Many of us start to dread the idea of having “senior moments” as we age. These lapses in memory are often taken to signal mental decline and are naturally a little unnerving. Despite this, it is something we eventually need to learn how to properly deal with or else it will deprive us of more than just a little bit of memory. There are a lot of ways that we can go about learning how to deal with them in a healthy fashion. The main problem is figuring out works for us as individuals. Before we get into how to properly learn to deal with senior moments, we’re going to take a quick look at why it is beneficial to learn to embrace them and live with the moments as a fact of age. Taking a closer look at this and the potential cost of not making an effort to accept them as a fact of life should make it quite clear why it is better to take the healthy approach.

A Warning
The most direct problem that tends to come from senior moments tends to be our own denial. Personal pride plays a big part in this. Most of the time we’re going to recognize that we’ve had a senior moment and the instinctual reaction is to downplay it or ignore it entirely. This is especially true if someone points it out. Yes, it is embarrassing, but it isn’t anything we should actually feel ashamed of at any point. Feeling that shame and pushing back against people who point it out to us tends to lead many people to begin to self-isolate. After all, no one else can notice the lapses if they aren’t around to see them, right? The problem is that isolation is horrible for cognitive health. This is especially true when we age. Interacting with people regularly and learning new things help keep our minds fit and ready to handle various things. They decrease the chance of having any long-term cognitive issues. So avoid self-isolating behaviors when you start noticing senior moments. It may be difficult, but your health depends on it.

The Good News
Many people will be happy to know that senior moments aren’t actually a sign of truly worrying cognitive decline. They’re actually the opposite. Some experts believe that they are a clear sign that the mind is still alert and healthy as it is capable of observing the fact that a lapse in memory has occurred. This is very different from the various kinds of dementia and other cognitive declines that can worry us all. There is some debate, but that level of self-observation is often credited as being a sign that the mind has plenty of healthy years in front of it still. Naturally, this is a reassuring thought for any of us who’ve experienced a senior moment. Knowing this helps a lot with the ability to simply accept that it is a fact of life after a certain age and learning to adapt to a life with little lapses. That is ultimately one of the best ways to move forward.

Accepting the Issue
The healthiest thing one can do in the face of senior moment is simply to accept them. This will help avoid self-isolating behaviors and build up a spirit where other people feel it is okay to help point out such issues. Laughing off your own lapses will ensure that, if any actual problem starts, people will be in a position to help you recognize it and begin to work against it. Acceptance is a hard thing though. You can work on practicing it by admitting to the problem in the moment, yes, but allowing it to be amusing is eventually one of the better ways you can help yourself. The moments will cease to be stressful at the same time that you feel more empowered to be a part of your own life. This will, in turn, keep you actively engaged, happy, and keeping up a life filled with engaging activities that will help protect your cognitive health.

Senior moments are often more unnerving than they have to be for all of us. Whether they are in ourselves or our loved ones, it isn’t a sign of imminent loss. It remains a good sign that the mind’s ability to check itself is still working just fine. Accepting them as a fact of our life when we’re experiencing them will let us maintain a healthy perspective that supports better long-term cognitive outcomes than trying to deny them. As ever, accepting all of oneself is generally for the best.