[heigh]

My father was 76 and started to forget things, basic things like what he did yesterday, who we met the week before (family from overseas who we haven’t seen in years)…

This is when I realised it was getting serious. But he’s a Norwegian born in the 40s, so talking about his mental health and opening up to him is near impossible.

I did call him out on these massive lapses in memory, but jokingly though.

However, without formally addressing anything, he started out of no where and never, ever before doing it my entire life: sudoku.

1-2 hours a day, then more, all the time.

He’s now in his mid 80s and as sharp as ever.

I know he went and saw a GP, and they prescribed sodoku.

But the effectiveness of it, taken seriously, is absolutely incredible.

[SlowTao]

I forgot who said it but they had the theory that the way to stay sharp is to take on new mental tasks that create new though patterns.

You know when you are learning something and you get to that point where it is kind of a strain. That feeling that is kind of tense, exhausting but intriguing, all because you are about to get that thing. It is the transition from something being purely cognitive and moving into behavior intuition, like playing an instrument.

That is the thing that, in part, is keeping you sharp.

I say in part because don't forget your physical health, diet and social health. They all contribute.