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The mind is shaped by all the experiences, ideas and thoughts to which it is exposed. To a certain extent, then, you can choose what you ‘feed’ your mind, just as you can choose what you feed your body.

What you choose to consume for your mind can be described as your ‘mind diet’. Your ‘mind diet’ can make your mind more or less ‘healthy’, and certainly more or less interesting. Math helps strengthen reasoning and problem solving skills, and you can easily practice, especially simple things that you can easily total up in your head or on a piece of paper. Many people haven't done long division since grade school; give it a try sometime.

When you are in the grocery store, try keeping a running total of the items in your cart. You don't have to add the exact amount; round each price up to the nearest dollar. When you get to the check-out you'll find out how close you were! Find a special talent. No matter what your stage in life, everyone can learn something new and develop a talent or skill. Developing new skills helps to bolster your self-confidence.

Try a sport like skiing or golfing, or join a choral group or amateur comedy club. Relax your expectations and don't strive for perfection; just have fun and meet people while giving it your best shot. Some skills, such as learning a foreign language or computer coding, are also great for bolstering your mental sharpness.

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Practice gratitude. Scientists have done hundreds of studies on the benefits of a grateful attitude, which include boosting your happiness and life satisfaction. There are several strategies you can try to increase gratitude: Write a letter of thanks to someone who has made a difference in your life, and deliver it to them with a gift. Spend time writing. Every day for a week (or more), write down at least three things that you experienced that you're grateful for. They can be big or small. Write how it made you feel. Making this a daily practice, perhaps writing every night before bed, can help you cultivate a grateful attitude.

Meditate or practice yoga. By learning to calm your mind and focus your attention, you can improve your mental clarity which has positive effects on your memory and attention span. In one study, participants who practiced mindfulness for 20-30 minutes daily scored better on standardized memory tests than those who took a nutrition class. Mindfulness is a meditative practice that involves sitting and breathing slowly while focusing on physical sensations such as your breath moving in and out. Try to meditate twice a day for 10-20 minutes at a time.

As we age, our mental abilities will decline whether or not we try to maintain a sharp mind: it's just a fact of life. It is important to surround yourself with people you trust so that as you age, you can trust them to make important decisions for you should the need arise.