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Resilience and Strength: My Journey in Books

Life is full of challenges we cannot control, yet it is within those very challenges that we often discover our greatest strength. Through my writing, I have shared a journey shaped by disability, spirituality, and resilience, showing how acceptance can lead to peace, and how survival can give way to healing.

Cerebral Palsy: A Story 'Finding the Calm After the Storm'

In Cerebral Palsy: A Story (a cerebral palsy memoir about disability and resilience). I tell the truth of living with something I later learn is a disability, learning to understand and then find a way through, to confront my limitations, of navigating life differently, and of learning to embrace mental and emotional strength.

It is a story of resilience, but also one of clarity: that while we cannot always change our circumstances, we can change the way we live through them. I have come through, but how I got to where I am is still a struggle.

Spirituality, Healing and Me – 'How living a spiritual life offers hope and healing in the modern world'

Spirituality, Healing and Me (a personal growth and self-healing book exploring spirituality, mindfulness, and emotional balance) is a book that builds on that foundation. It is a reminder that healing isn’t about fixing what's “broken,” but about finding balance, so that it is possible to have acceptance.

Acceptance has a chance to come when we stop overthinking and stop chasing approval. As a child I was always looking for that approval. It is important to seek out your own approval.

Survival: The Covid Years – 'Time for Change'

Then came Survival: The Covid Years (a powerful Covid-19 survival story and mental health memoir about resilience and strength during the global pandemic). The world changed for all of us, but for me this is when I really understood what having anxiety meant. Within days of hearing about the pandemic, I came face to face with the pandemic, realising very quickly just how little control I had over external events.

As I later learned, survival isn’t only about getting through the hard times, it is also about discovering clarity, compassion, and strength for yourself in the midst of them.

Together, my books share one message:

"If you are tired of overextending yourself, of holding on to what weighs you down, or of feeling defined by circumstances outside your control, my books offer a way through: a reminder that clarity, strength, and peace can be found in the smallest of choices: through acceptance, resilience, and self-respect."

Cerebral Palsy: A Story

Spirituality, Healing and Me

Survival: The Covid Years

Each book is a step along the same journey: surviving, finding the strength to heal, in the face of life’s challenges.

“Strength isn’t about control: it’s about acceptance. It's about discovering resilience.”

“Healing can start when you find courage, and clarity.”

“Survive, heal, and thrive isn’t easy, but they are all transformative.”

“Three books. One journey: finding acceptance, clarity and appreciating and valuing myself.”

To purchase my books through The CP Diary, please visit my dedicated book page here:

To buy my Books – The CP Diary https://thecpdiary.com/my-books

Net proceeds to go to mental health charities (supporting mental health awareness and emotional wellbeing with every purchase).

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

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Carrying the Weight: Living With Trauma, Depression and Grief

Depression is something you know when you’ve got it. It isn’t just sadness, it’s a weight, a heaviness that lingers every day. For me, this weight became heavier after the loss of my twin, layered with trauma that has followed me since childhood.

Now, with so many new changes in my life, I find myself struggling to cope with the emotions, the memories, and the silence that follows.

How Depression Feels Day-to-Day

Depression can often feel indescribable, but for me it shows up as:

An overwhelming heaviness;

a sense of waiting for relief that never quite arrives;

A mix of exhaustion, hopelessness, and numbness.

When grief and trauma are added to depression, it feels overwhelming and claustrophobic. The loss of my twin isn’t just something I think about – it’s something I carry. Childhood trauma deepens my struggle, reminding me that I still live with unresolved fears – fears that were never addressed, and wounds that never had the chance to heal.

Coping With Grief and Trauma

Coping with grief and trauma alongside depression isn't easy. Some days I feel like I'm surviving; other days it's all too much, it's overwhelming.

Surviving the day with depression is an achievement.

Mental Health Reflections

The CP Diary is a way to keep track of how I’m feeling, to give shape to my emotions and my truths that otherwise would sit silently.

