Three Ways to Deal with Unconstructive Repetitive Thoughts

Several researchers have shown that negative mood, anxiety, and distress can be associated with cognitive decline. Wilson and his colleague Patricia Boyle (both at Rush in Chicago) have shown with data from the Religious Orders Study that persons who are chronically distressed have a greater chance of cognitive decline.

At the Cognitive Aging Summit (sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and featuring NIA-supported research), Martin Sliwinski reported data that show that the specific aspect of emotional distress that may be linked to problems in thinking and memory is something called unconstructive repetitive thought (URT).

Although the term reeks of jargon, it is helpful because it helps us understand the difference between various types of worry, ruminating, or obsessing. URT means that someone thinks a lot about something that is upsetting, but it doesn’t go anywhere.

It’s a little like pushing at a sore tooth in your mouth – you know that you shouldn’t, and that if you don’t leave it alone, you may make it worse. But still, it’s hard to stop.

It’s easy to guess that repeatedly thinking about upsetting things (your boss or spouse yelling at you, an especially bad ride home on the freeway that involved someone cutting in front of you) might cause repeated releases of stress-related neurohormones and immune factors.

Since we know that many of these substances have the capacity to be neurotoxic, it’s a simple (though unproven) link from URT to cognitive impairment.

How do you deal with URT?

• First, pay attention to thoughts that bother you and are upsetting. You may be engaging in URT without realizing it. Ask yourself, Is thinking about this making my heart race or making me feel jumpy and angry? Notice what you’re thinking about.
• Second, decide whether thinking is going to resolve anything. Sometimes, thinking about something over and over can help you figure out a solution to a problem. But worrying over and over about something in the past or future that you can’t control just makes you miserable. No matter how much you think about something, you can’t change the past or control the future.
• Third, make a commitment to deal with thoughts if you can’t deal with the problem. If you’re want to spend time going over something in your mind over and over, schedule a time (maybe 15 minutes) and do so. Don’t do the thinking any other time. Usually, people who learn to relax through meditation or breathing can learn to stop their URT. Regular mediation practice can also help you stop.

5 Ways to Improve Your Brain Fitness Today

On Monday, I posted a list of 5 ways to improve your brain fitness almost immediately. Things like decreasing stress and improving your attention can be done immediately. Today I have a list of things you can do at some time today, and incorporate in your life every day. Here they are:

• Take two minutes to focus on something around you. Look at something near you – a chair, something on the wall, anything. Pay attention to it. Look at its color and shape. Attention may be a key in improving your memory, and improving attention skills may be a way to improve your brain fitness.
• Find a new way to the grocery store. More and more, my reading of the research on ways to maintain and improve cognitive functioning is that novelty is a key. It’s probably the element of experience that can stimulate new nerve cell growth. Research has shown that people with lives that include travel, learning new languages, and education are less likely to have cognitive problems as they get older. So find a new way to the grocery store or to your work. Explore your neighborhood, or take a look at the store next to the store you always visit. Give yourself a new experience.
• Park farther away from your job or at the store. Many people try to find the closest parking spot at work or at a store. Increase the amount of exercise you get today by parking farther, rather than closer.
• Identify one hassle today and deal with it. Odds are that the things that annoy or bother you are causing you stress. One of the worst things about stress is that over time we tend to forget it. We get used to it, and no longer pay attention to it. But the stress is still there, associated with increased levels of things such as cortisol and immune system factors. Your goal today: find one hassle and do something about it. If driving through one intersection makes you nervous, find a new route. If something your spouse, partner, or children do bugs you, say something about it. Some hassles can’t be eliminated. Figure out how to cope with the hassle by not reacting to it.
• Eat an extra serving of broccoli today. Experts say we all should eat 4-5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and research shows that the substances in fruits and vegetables can improve your brain fitness.

Brain fitness is probably not a one-time computer program. It’s a way of life. Try these 5 things for a week and then ask yourself how you feel.