Verbs Could be Better Than Vitamins? Strange Possibility, Huh?

 

and learn a new language, sil vous plait!


We’ve all heard the pitch: learning a new language "broadens your horizons." But, it's so difficult. Who has time? Make the time. 

Why? Did you know it’s also a secret weapon for your brain, heart, and—surprisingly—your dignity?

​If you're currently struggling to remember if a table is masculine or feminine in French or Spanish, take heart. You aren’t just failing at grammar; you’re winning at life. Here’s how.

​1. Mental Health🏋️‍♀️  Like a Gym Membership for Your Gray Matter

​Your brain is quite a lazy creature that just wants to veg out and sit on the couch. Learning a language forces it to do something like mental CrossFit. Studies show that learning more than one language can delay the onset of dementia by up to 4 to 5 years. Better than nice!

  • ​The Reality: You’re building "cognitive reserve."
  • ​The Experience: You spend ten minutes trying to remember the word for "spoon," effectively forcing your neurons to build a bypass road around the fog. It’s frustrating, but your 80-year-old self will thank you for the mental efforts you make now.

​2. Emotional Health: The "Foreign Language Effect"

​Believe it or not, we actually make more rational decisions in a second language. This is known as the Foreign Language Effect. Jill and I didn't know this before researching this cool topic. (We're both in our 60s, and Dad had dementia. Bless his soul, please.) 

Anyways, a second language is less "emotionally charged" than your native tongue, you’re less likely to have a meltdown over small things. Interesting! We're signing up! 

  • ​The Hack: Having a bad day? Try venting about it in Japanese kanji. Since you likely only know the words for "The train is late" "Ikura desuka?" and "This sushi is delicious," you literally don't have the vocabulary to give into your anger. It’s forced zen. 

​3. Physical Health: Stress Reduction (Well, Eventually)

​While the initial panic of ordering a coffee in a foreign country feels like a mild heart attack, the long-term effects are pure bliss. Mastering a new language releases dopamine—the same stuff you get from chocolate but without the calories.

  • ​Social Immunity: Language learning is a social sport. Real-world interaction lowers cortisol levels and boosts your immune system. Plus, nothing burns calories like the frantic hand-gesturing required to explain that you’ve accidentally locked yourself out of your Airbnb. Ha ha! Suzanne has actually had that experience many a time.

​The Verdict, the Truth, the Epiphany!!!

​Learning a language makes you smarter, calmer, and easier to get along with. The last one...maybe not if your hubby is Michael, and you can never catch up with his kanji mastery. 🙃😎💪 Daijobu! Just go on a fun-filled shopping spree.<< at Jill's place or Daiso, oh yeah, baby...

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