Writing has become a way for me to cope and to heal – with twin loss, grief, and the layers of trauma and struggles that I later learned were shaped by autism, anxiety, and depression.

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

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Finding Strength Through Acceptance, Healing and Survival

Life is full of challenges we cannot control, yet it is within those very challenges that we often discover our greatest strength. Through my writing, I have shared a journey shaped by disability, spirituality, and resilience, showing how acceptance can lead to peace, and how survival can give way to healing.

In Cerebral Palsy: A Story, I tell the truth of living with a disability – of confronting limitations, of navigating life differently, and of learning to embrace my mental and emotional strength.

It is a story of resilience, but also one of clarity: that while we cannot always change our circumstances, we can change the way we live through them.

Spirituality, Healing and Me, builds on that foundation. It is a reminder that healing isn’t about fixing what is “broken,” but about finding balance and peace with what is.

True healing comes when we stop overthinking, stop chasing approval, and begin to honour what we truly need for ourselves.

Then came Survival: The Covid Years. The world changed for all of us, and once again, I was reminded how little control we have over external events. Yet survival isn’t only about getting through the hard times – it is also about discovering clarity, compassion, and strength in the midst of them.

Together, these books share one message:

"If you are tired of overextending yourself, of holding on to what weighs you down, or of feeling defined by circumstances outside your control, my books offer a way through: a reminder that clarity, strength, and peace can be found in the smallest of choices – acceptance, resilience, and self-respect."

✨ Cerebral Palsy: A Story ✨ Spirituality, Healing and Me ✨ Survival: The Covid Years

Each book is a step along the same journey: finding strength, healing, and peace in the face of life’s challenges.

“Strength isn’t about control: it’s about acceptance. Discover your resilience.” “Healing starts when you honour yourself – where you find Clarity, Peace, and Courage.” “Survive, Heal, Thrive: the journey isn’t easy, but it is transformative.”

“Three books. One journey: living fully, loving yourself, and finding peace.”

To purchase my books through The CP Diary, please visit my dedicated book page here:

Net proceeds to go to mental health charities

👉 Buy My Books – The CP Diary https://www.thecpdiary.com/my-books

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Self-Sabotage: What Brexit Can Teach Us About Personal Growth and Decision-Making

Politicians in the UK are showing the world just what self-sabotage looks like. The UK government, in cutting ties with the EU, has revealed in full what happens when drastic choices are made. Choices driven by ego, self-gratification, and short-term gain, rather than by what serves the wider public show us, on a large scale, what happens when decision-making goes unchecked.

Brexit provides a vivid example of this, and it’s a lesson we can apply to our own lives.

How We Self-Sabotage In Everyday Life

But self-sabotage isn’t only political. We all do it in our own lives, often without realising. In our minds, we believe we’re making the right choices, but those choices are shaped by where we are mentally at the time, not always by what’s best for us in the longer-term.

The Role of Unconscious Decisions

So many of our decisions come from past experiences, especially painful ones. Unconscious patterns, the kind that live beneath the surface, the patterns that continue to guide our actions.

My Personal Experience with Self-Sabotage

Asa child, I would self-sabotage through anger. But I’ve also had to learn to dig deep. Over the years I have spent time reflecting, trying to make sense of my experiences, of the world around me. When I finally learned to tap into and to trust my intuition the truth of what happened to me, became unavoidable. I didn’t always like what I saw, but I knew that if my life was going to change for the better, I had to face it. 

Through writing, over the years, I have slowly peeled back layers of my own story. In doing so, I uncovered a life very different from the one I was living. Although it's been difficult, it's also been the most valuable work I’ve done. Facing the truth is painful, but it’s the only path to authentic personal growth.

Why Facing the Truth Improves Decision-Making

When your life is built on illusions rather than truth, you start to make poor choices. The lesson of Brexit is simple but powerful: read between the lines on what the politicians don't say. Just as governments need to face reality to make better decisions, so too must we in our personal lives.

