Tune-in Tasks to Stay Mentally Fit

Distractions interrupt the brain's memory-making ability, especially in older brains. Twittering when trying to balance the bank book or reading? Annoying noises and other environmental disruptions can cause increased activation in certain regions that normally should be quieter or tuned down. So your memory processes can be short circuited...

Older brains show greater susceptibility according to a recent study at Canadian Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest. “The auditory cortex and prefrontal cortex, associated with external environmental monitoring, were idling too high," claims Dr. Dale Stevens. Interestingly, older brains processed too much irrelevant information from surroundings.

Researchers scanned brains of 12 younger adults and 12 older adults with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Both age groups looked at pictures of faces and later indicated which they recognized.

When both groups failed to recognize a face, the researchers saw decreased activity in the memory encoding regions of the brain, including the hippocampus.

However, when older participants looked at faces they later forgot, their brains showed increased activity in a region that should have been quiet during memory encoding – the auditory cortex, the part of the brain that processes sound in the environment. The older adults averaged 70 years old.

"This indicates that older adults were not able to suppress or filter out the noise of the fMRI machine," said Stevens. "We did not see this in the younger adults at all."

So what possible strategies might folks use to increase attentional skills? Here're 10 starters...

1. Play soft music in background while working since music moves your brain waves.

2. Choose baroque music to increase focus while working or studying

3. Outsource memory on daily planner - include last minute "to-do's."

4. Keep items in a specific place. Determine fixed place for keys at all times. For example, use belt hook or hook on purse. Never set items down willy-nilly.

5. Turn off cell phone while driving. In addition, avoid "deep conversations" since they take your brain off focus on road.

6. Avoid multi-tasking. Brain focuses well on one thing at a time, whether it be driving or writing.

7. Keep eyes on work tasks as you complete them to make sure all's truly finished and clutter removed, and tools returned to designated sites. Clutter exacerbates attentional problems.

8. Observe a person's face carefully and repeat name after introduction. Make mental note of an animal you might connect to that person. Ask the person a question about something s/he enjoys. That adds to a viable memory.

9. Look into person's eyes as you speak so your mind does not wander around the room.

10.Turn off TweetDeck and other techical devices that may interrupt during creative work times. Distractions shut down focus for creativity not matter your age.

Interestingly, as you look at this list, you can see that folks of all ages, teens to seniors, exerience interruptions throughout a day. What do you do target and tune-in, rather than tuning-out?