Mental Fitness Mondays: Mental Agility

16th February 2026

The Day I Googled “Expanding Wind Instrument”

Even just reading the words “expanding wind instrument” makes me laugh. You’re probably wondering what planet I’m on, but bear with me, because it illustrates something about my Mental Fitness that isn’t quite as strong as it used to be.

The muscle I’m referring to is mental agility, one of the Self Organisation muscle group. Don’t worry, I don’t think I’m in cognitive decline! But I am peri-menopausal, and I’ve noticed that my brain doesn’t always retrieve information as easily as it once did.

Here’s what happened: I was in my office, thinking about something (what exactly, I can’t remember… which is rather fitting for this story) when a mental image of an accordion popped into my head. But could I remember the word accordion? Not a chance. So I turned to good old Google and typed in the only description I could think of: “expanding wind instrument.”

Happily, Google delivered, and up popped a picture of an accordion, along with the word itself. Phew! I felt relieved and thought no more of it. But a few hours later, when I saw the search results still on my screen, it made me laugh, but it also hit me: my memory retrieval isn’t quite as strong as it was, which could impact on my mental agility.

I can still solve complex problems, think clearly, and make good decisions — but I sometimes don’t retrieve words, events, or facts the way I could in my younger years. For example, when my daughters recently mentioned a film we’d watched together just a few weeks earlier, I knew we’d seen it, but couldn’t recall a single thing about it until they gave me a prompt.

Something to be scared of?

Some people find these occasional lapses scary, and it’s certainly something to be aware of. I know they’re a common symptom of perimenopause, so I try to see the funny side while staying mindful, because sometimes other conditions can go unnoticed at this stage of life.

Realising that I’m not 10/10 for mental agility is simply a signal that I’m a little out of balance. It’s also a reminder: there’s no need to blame or judge ourselves for how mentally fit we are. In my case, it’s part of an inevitable life stage. In yours, any dip in mental fitness could be due to circumstances, health, stress or something else entirely.

Let’s not blame or judge. Let’s understand.

So, here’s what I’m doing to give my mental agility a gentle boost:

I’m reviewing my diet, making sure I’m getting enough good fats like Omega 3 oils, and reducing ultra-processed foods full of cheap ingredients.

I’m drinking more water, as I exercise a lot and suspect I don’t hydrate enough.

I’m getting more sleep, because setting my alarm earlier has made me more productive, but I haven’t adjusted my bedtime to match.

I’m keeping my sense of humour it is pretty funny when you can’t remember a word!

I’m doing a bit less, because I suspect I’m overworking my mental agility muscle. I’ve been juggling multiple projects and an active social life, and I’ve let go of things like yoga and mindful moments that help restore balance. The key to strengthening my mental agility may well lie in working other mental fitness muscles instead.

What about you? How mentally agile do you feel today? I bet you would have known the word accordion!

Whether you’re feeling sharp, overloaded, or a little foggy, here’s a question for you:

What resonates about this post, and what small step will you take to boost your mental agility today?