t let it bother you.
• Although it hurts, keep going.

5. Behavioural Coping Strategy

• Leave the house and do something, such as going to the movies or shopping.
• Read books or newspapers.
• Try to be around other people.
• Do anything to get your mind off the pain.
• Do something you enjoy, such as watching TV or listening to music.
• Do something active, like household chores or projects.

Photo credit:  sxc.hu

Use it or lose it

• “use your mind or lose it” ; it’s your choice!

• mental exercises will strengthen and enhance cognitive (mental) functions over time.

• memory loss, sluggish thinking, and blocks in problem- solving are not an inevitable part of ageing if the brain remains challenged.

• Monique Le Poncin, founder of the French National Institute for Research on the Prevention of Cerebral Aging, has written a fascinating book called Brain Fitness. Take a peek at it. She advocates a technique of cerebral activation, which she calls “brain fitness.”

How “brain fitness” works

• The goal of brain fitness is to revitalize and restore certain mental abilities before they slow down. Brain fitness literally keeps your brain buzzing

• But, to get the most from “brain fitness” you have to practice. By repeating the exercises over several weeks, real progress can be seen in a relatively short time.

Do day-by-day activation

• To stimulate all parts of the brain, combine different variations of these exercises each day.

• Keep a record of your progress. People who monitor are more likely to stick to the plan and therefore achieve outcomes.

• Read below to view a range of brain exercises. Each exercise is categorized by the specific mental ability it is designed to strengthen.

Exercise your PERCEPTIVE ABILITIES (alma ensure all pictures are publilc domain. If you can’t get public domain just use the brain picture you get below – I am not sure if the one’s below are public domain.

• The goal is to exercise perception in all five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Sight – Each day, observe an object (a photograph, for example) or a person you pass on the street. Draw it (or him or her) immediately. This exercises short-term memory. At the end of the week, redraw the seven objects or persons you have observed over the last week. This exercises long-term memory.

Smell/Taste – When dining in a restaurant or at a friend’s home, try to identify the ingredients in the dishes you are served. Concentrate on the subtle flavorings of herbs and spices. Ask the waiter or your host to verify your perceptions.

Memory – Try to memorize the dishes offered on your favorite restaurant’s menu. To make the exercise more challenging, memorize the prices as well. At the end of the day, recall as many of the dishes/prices as you can and write them down.

Hearing – On the telephone, practice recognizing callers before they identify themselves. Then memorize callers’ phone numbers. At the end of the day, write down the people you have spoken with that day, as well as their phone numbers. At the end of the week, try writing down as many of these as you can.

Smell/Touch - Exercise your senses of smell and touch by trying to identify objects with your eyes closed.

Photo credits: iStockphotos

Reflect on the pioneers who traversed America.

They left the cities, taking many of their treasured possessions with them on the wagons. They were in high spirits.

However, before long they were in a state of shock. They realised the problems associated with their commitment and the fact there could be no turning back.

A denial period set in; they buried their heads in the sand and didn’t face their problems.

When they could not ignore the reality of the situation they began to negotiate.

They realised that they would have more hope of survival if they dumped some of their treasures. They littered the roads with beautiful furniture and household goods. Although they were saddened by the beautiful things they lost they acknowledged that by dropping things they did not need for the journey gave them a better chance of survival.

At this point they have faced reality.

They grieve for what they have lost but they resign themselves to the situation.

After resignation comes acceptance and now energy is released to continue on the journey.

In a similar way we can re-evaluate our lives and drop some of the possessions, beliefs and values that hold us back from giving us the best chance of survival.

Photo Credit:  Joshua Blake