Question:

I am 55 years old and feel that I am experiencing some degree of cognitive decline, loss of initiative, and some degree of apathy. Will this go away? What can I do?

Name withheld

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Answer:

You’ve asked a lot in three short sentences. Your feelings could be related to menopause, but they could also have other sources, including psychiatric, social and lifestyle. There are lots of things you can do: see a doctor and find out if there’s a medical answer; eat better, exercise, get to bed earlier, quit smoking and cut back on alcohol; join a club, start a new hobby, set goals for next week, next season and next year; challenge your brain by taking a university class, learning a new language, starting to play a musical instrument. And lastly, identify sources of dissatisfaction in your life, and work to resolve them. Don’t let apathy hold you back: apathy is a state of mind; you can be mentally apathetic but still physically active; by forcing yourself to take action, regardless of your mental state, you may find that your mind eventually takes pleasure in what you force yourself to do. One thing is clear: if you feel stalled, adding new input into the equation is a good way to prompt a positive change; so stop recycling the same negative thought patterns and, instead, see what happens when you go for a bike ride, head out to the movies, or read a book on a subject you’ve never thought about before. Don’t let inertia win. Do something even if you don’t want to do something.