Overcoming Self-Sabotage Through Truth

Real progress, in politics, in work, in relationships, and in ourselves, only comes when we are willing to face uncomfortable truths. It needs to happen, because that’s how we break the cycle of self-sabotage and start making better choices that lead to growth, instead of regret.

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

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Tinnitus: How Trauma and Stress Affect It

Understanding the Trauma and Stress Tinnitus Connection – and Finding Relief

If you’ve ever noticed your tinnitus (that ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears) gets worse when you’re stressed, you’re not imagining it. Stress and tinnitus are linked, and understanding it can help you find relief.

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a symptom, usually described as hearing a sound when no external source is present. It's not a disease. The intensity varies: some people may experience mild, occasional sounds, while others face persistent, disruptive noise that impacts their sleep, focus, and overall quality of life.

How do I know this? I know because I live with tinnitus. It began two months after I lost my twin. While my twin went through six months of trauma, tinnitus was already waiting in the wings for me. She died in December 2022 and by February 2023, it had arrived.

How Stress and Tinnitus Interact

Stress can make Tinnitus louder. How? Stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, causing muscle tension, increased heart rate, and heightened sensitivity to internal sensations. This heightened awareness makes the brain more likely to notice and amplify tinnitus sounds.

Several everyday factors can add to this effect:

Caffeine (coffee, and energy drinks) can increase alertness and stimulate the nervous system, which may amplify tinnitus in some people.

Prolonged computer use extended screen time can cause stress, fatigue, and neck/shoulder tension, all of which can worsen tinnitus.

Bright lights or harsh lighting may contribute to eye strain and stress, indirectly making tinnitus more prominent.

These factors don’t usually cause tinnitus but can make existing symptoms feel louder, or more intrusive.

Why Managing Stress Helps

By reducing stress through relaxation techniques, mindfulness, or therapy, many people can find relief from tinnitus symptoms. Lowering stress levels can make ear ringing less noticeable and improve sleep, concentration, and daily comfort.

Tinnitus Itself Is Stressful

Living with ongoing ear noise can be exhausting, and isolating. Over time, this can create a cycle where tinnitus triggers stress, and stress, in turn, worsens tinnitus symptoms.

The Brain Connection Between Stress and Tinnitus

Research suggests that stress affects how the brain processes sound and attention. For people who deal with tinnitus, the brain may misinterpret signals from the auditory system – with stress making these misinterpretations more intense.

Managing Stress to Ease Tinnitus

While stress doesn’t usually cause tinnitus, reducing stress can make tinnitus symptoms more manageable.

Here are some evidence-based strategies:

Relaxation Techniques

Breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation help calm the nervous system and reduce stress-related tinnitus.

Sound Therapy

Background sounds such as white noise, soft music, or nature sounds can distract the brain from the ringing in the ears.

Exercise

Regular physical activity lowers stress hormones and improves sleep, which can reduce tinnitus severity.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps people re-frame how they respond to tinnitus, breaking the stress–tinnitus cycle.

Routine & Sleep

Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine supports better rest, which lowers both stress and tinnitus sensitivity.

Conclusion

Tinnitus and stress are closely linked, often feeding into one another. By managing stress through lifestyle changes, therapy and healthy habits, many people find their tinnitus becomes easier to live with.

If tinnitus is affecting your quality of life, speak to a hearing specialist or healthcare provider for personalised support.

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

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The Power of Empathy

It was never about being right. I needed to be understood. To have someone pause, step into my experiences, and see through my perspective. Not to argue, but to listen, and to understand.

I write to be seen, to be heard. I write so my thoughts and feelings are validated. So, someone somewhere, might read and care.

People who truly care don’t ask who’s right. They walk with you – through your pain, through your reality.

