MIND WORKS in the PressMIND WORKS in the Press
San Jose Mercury News -- Ageless Lifestyle Magazine -- Contra Costa Times Newspapers
"Working the Mind" (January 17, 2001)
by Sara Steffens
Times Staff Writer
"What have you done for your brain lately? 'Plenty' is the resounding answer from the students of Mind Works, a long-running program at the El Cerrito senior center that aims to strengthen the memory, attention, creativity and critical thinking skills of older adults."
The November 2000 Issue of Ageless Lifestyle contained the following article about Connie Lynch and Mind Works.
"Four Ways to Stay Mentally Fit"
by
Alfred J. Garrotto
Most people dread the thought of aging. As early as forty, we start looking behind us and remembering the vigorous, active people we were. Looking ahead we prepare for an inevitable downhill slide during which we deteriorate, mentally and physically. With gallows humor, we joke about our "senior moments." We suffer panic attacks when we turn left instead of right or can't put a face together with a person's name, especially when it's someone we've known for a long time.
In the wilderness of anxiety about the negative effects of aging, words of support and encouragement are coming from an expert in the field. Microbiologist-turned-educator Connie Lynch, Ph.D. is proclaiming the good news that we don't have to accept negative stereotypes related to aging. Lynch is founder of Mind WorksSM and author of the new mental activity book, Don't Lose Your Mind: Four Components of Superior Mental Fitness (Bridge Learning Systems, Inc.). Quietly, she is convincing audiences around the Bay Area that normal aging doesn't reduce the brain's ability to think and learn.
In 1986, Lynch established Kensington-based MIND WORKS as a critical and creative thinking program for older adults. Her aim is to help adults keep their brains active and build sound mental habits. In her book she defines four general areas of mental fitness: Awareness, Communication, Curiosity, and Willingness to Accept Mental Challenges.
Components of Mental Fitness
Awareness: According to Lynch, the motto of every adult should be, "Pay attention!" She advises them to be aware of the information that is constantly passing from their senses to their brains. By being observant of the hazards present in their surroundings, people can avoid many of the types of accidents and injuries that older adults commonly suffer. After taking a series of MIND WORKS classes, eighty-plus Florence realized an immediate benefit. "I avoided an accident today," she shared with her group. "I noticed that a driver wasn't looking at me when I started to cross the street, so I stopped." Florence was sure she would have been seriously injured, possibly killed, if she hadn't paid attention to the traffic that day.
Communication: Having a social life isn't just fun, it can be a matter of life and death. It's becoming clear to researchers that people who are socially isolated do not live as long as others. We need contact with other people to be fully alive. We need to share what we think and let others know what we need. Lynch points out good communication is two-sided. It's equally important to be a good listener, so those around us can share their thoughts and needs.
Curiosity: Apathy is the mortal enemy of mental fitness. Fully alive adults are curious about what makes people "tick"--including themselves--and why the things they see and use every day work the way they do. One day, Hana (another 80-plus MIND WORKS veteran) told of studying a friend's dogwood bloom. "Is something wrong with my dogwood tree?" her friend said. "No, I was just wondering if each bloom had the same number of little flowers." Hana learned that wondering is good for the brain. Curiosity may be dangerous for cats but it keeps humans alive and well.
Accepting Challenges: A mental challenge is anything that makes one think about something familiar in a new and different way. The term "use it or lose it" applies to mental as well as physical fitness. A severe reduction in daily brain activity results in that premature loss of mental capacity all of us dread.
No Excuses
Modern research has exposed the error in the old belief that loss of mental fitness is a natural result of aging. Lynch teaches that in most cases of mental deterioration the culprit isn't Nature, it's a failure to remain aware and curious, a refusal to engage in two-way communication and accept daily mental challenges with enthusiasm. "One sure way to avoid the problems of aging," she says, "is to remain mentally active and alert, curious about everything around us."
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Alfred J. Garrotto is a local freelance writer and president of the Mt. Diablo Branch of the California Writers Club. His romantic suspense novel, Finding Isabella, deals with issues related to international adoption. He invites you to visit his website and to e-mail him at alg@blsinc.com.
San Jose Mercury News, Tuesday, September 26, 2000
In the article, "Memory: Using your brain keeps it sharp," by feature writer Julie Sevrens Lyons, Connie Lynch, Ph.D., author of Don't Lose Your Mind, says, "You can build new brain cells by learning something." Beth Jessup, 87, one of Connie's students is quoted in the same article, saying that she "no longer misplaces her car keys." Beth adds that "it's just as important to exercise your mind as it is your body."