#4 Do work that is challenging.
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		Doing work that is intellectually stimulating - that requires careful thought and complex decision making - contributes to good cognitive health. While this applies to workers of all ages, it is particularly true for older adults. Mental demands in the workplace serve as an important buffer against cognitive aging. One study of men and women aged 50 to 80, for example, found that the risk of cognitive impairment over a three-year period decreased by half for those with intellectually demanding jobs compared to those with less demanding jobs. This was true regardless of intellectual ability.
Further Reading: Bosma, H., van Boxtel, M. P. J., Ponds, R. W. H. M., Houx, P. J., Burdof, A., & Jolles, J. (2003). Mental work demands protect against cognitive impairment: MAAS Prospective Cohort Study. Experimental Aging Research, 29, 33-45. Bosma, H., van Boxtel, M. P. J., Ponds, R. W. H. M., Houx, P. J. H., & Jolles, J. (2003). Education and age-realted cognitive decline: The contribution of mental workload. Educational Gerontology, 29, 165-173. Schooler, C., Mulatu, M. S., & Oates, G. (1999). The continuing effects of substantively complex work on the intellectual functioning of older workers. Psychology and Aging, 14, 483-506.