Empathy matters. It can change a moment. It can change a life.

So, when someone opens their heart, don’t rush to correct, don’t reach for answers. They're not your answers. 

Instead, pause. Breathe with them. Let their story be heard in its raw, imperfect truth and be okay with it. 

Because healing doesn’t come from solutions, but from presence, from validation.

Empathy doesn’t ask you to carry the weight. It asks you to stand beside it. To say, “I see you. I hear you. You matter.”

And that – that changes everything

– Ilana Estelle 

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"If you love someone, truly love them, you should never cause them pain. Never fill their eyes with something so close to grief." LAURELL K. HAMILTON, A Stroke of Midnight Laurell Hamilton's quote reminds us: That love should never be the cause of someone's emotional pain. Love isn’t just about the intensity of what you feel, it’s about how you choose to show up for the other person, how you make them feel. If your words or actions leave them with fear, close to tears close to grief, then something is missing in the love you give. Real love is mindful, it's gentle, and it’s protective. It understands the weight of the other person's heart and treats it with care. Life will always bring its share of challenges, but love should never add to the hurt. It should be the place where healing begins. 

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

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Finding Inner Peace Without Forgiveness

Healing Yourself When Reconciliation Isn't Possible

“For those who have been hurt and are still learning how to move forward – may you find something here for you.”

Finding inner peace without forgiveness is possible, even after deep hurt. You don’t have to reconcile with those who caused your pain to reclaim your sense of self. Healing yourself and choosing self-love over resentment, allows you to move forward, embrace growth, and live free from the weight of the past.

You Don’t Always Have to Forgive

Forgiveness isn’t always necessary. Some wounds are too deep, betrayals too sharp, and pain too intense. When wounds last decades and there is still no conversation or apology, and reconciliation is not always an option, and it is what it is – your focus should be on making peace with yourself, instead of reconciliation with those who hurt you. The fact that you're in this space where you have no apology or forgiveness, means you would never have got a reconciliation.

Reclaiming Your Sense of Self

True inner peace comes from reclaiming your identity. Peace isn’t about excusing the actions of others – it’s about refusing to let their choices define your present – or dictate your future. It's about healing yourself and finding peace within yourself.

For anyone who needs to hear this: you are not what happened to you – you are what you choose to become despite it. Choosing healing over resentment is the first step to acknowledgment, to healing and to freedom.

Acknowledging Your Scars Without Guilt

Being at peace with yourself means embracing your scars and saying, “Yes, I was hurt. Yes, I carry the memory, I have my up and down days. But I am still whole, I am still worthy, and I am still moving forward after hurt.”

True inner peace is not about erasing the past, it’s about loosening its grip on your spirit, it's about self-love.

Acceptance Over Forgiveness

Sometimes, peace comes through acceptance, not forgiveness.

Accept that: Some people may never apologise. Closure may never come from them. Their story is not yours to rewrite.

In acceptance, you find the freedom to write your own story and focus on healing yourself. It's why I write.

Choosing Healing Over Bitterness

You may never make peace with those who hurt you – but inner peace, making peace with yourself is important. Inner peace, comes from healing, growth, and self-love over resentment and self-blame. This is the kind of peace that cannot be taken away. Sometimes the bravest act isn’t forgiveness or reconciliation – it’s simply allowing yourself to be at peace, in your own time and on your own terms.

“ I wrote this reflection on finding peace without forgiveness. It has helped me, and I share it here, trusting it may speak differently to each reader – my journey continues.”

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Double Empathy: Autism and Relationships

What is the Double Empathy Problem?

There’s a common assumption that autistic people struggle with empathy or simply “don’t get” others. But recent research offers a different perspective, one that feels far more accurate: the double empathy problem.

Coined by Dr. Damian Milton, the double empathy problem suggests that communication breakdowns between autistic and non-autistic people are mutual. It’s not about one side lacking empathy – both sides have empathy. It is understanding that both sides interpret and express the world in different ways. For those with autism, who may struggle to empathise in any physical, animated way, or to articulate their thoughts, there is trauma in that.

