Getting diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment can make you frustrated and overwhelmed. After all, you never did forget where you kept that set of keys right? However, you can try some of the below mentioned techniques and strategies to cope up with mild cognitive impairment and make an attempt to make mild cognitive impairment better.
Self-Help For Mild Cognitive Impairment
These below mentioned self-help strategies will surely give you a chance to improve your life, by improving your work life, your relationships and your future goals. They will also give you an insight on how you can enjoy your life even while coping with mild cognitive impairment.
- Get to know as much as you can about mild cognitive impairment and share it with people you know. This will give them an insight about what is happening in your life and the changes that are experienced by you.
- If you find mild cognitive impairment progressing towards dementia, talk to your family members about your future decisions that may affect your as well as the lives of your loved ones
- Keep some patience with yourself and ask your family to have patience with you. Having been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment can be quite frustrating as well as overwhelming, and you may feel lost sometimes for not being able to perform certain tasks that you were otherwise performing normally. Slow down your pace, so that you have a better chance of completing a certain task that you started.
- If you feel angry, find constructive ways to release it. Consider joining a support group, the one that includes people having the same concerns as yours, talk to a close friend, try out an exercise or even meditate. Also, encourage your family members to get counseled.
- Be social. Try to participate in family events and friends’ gatherings. Try to keep in touch with your loved ones. This one desire stays throughout in one’s life and do not take it for granted.
- Get yourself a good exercise plan from your health and fitness expert. Exercise can help you keep physical fitness, relieve stress and anxiety and it also helps to keep your brain away from mild cognitive impairment.
- When needed, use certain visual or audio reminders. Taking notes and posting someplace you can see, keeping an extra-large calendar where you can obviously see your daily, weekly and monthly appointments, setting reminders in mobiles or on answering machines and maybe even setting alarms can go a long way with mild cognitive impairment.
- Keep yourself busy and your mind thinking and active by pursuing some hobby or something that you enjoy. Try to solve some puzzles or crosswords to keep your mind thinking.
- Participate in medical trials related to mild cognitive impairment if possible, but with due consultation with your doctor.
- Take good care of your health. Drink plenty of water and eat healthy, wholesome, fresh and balanced diet. Include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
- Always write your medications and the name of your condition on a paper and keep that paper with you. It will come in handy at the time of an emergency
- Try to reduce clutter at home and your workspace. Keep organized and keep your stuff to minimum. This will help you focus and remember things better
- Stop smoking, drinking and substance-abuse as well
Focusing on your present rather than worrying about your future or past is most advisable. Worries and stress can worsen your condition. It is best to focus on what you are capable of and not on what you are not.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a noticeable and measurable condition wherein there is a decline of your cognitive abilities, like memory and thinking abilities. There is no specific medication to cure this condition and the area is constantly being explored to get a remedy that will slow down the progress of the condition or improve the symptoms. However, with the help of certain lifestyle changes and a few techniques, you can try to live your life as normally as you would otherwise and try to improve your condition.[1] [2]
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