THE LUPUS ENCYCLOPEDIA - The Lupus Encyclopedia - Living ...



Ways to Cope with Cognitive Dysfunction and Memory Problems- Do mindfulness exercises daily such as 5-10 minutes of breathing exercises, especially before going to bed. Apps such as Relax Lite and Headspace can be especially useful for learning how to perform breathing exercises. Studies show that people who practice mindfulness develop brain growth in the hippocampus which is especially helpful with memory and related brain functions.-Do not multitask; learn to concentrate on one activity at a time.-Eliminate clutter in your life; learn to throw away or give away excessive objects and papers. Take a class on how to de-clutter.-Keep organized.-Carry around a small notepad to take notes and do so frequently. Review your notes later that day.-Use sticky notes at home and work and put them in appropriate places to help you remember things.-Keep a calendar and list of addresses and phone numbers with you at all times. Cell phones and smart phones easily serve this purpose.-Ask that only one person speak at a time during conversations.-During a conversation, concentrate on listening to the other person. Do not do anything else such as looking at your cell phone or newspaper or eating.-Do not be afraid to ask people to repeat themselves when they speak if you miss something.-Get into the habit of repeating things over and over out loud or in your head. For example, when you first meet someone, make a concentrated effort to say the person's name in your mind several times, and then repeat her or his name in the conversation as well.-"Train the brain": do brain exercises such as lumosity (see below), crossword puzzles, Scrabble, or Sudoku daily. - Join and do mental game exercises every day. It uses games proven to improve memory through neuroscience.-Use books to learn how to improve your memory such as The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas or The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young by Gary Small.-Keep your mind active: volunteer, continue working if possible.-Challenge your brain by learning new skills, hobbies. -Increase interactions with others to stimulate your mind: establish new friendships and relationships.-Get treatment for disorders that can cause cognitive dysfunction (memory problems). Ask your doctor if you may have anxiety disorder, depression, fibromyalgia, or obstructive sleep apnea.-Exercise 5 days a week at least (increases blood flow to the brain). Memory experts say that dancing, such as Zumba, is the most effective exercise for memory as it "cross trains" multiple areas of the brain at the same time.-Decrease stress in your life; simplify your life; learn to say "no" when asked to do favors if you are a "yes" person.-Be open about your memory problems with friends and family so they can understand and help.-Get plenty of sleep, and practice all the good sleep hygiene techniques. If you have sleep problems as your doctor for a copy of our sleep hygiene handout. Consider seeing a sleep specialist or getting a sleep study done if insomnia continues to be a problem.- Eat a diet high in vegetables, fresh fruits, and omega-3 fatty acids (fish, walnuts, flax seed, tofu). These have all shown to improve memory and decrease the onset of dementia. Eat a Mediterranean diet and decrease fats, simple carbs, and sugars from the diet.- Go to to watch a lecture about how to improve memory by Dr. Thomas and to download a more in depth handout. Just do a search for "Donald Thomas lupus memory" in youtube; it is easy to find.-Decrease distractions in your environment to make it easier to focus (such as turning off the TV and music).Prepared by:Donald E. Thomas, MD, FACP, FACRAuthor of “The Lupus Encyclopedia” ................
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