Autism and Family Communication

Within families, these mismatches can be difficult – and especially visible. Autistic family relationships: a family member might show care through physical affection, while an autistic person might express it through problem-solving or practical support. Both actions come from the same place of empathy, but the signals don’t always align. It is important to remember – there is empathy in autism.

Likewise, when an autistic person withdraws or goes quiet during stressful times, others may interpret it as being disinterested, when in fact, it's a way of coping. Misread cues can leave both sides feeling misunderstood.

WorkPlace Relationships Around Autism

Workplace communication and autism often collide in subtle, but important ways. Many office cultures thrive on small talk and unspoken social cues. For autistic employees, direct communication is clearer. However, to non-autistic people, that can sometimes be misread as bluntness.

Equally, indirect communication or unspoken expectations from colleagues may go unnoticed, which can create unintentional tension. This doesn’t come from a lack of empathy, but from a difference in communication styles.

For many autistic people, communication feels straightforward. If someone is kind, they’ll respond with kindness; if someone is dismissive, they’ll likely respond with distance. In other words, there’s an honesty and clarity to autistic communication that once it's understood, can be refreshing.

Autism, Society and Empathy

What matters is empathy. when society takes time to understand different communication styles in autism, and when autistic people are given the space to express themselves authentically – relationships become stronger and more effective.

While both autistic and non-autistic people are interpreting the world through their own lenses, autistic people often experience less flexibility in their black-and-white thinking. The double empathy problem highlights how these differences in communication can create continuous misunderstandings. Yet this distinct way of thinking can also be refreshing, offering clarity and honesty that benefits both sides when understood and respected.

Why This Matters

The double empathy problem reframes the conversation around autism and empathy. Instead of assuming autistic people lack empathy, it shows that empathy is present on both sides, just expressed differently.

This shift in perspective matters for families, workplaces, and relationships. Recognising this – can shift family dynamics, ease workplace relationships, and reduce the pressure on autistic people to constantly adapt.

It’s not about fixing one side – it’s about building a bridge between two perspectives.

(Source:) Milton, D. (2012) On the Ontological Status of Autism: the ‘Double Empathy Problem’. Disability and Society. Vol. 27(6): 883-887.

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Nine Minutes to Smarter Kids

Research shows short bursts of exercise can improve kids’ focus and learning in the classroom

Each semester, UNCG Assistant Professor Eric Drollette begins his classes with an unexpected question:

“Does anyone here wake up at 4 a.m. to milk cows?”

It’s more than a conversation starter. For Drollette, the question is a reminder that academic success can grow from many different beginnings. His own childhood on a dairy farm demanded long hours of physical labour, an experience that not only tested his ability to balance schoolwork but also sparked his lifelong curiosity about the link between movement and brain function.

The first in his family to attend college, Drollette has now built a career dedicated to understanding how short bursts of exercise can benefit children’s brains and cognitive performance. His research, conducted in UNCG’s Department of Kinesiology, focuses on turning those insights into practical classroom strategies.

The Power of Nine Minutes

In his most recent study, Drollette and his team asked children ages 9–12 to complete a short series of classroom-friendly exercises – moves such as jumping jacks, high knees, squats, and lunges: performed in 30-second intervals with brief rests.

The results were striking. After only nine minutes of exercise, children scored significantly higher on standardised tests of verbal comprehension than they did after simply sitting and watching an educational video.

The Findings Published in Psychology of Sports & Exercise 

The findings, published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise, also revealed changes at the neurological level. EEG measurements showed reduced error-related negativity, a brain response that reflects distraction and over-fixation on mistakes. In other words, children who engaged in short bouts of physical activity were better able to recover from  errors and refocus—an ability essential for classroom learning and academic success.

