7 Smart Strategies to Boost Your Brain Health in the New Year, According to a Cognitive Neuroscientist
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Looking for actionable ways to stay sharp, maximize brain power, improve mental health, and prevent cognitive decline? Of course you are. The good habits and healthy mindsets we adopt right now really can help protect and maintain our brain health in the long term. But what exactly are the key habits and lifestyle factors that keep the brain “young” and thriving for as long as possible? The answer isn’t as simple as downloading another brain game app (the science is pretty fuzzy on whether they actually do anything). Instead, cognitive neuroscientist Julie Fratantoni, PhD, head of research integration and partnerships at Center for BrainHealth, shares the best, science-backed strategies to hack your brain health—and put the brain power you already have to even better use.
Related: 6 Everyday Habits to Train Your Brain to Be Happier
Create High-Level Goals—and Set Mini-Goals Along the Way
Setting and working toward a valued goal supports both your sense of well-being and important brain systems. “Having clearly defined goals can strengthen your sense of purpose,” Fratantoni says.
According to Fratantoni, goal-setting is a fantastic exercise for the brain’s frontal network, the region involved in high-level executive functions, reasoning and decision-making, information retrieval, and emotion regulation (just to name a few). “When you engage in setting goals, planning, and prioritization, you’re exercising your frontal network,” she says. “Your frontal lobe is the first part of the brain that’s vulnerable to decline over time, so anything you can do to strengthen it is good.”
Plus, as you take incremental strides toward a larger resolution and accomplish small steps along the way, “you’re activating the brain’s reward network to produce dopamine (which is both motivating and rewarding),” Fratantoni says.
Do focused work toward your goal every day.
Do something that propels you toward the main goal every day for a realistic chunk of time. Fratantoni calls this your “elephant.” “The elephant is not the goal, [but it’s] something you can work on for 45 minutes of focused work that moves you forward,” she says.
Leverage your personal, prime-time mental energy.
Take stock of when you have the most energy and brain power—and then use it to get real stuff done. “This is about being strategic with your mental energy,” Fratantoni explains. “Many people feel sharpest in the morning [and] use that time to answer emails and do other busywork. Instead, block that time to work on a task that will move a major project forward. Save emails and busywork for when you have less energy.”
Related: How to Make Good Habits Stick—Go Beyond New Year's Resolutions
Build Confidence Through Patterns of Positive Self-Talk
It’s time to break free from self-deprecating thought patterns, which trap us in loops of anxiety that limit our cognitive capabilities. Building confidence and generating a positive self-perception (skills that can be learned with practice!) doesn’t just create a more pleasant headspace—it can help change the way your brain works and set you up for better problem-solving, resilience, and innovation.
“When you’re feeling anxious, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) narrows your options to fight/flight/freeze, so you are able to act quickly [for survival],” Fratantoni says. “On the other hand, confidence quiets the anxious systems, which allows you to think creatively and solve problems.”
Actively replace pessimistic thoughts with confidence-boosting thoughts.
Instead of fighting to stop negative self-talk (which can seem to have a mind of its own), work on replacing it with confidence-building, self-affirming thoughts. “Telling yourself simple phrases such as ‘I can do this,’ and ‘this can happen,’ help to cultivate a confident mindset,” she says.
Keep some deep breathing exercises in your back pocket.
When your negative thoughts or self-doubt go haywire, Fratantoni recommends practicing a simple slow breathing exercise (inhale for four counts, exhale for six counts) to get your system out of anxiety mode and “bring your rational brain back online.”
More easy breathing exercises to try:
Related: Want to Be More Positive? Here Are 7 Things Optimistic People Do Differently
Get Your Heart Rate Up Routinely
It really can't be overstated how beneficial exercise is for brain health and mood management—not just your heart, bones, joints, and muscles. Prioritize getting a daily dose of heart-pumping movement to increase blood flow to the brain and boost cognition.
“Moving your body and raising your heart rate improves thinking, learning, problem-solving and emotional balance,” Fratantoni says. “Physical exercise sparks the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning. [It also] increases brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which sparks the birth of new neurons.”
Find ways to move that don't intimidate you—and that you're likely to return to consistently.
Just a small increase in physical activity (even if you’re starting at zero!) is all it takes to see some benefits. So, think small. Walking is a fantastic form of exercise, especially if you can pick up the pace a little bit, or walk on an incline, to the point where you’re breathing a bit heavier and raising your heart rate. Even vigorous gardening or household chores, the kind of tasks that make you want to strip down to just a T-shirt—like vacuuming or cleaning out the garage—all count.
