Memory & Mood

Minding Your Mind: Staying Sharp, Keeping Level

Seventeenth-century author John Milton was no psychiatrist, but he nonetheless made a true and timeless observation about mental health: “The mind is its own place,” Milton wrote, “and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.”

The normal physical stresses of aging, combined with its common fluctuations of memory and mood, can lead to some turbulent shifts in the way we view the world, and in our level of confidence to cope with everyday changes and challenges.

The good news is that medical science today has more tools than ever before—ranging from effective pharmaceuticals to cognitive self-help strategies, and more—for keeping us mentally alert, emotionally balanced, effective, and productive even late in life. That’s what the articles in this section are about.