A couple of months ago I wrote about a series of short programmes on BBC Radio 4 called Busyness and Resting. Last week there was another series entitled "How to Have a Better Brain". These are repeats from 2015 so you may already have listened to them.

Sian Williams, probably best known as a presenter on BBC Breakfast, introduces the programmes. At the time of the initial broadcast she was studying for an MSc in Psychology.

The series is based around neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Loveday and her mother, Scilla, a former Consultant Psychiatrist who has been diagnosed with Accelerated Memory Loss (AML). The daughter has been looking into AML and identified a range of exercises and lifestyle changes that may help Scilla avoid, or at least delay, some of the symptoms of the condition.

The five programmes cover Exercise, Relaxation, Stimulation, Sleep and Diet; all areas that we are familiar with. So, whilst they are essentially targeting a condition linked to Epilepsy, Brain Injury and Age each episode discusses the science behind the different theories and much of it could equally apply to someone suffering from Depression.

As an example, we all know about the idea of planning for the next day before we go to bed but research suggests that thoughts we have at that time have a better chance of sticking. The same applies to writing a "gratitude journal" or similar. Other issues covered include the benefit of thinking about things whilst moving around, or out in the open air rather than sitting down indoors.

All, or at least a lot, of this we have heard about before but the occasional reminder can be useful and I find it helps if you understand that there is science behind much of it. This may encourage you to give something a go that otherwise you might have dismissed.

The programmes are available until mid November on BBC iPlayer Radio and only last just over an hour in total. Not a long time to spend if you find something that helps.

Alan

A Moodscope member.