“4 words: a film, often watched at Christmas – first word sounds like…”
There are a lot of things we associate with Christmas. Family traditions and childhood memories are strongly embedded in our memories. This is why it is often a mix of a happy celebration that comes paired with thoughts for those we have lost and good times that, for multiple reasons, we can no longer re-enact. Hopefully for everyone the spirit of the holiday season being about giving and sharing will be present somewhere. Looking out for family, friends and neighbours who might be finding it harder this year is an important role for all of us.
One of the common themes shared between all of our Christmases, past and present, will be playing games. As long as the competition does not get too intense (always a risk in our household) then the fun, the sharing, the pure simplicity can be a strong linking and uplifting force. When I was a child there was the perception that games were for children and not adults, however, I suspect there are not many who still believe this. Board games, card games, charades, are all easily accessible as family groups and work across generations.
Playing is now recognised as being extremely important for us as humans. The mental agility and concentration required varies enormously, but the same challenges exist whether completing a simple jigsaw, playing Snakes & Ladders or tackling Mahjong. We are challenging ourselves with problems that require our brains to opt out of automatic function. This is often more enjoyable when shared with others and there is a sense of satisfaction when the puzzle is solved or the competition finishes. It should not matter whether you win or lose, it is the taking part that counts and this is never truer than over the festive period.
Games and community participation are very important in keeping our minds cognitively agile and protecting ourselves against deteriorating memory in later life. An athlete who does not exercise, a musician who does not practice will lose their skills. We need to keep our brains active and challenged; games or any sort are an excellent way of doing this.
Whilst Christmas is an opportunity for playing face to face there are also a multitude of opportunities available on-line. Joan Povey our Digital Social Prescriber is now running regular sessions at the Room4U in Silverton to help those who would like help with anything digital. The surgery is going to acquire an iPad that Joan will loan out to those who wish to experiment. So, if you are you ‘internet shy’ or have a mobile phone, laptop/tablet or iPad that you don’t quite know how to use and you would like help to do things online such as shopping, order prescriptions, play games, facetime family then drop in to Room4U on a Thursday morning. Upcoming dates are December 7th and 14th & January 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th. All sessions from 10am – 11am. Please call Joan 07958 190554, or just pop in on a Thursday.
Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and hope it contains some games that you enjoy playing no matter what age you are.
Anthony O’Brien
Wyndham House Surgery