Research increasingly suggests that our daily habits—from physical activity and nutrition to relationships, learning, stress management, and moments of joy—can influence brain health, mental well-being, resilience, and cognitive aging in the years to come.
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt to one’s experiences and modify its structure and function throughout life. Neuroplastic processes gradually slow down with age but can be enhanced by leading an enriching, engaged lifestyle.
Movement
Physical activity includes all movement throughout the day, from climbing the stairs to raking leaves.
Movement promotes brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a key molecule that mediates the neuroplastic processes of neuronal growth and synaptic formation, which are involved in learning and memory.
Higher physical activity levels are associated with better cognition during aging and lower dementia risk. A 2020 study in older people showed that two 60-minute gardening sessions per week correlated with an increase in BDNF levels.
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is planned, structured movement performed to improve fitness, such as weightlifting or jogging.
Structured exercise programs, including both aerobic and resistance training, have been linked to increased hippocampal volume, improved synaptic function, and elevated levels of BDNF. These changes have been shown to counteract cognitive and brain health decline during aging.
Stress
Chronic stress induces significant structural and functional changes in the prefrontal cortex, which is critical for executive function and emotional regulation. These changes negatively impact working memory, decision making, and emotional resilience, which may contribute to the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Doomscrolling
While we can’t eliminate life’s stressors, we can reduce the unnecessary stress we create through habits such as doomscrolling. Many of us spend hours consuming an endless stream of alarming headlines in an attempt to feel informed and ahead of danger.
Researchers have found that this constant exposure to negative information encourages the brain to stay in a state of vigilance and perceived threat.
Doomscrolling is considered a psychosocial stressor that impairs cognitive clarity. It is associated with the following:
- anxiety
- depression
- stress
- rumination
- emotional exhaustion
- lower resilience
Social connection
Loneliness also encourages the brain to stay in a state of vigilance and perceived threat. Social isolation and perceived loneliness are associated with cognitive decline, smaller brain volumes in older adults, and dementia risk.
By contrast, meaningful social connection is associated with better cognitive health. Research shows that engagement in social activities improves cognitive health among people at risk for—or living with—Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Social engagement might include regularly interacting with family and friends, participating in community groups, volunteering, attending religious services, taking classes, and joining clubs to foster meaningful social connection.
Novelty
Novel experiences help the brain stay adaptable. Environmental enrichment, spatial complexity, and learning are associated with neuroplasticity, hippocampal function, and cognitive flexibility.
This might look like exploring new neighbourhoods to exercise one’s navigation skills, walking on trails instead of sidewalks for sensory variation, and travelling abroad to practise adapting to different environments.
Learning
Lifelong learning is critical across the lifespan. Cognitive reserve is built through sustained learning and intellectual pursuits, and it provides resilience against age-related decline and certain neurological diseases.
Learning a new motor skill (such as knitting, playing the piano, or paddleboarding) might require coordination, balance, timing, precision, or sequencing. This process is accompanied by significant neuroplastic changes, seen in brain structure, function, and neurochemistry.
When engaged in mentally stimulating or physically active pursuits, we can more readily form new synaptic connections, reorganize existing brain circuits, and adapt to evolving cognitive demands.
Joy snacks
These simple 30-second practices help shift the nervous system toward calm, resilience, and well-being:
Take a slow breath to encourage emotional control, psychological flexibility, and well-being.
Feel gratitude to promote the release of happy neurotransmitters and induce well-being.
Unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders. This tells the brain that a threat has passed, allowing the nervous system to shift into a calmer, relaxed state.
Name one thing you can control to mitigate your stress response and adapt to adversity.
People who perceive greater control over their stressors tend to have lower stress responses, stronger emotional regulation, greater resilience, and improved mental health outcomes.
Notice one detail in your surroundings. Attuning to a bird call, for instance, trains attentional control rather than allowing your attention to be captured by worry or habitual thought loops.
Attentional control, novelty detection, and cognitive flexibility are skills that are associated with healthy brain function.
Repeat a self-affirmation that speaks to your core values, such as kindness, faith, family, or perseverance.
Self-affirmation practices may buffer stress and activate brain regions involved in motivation, reward, and decision-making.
Simple pleasures, powerful brain benefits
Beyond the effort of staying physically and mentally active, the opportunity to slow down and experience joy benefits the brain, too.
Awe
We feel awe from experiencing great vastness that dramatically expands our frame of reference but without making us feel insignificant.
Awe can be found in both extraordinary and everyday moments: taking in a panoramic view from a mountaintop, gazing at a starry sky, witnessing an act of kindness, or watching a child discover something new.
These experiences may help reduce stress, increase positive emotions, and foster a greater sense of connection and well-being.
Music
Listening to music and learning to play an instrument both promote neuroplasticity. Music influences several biological pathways involved in brain health, including neuronal genetic regulation, neuron growth, hormone levels, and the stress response.
Research suggests that music may be a valuable tool for supporting cognitive function and emotional well-being in neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Laughter
Laughter isn’t just child’s play. It engages multiple brain regions involved in emotion regulation, focus, reward, and social connection.
Research suggests that laughter can reduce psychological stress and increase cerebral blood flow, which are associated with healthy cognitive aging.
Adding more playfulness and humour to your life (research supports watching funny videos!) is a simple and enjoyable way to promote happiness and support long-term brain health.
Sunlight
Exposure to sunlight plays a critical role in regulating the body’s circadian rhythm, which is the internal clock that governs the sleep-wake cycle.
Research suggests that the circadian rhythm also impacts cognitive function; disruptions in circadian rhythm have been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of sunlight exposure before 10 am for optimal circadian regulation. Regular exposure to daylight may also enhance learning and memory.
Supplements for brain health
| Supplement | Benefit |
| omega-3s | support long-term cognitive health, particularly DHA-rich sources such as fish oil |
| B vitamins | have been associated with slower cognitive decline |
| vitamin D | deficiency has consistently been associated with poorer cognition and greater dementia risk |
| MCT oil | may improve brain metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment |
| Ginkgo biloba | has been shown to improve cognition in some forms of vascular cognitive impairment and mild dementia |
| ginseng | can support memory and mental performance |
| lion’s mane | stimulates nerve growth factor pathways, and early research suggests its potential for positive cognitive and mood effects |
| nootropics | such as ashwagandha, <Bacopa monnieri>, <Panax ginseng>, ginkgo, and caffeine activate cognitive functions, including memory and learning |
Emerging research on low-dose lithium
Researchers have observed lower rates of dementia and related mortality in cities with trace amounts of lithium in the drinking water. This suggests that long-term exposure to low doses of lithium may slow cognitive decline, though further research is needed.