For teachers, the implications are powerful. The research suggests that even a few minutes of movement in the classroom without equipment or disruption, can improve kids’ focus, cognitive performance, and learning outcomes.

Building Research Through Community

Behind the work is a strong team of graduate students, including Praveen Pasupathi and Bryan Montero-Herreras, who contribute to both the design and implementation of the studies. Together, they carry out the work in a spacious laboratory outfitted with both open space for movement and advanced EEG equipment.

Recruiting children for studies is often difficult, but Drollette says UNCG’s connection to the Greensboro community make the process easier. Families who participate often share personal connections to the university, reinforcing the sense of partnership between campus and community.

He also credits UNCG’s Department of Kinesiology for fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that prioritises exercise psychology research and innovative approaches to physical activity and learning.

A Teacher and Mentor First

In addition to his research, Drollette is deeply invested in teaching and mentorship. In 2024, he was recognised with both the Outstanding Teacher Award and the Outstanding Mentor Award from UNCG’s School of Health and Human Sciences.

He finds his greatest joy in celebrating the successes of his students: from undergraduates presenting award-winning research to graduate students completing outstanding dissertations. Having once been a first-generation college student himself, he recognises the self-doubt many of his students carry.

That perspective shapes his mentorship. He encourages students not to see themselves as impostors, but as capable scholars who belong in their academic community. His own journey – from farm work before dawn to faculty leadership at UNCG – reminds them that perseverance, movement, and confidence can shape both the mind and the future. (Source: research.uncg.edu)

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Indifference in Relationships: Why It Happens and How to Heal

How Indifference Manifests in Relationships

Indifference doesn’t arrive suddenly. It grows, quietly, in the background. It doesn’t come from nowhere – it’s often the result of too many ignored emotions, of words not said. Learn how to break free from other people’s expectations and take control of your mental health and wellbeing.

Indifference happens when the emotional effort we invest in a relationship or situation goes unnoticed or unappreciated. It appears when our opinions are dismissed as if they don’t matter, or when the relationship dynamics leave one person doing all the work.

Emotional Burnout and the Roots of Apathy

For many of us – life teaches us early on that not all relationships are equal. Some nourish us. Others slowly drain our energy, our voice, and sometimes, our sense of self. Over time, when a person is consistently made to feel that their thoughts or feelings carry no weight, indifference becomes a shield. It’s not that we stop caring, it’s that we protect ourselves from the emotional cost of continuing to care.

Why Indifference Is Often Misunderstood

When someone becomes indifferent, it’s rarely about anger or resentment. Those emotions take energy. Indifference is the result of emotional depletion. It’s the space people go to when they’ve said everything there is to say and nothing changes. It’s what’s left when their need for connection is met with apathy or silence.

What makes this all the more complex is that relationships of all kinds – are built on the fragile balance of listening, valuing, and responding. When those elements disappear, so too does our incentive to participate. Indifference is often seen as coldness, but in reality, it's sometimes about intention – or withdrawal from having to deal with emotional pain.

The Hidden Cost of Emotional Detachment

It’s not just personal relationships. This kind of emotional detachment can emerge in communities, workplaces, or families. When people feel their opinions aren’t respected or their values are constantly undermined, they may disengage. And sometimes, they never come back.

Moving Beyond Indifference: A Path to Emotional Healing

But there’s a truth we need to face: indifference is not where healing happens. It’s a survival state. It's neutral ground. And while it may feel safe, it can also isolate us from the very connection we once longed for.

So What’s the Answer?

The answer lies in awareness. It lies in recognising the impact of our words and silences on others. It lies in giving space for real dialogue, and in treating each other’s perspectives as experiences worth understanding.

Of course, once someone reaches that place of emotional distance, it’s not easy to bring them back.

Conclusion

We all carry our own invisible emotional timelines – layers of lived experience that inform how we respond to the world. Indifference is not weakness. It’s not cruelty. It’s a message. One that says, “I’ve been hurt here. I’ve reached my limit.” And sometimes, it's the only language, left to use.

