We love the Intellectual wedge of the Wellness Wheel because it is so inclusive. There are many things you can do in this category to expand your mind and promote personal growth. Setting a goal, trying a new food, or discovering how to stitch, write a haiku, or use FaceTime—all of these honor intellectual wellness.
You don’t have to be a scholarly-type to enjoy and embrace the intellectual side of wellness. Here at Willow Brook, it can be as simple as attending a resident talk, making a craft in an activity session, or listening to a guest speaker. Our campuses have book clubs, coffee hours with conversation and refreshments, Bible studies, and residents who play the piano for the enjoyment of other residents after dinner. Both our Willow Brook at Delaware Run and our Willow Brook Christian Village campuses have resident run fully-stocked libraries and our Willow Brook Christian Home has a fully stocked arts and crafts room with books as well. You can exercise your intellect by reading a new book, watching a documentary, or even changing the wreath on your door.
As we age, it behooves us to take advantage of opportunities to use our mind and not be afraid to learn new things. Ohio Wesleyan University’s Lifelong Learning Institute (owu.edu/lli) is a wonderful resource for central Ohio older adults to take classes and learn new things in a comfortable, non-competitive environment. The spring session starts on March 14 and goes through April 22.
Here at The Babbling Brook, we love word games—word searches, crosswords, and our new favorite, Wordle! Have you heard of this? It’s a daily word game accessed via The New York Times. You get six chances to figure out the five-letter word of the day. Colored tiles help you discern which letters are in the word, and where they are located. Trust us, once you get the hang of it after a few tries, you will be hooked!
"We’ve missed out on chances to meet new folks, share stories, catch up with old friends, and learn more about the people whose paths have crossed our own."
Something we have all missed out on in the past couple years is the organic learning that takes place when we are amongst other people. We’ve missed out on chances to meet new folks, share stories, catch up with old friends, and learn more about the people whose paths have crossed our own.
As we move toward warmer weather, our prayer is for reconnection and the stimulation and learning that goes along with it. Let’s talk over a meal, or gather to discuss the current events of the day, or ask someone about the book they are toting, or the piece of art hanging on the wall. Let’s get curious. Let’s resolve to try. Let’s use our minds to live and learn!
