Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind is a program developed by the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative, or OHAI, at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center that helps older adults and caregivers understand the many ways they can maintain a healthy brain. By utilizing the 12 Pathways to a Healthier Brain, participants will learn how to improve their physical and mental health.
The program is broken up into four one-hour courses that allow individuals to incorporate what they have learned in their everyday lives. The 12 Pathways, pictured below, work as a spoke and wheel. The goal is to try to incorporate as many pathways as possible into your everyday life.
The Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind program has been particularly popular in the last few months after the onset of COVID-19. Many people, young and old, caregivers, and health care professionals have found they are often more stressed and less mindful during this time. Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind has been a wonderful way for people to reset and reestablish mindfulness in their everyday lives.
Establishing a sleep hygiene routine is just one of the pathways discussed in the program. What is “sleep hygiene,” you ask? Sleep hygiene is the routine that you go through before turning in for the night. Think of it as what our loved ones did with us when we were little. Taking a bath, getting a snack or drink, reading a book, brushing your teeth. This routine gets not only our body but also our mind ready for rest. What is your sleep hygiene routine? Do you have one? If not, now is a great time to start thinking about a routine that will help wind down our thoughts before bedtime.
Want to know the other 11 Pathways to a Healthier Brain? You can learn and begin to implement all the pathways into your life by taking a Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind class. For more information about this class and others, check out our website, www.ohai.org, or like our Facebook Page at Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative. You may also email devon-murray@ouhsc.edu or call (580) 297-5137.
OHAI is a sponsored program of the Section of Geriatric Medicine created to enhance the health and quality of life for older Oklahomans and their caregivers. The program was established in 2012 and has five offices throughout the state reaching all 77 counties of Oklahoma.
OHAI’s Northwest Center of Healthy Aging in Enid was established in 2015 and covers the 16 counties in Northwestern Oklahoma. The Northwest Center of Healthy Aging is staffed by education specialists Christopher Anderson and Tina Ruding and education director Devon Murray.
OHAI’s work is supported by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, along with other federal, state, and local grants. The Northwest Center of Healthy Aging was a recipient of a grant from the Junior Welfare League of Enid in 2019.
Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, classes are currently being offered on virtual platforms; they are open to the public at no charge.
Next month, OHAI will highlight one of its most popular programs, Tai Chi. We will talk about Tai Chi and its benefits, not only physical but also mental. So stay tuned.
Stay safe and stay well!