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The CP Diary: Writing My Way to Healing

Acknowledging the Past: Embracing Inner Strength, Self-Compassion and Moving Beyond Neglect

When anyone grows up without the emotional support, they will end up with having to deal with neglect, anger and isolation. If it is allowed to continue, it eats away at every fibre of your being, of your soul. 

It also makes you acutely aware of how it feels to be unseen, and unheard. 

I Choose to Be Different

Enduring neglect continues unless you choose to deal with it. With work on myself, I started to break the cycle of neglect. Writing is about placement. It's become a testament to my emotional strength.

Self-Compassion

Over the years, I have had to show myself care. By nurturing your soul, you too can extend yourself that same care. There were moments when I could have continued to stay angry, moments when it would have been easier to continue with anger – to shut down. Instead, over the years of not knowing about my disability, I held on to hope – hope, where the world I was growing up in, didn’t offer me hope.

My inner child was in pain and I needed to help her. Now I write to understand, to talk about my life in a way that allows for acceptance, without the apologies. The apologies have never come.

Conclusion

It's not been an easy journey. As has been pointed out to me many times, I have had nothing but trauma to deal with. My father eventually said of me before he passed away, that empathy and compassion was always part of me – those were something no amount of neglect could erase.

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Understanding Empaths: How they Sense, See and Feel Deeply

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"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." GEORGE S. PATTON

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"Sometimes people can't see what is wrong in their actions because they are surrounded by those who made it feel normal." TOBY MAC

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Everyday Habits to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp

The Quiet Workings of Caring for the Mind

We learn to tend to what we want to last, whether it’s a friendship, or the roof over our heads. The mind is no different. It’s tempting to think our brains will keep ticking along, just so long as we feed and water it, but it needs it's own kind of tending.

The global pandemic affected the world deeply, causing widespread stress, anxiety and concerns. Its handling exacerbated those worries.

Worry doesn’t just steal moments it can take years from your life. According to Dr. Amir Khan there is no magic cure to prevent dementia, but there are simple, everyday habits that can keep your grey matter strong.

Move Around – Even A Little Helps

Exercise doesn’t just help the heart and muscles; it nourishes the mind, too. Fresh blood flow feeds the brain with oxygen and nutrients, and even helps grow new brain cells in the hippocampus, the bit that remembers things for us.

A brisk walk to the postbox, yoga or lifting something heavier than a kettle can all help. Even five minutes counts.

Learn Something New

Crosswords and puzzles are a great way to keep the brain active, but Dr Khan says there’s something even better: trying something completely new. It could be learning a new tune you’ve never played, cooking a new recipe you’ve never tried, or learning a foreign language. These small new challenges help wake up quiet corners of your mind and keeps it sharp.

Feed The Mind Well

Brain cells are full of healthy fats, especially omega-3s, which we can’t make on our own. Oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds – all of them help, also including berries, nuts, and dark greens which are rich in antioxidants.

Stay In Touch

When life gets busy or heavy, social visits are often the first to go. But those cups of tea and shared conversations are like exercise for the brain. They keep us sharp, responsive, and connected.

Sleep Deeply

The brain tidies itself while we’re sleeping – clearing waste, storing memories, setting things in order. Fewer than five hours a night doubles dementia risk, so Dr Khan says aim for a steady seven to nine hours.

What Should You Avoid

Constant multitasking wears us down, long-term poor sleep clogs the mind, doom-scrolling overstimulates and unsettles, skipping meals starves the brain of fuel. And loneliness, Dr Kahn warns – can harm us as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

None of us can stop time’s passing, but we can give our minds the same steady care it deserves. With small, mindful habits, we can keep the lights in the upstairs rooms burning bright for many seasons yet to help reduce dementia. (Source: womanandhome.com)

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