“Small changes can make a big impact,” Fratantoni says. “Taking the stairs, going on a 10-15 minute walk every day, and even playing with your kids are all small but important ways to keep you active throughout the day that don’t require spending hours in the gym.”
Boost Your Memory: Challenge Yourself to Think Even Deeper
Memory decline is a normal part of getting older, but it doesn't always need to happen so soon or so rapidly. Wondering how to "workout" your memory "muscles" for better information retention and recall? Challenge yourself to expand upon the info you've taken in.
"After you engage with information (like a podcast, article, or conversation) ask yourself: 'What can I learn from this to update my thinking, what's the main idea, or what's the bigger meaning?' This extra bit of processing creates new connections in your brain and makes it easier to retrieve later," Fratantoni says. "[W]hen practiced often, it engages your frontal networks in a way that strengthens them."
Incoming information—what you read, watch, experience, and hear—heads to the brain's learning and memory center in the temporal lobes. "But for you to be able to use that information, it must be processed by your frontal lobe—the hub of decision-making and problem-solving," she explains. "Your frontal networks integrate the new information with your [existing] world knowledge."
The stronger your frontal networks, the sharper your cognitive skills will be (think: organization and planning)—and the easier it'll be not only to store information, but to use it to "pull knowledge and memories together to come up with conclusions and new ideas," she adds.
Take one extra step after reading or listening to something.
"Jot down one way it can apply to you personally, or summarize key lessons or big-picture concepts in a single sentence," Fratantoni suggests.
Summarize the information—or just your day overall—with someone.
Fratantoni recommends simply "shar[ing] the 'headline of your day' with a family member or friend," to solidify experiences and think a little more deeply.
Hone in on Gratitude
You’ve likely heard this advice before, and Fratantoni is here both to confirm and further prove its efficacy in maintaining a healthy mind. “Gratitude can create changes in brain chemistry in the same way physical activity can,” she says. “Research shows that gratitude increases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts feelings of well-being and happiness.” Finding and naming things you are genuinely thankful for is a positive practice your brain will come to do instinctively. “Identifying reasons to feel grateful benefits your emotional well-being and helps reduce stress,” she explains, adding that it “creates a cycle of seeking out positive perspectives.”
Identify what you’re grateful for out loud or in writing.
Name three things you’re grateful for out loud in a moment of reflection each night before bed or in the morning when you wake up. Another method that works for many people is writing down concrete things in a gratitude journal or list.
Take a moment to internalize how good it feels to be thanked.
But if you’ve already given up and thrown away your gratitude journal, try Fratantoni’s simple gratitude visualization exercise instead: “Think about a time that someone genuinely thanked you and how it felt in your body. Practicing this for a few minutes a day has been shown to reduce the fear response in the amygdala as well as inflammatory markers in the body.”
Stock Up on Nourishing Brain Foods
Certain foods and drinks (tea!) contain brain-boosting nutrients that encourage mental clarity, decrease inflammation, and help optimize neurotransmitter functioning. "While no single food is a magical elixir of brain health, a well-rounded, brain-healthy diet protects your whole body and reduces risk factors associated with cognitive decline," Fratantoni says.
Related: Want to Start Eating for Better Brain Health? Here's How to Stock Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer
How exactly do you eat for brain health? “Eat as many whole, real foods as possible, such as nuts, fish, and berries,” she suggests, which are high in fiber, protein, healthy fats, and antioxidant micronutrients and plant compounds. Nosh on lots of probiotic foods and high-fiber, anti-inflammatory plant foods to support a healthy gut microbiome, too, which is closely linked to the brain and nervous system. Make an effort to start reducing your intake of highly processed foods and alcohol, both of which, Fratantoni says, “have all been shown to contribute to brain decline.” She points to 2022 research which found that lowering ultra-processed food consumption by 10 percent (about one less processed meal a week) can decrease dementia risk by 19 percent.”
Make an Effort to Connect and Build Community
Having a sense of community, making genuine social connections, and spending quality time with loved ones are crucial ingredients for personal well-being and longevity, especially when it comes to brain health. “Strong social bonds are among the most protective factors for brain health as we age,” Fratantoni explains. “Invest in meaningful relationships and think quality over quantity. Research shows that social connection buffers against stress, increases longevity, decreases cognitive impairment, decreases depression and anxiety, and improves sleep as well as your immune system.”
Connect with a loved one every day.
“Check in with a friend. Have a standing phone date. Send a voice note or text to let people know you’re thinking of them. Start or end your day by sending a note of gratitude to a loved one,” she suggests.
Related: How to Improve Your Memory (and Stop Losing Your Keys)
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