Make getting vertical and increasing daily movement a priority, as it’s considered essential for overall well-being. Start by standing more, getting out of your chair, walking, and taking the stairs.
Actively seek out and pursue relationships and crafts that genuinely make you happy, as this is highlighted as potentially the best thing you can do for your brain health.
Shift your diet towards more plants, nuts, and occasional fatty fish and poultry, following a Mediterranean-style approach. Avoid beef, fried, and processed foods, treating them as rare indulgences rather than regular habits.
Actively seek out new and unfamiliar content, develop new habits, or learn new skills like music or languages to challenge your brain, break mental ruts, and help stave off dementia.
Engage in regular physical exercise a couple of times a week, as it improves blood flow to the brain and releases neurotrophic factors, which act as ‘miracle growth’ for brain health.
Consider skipping breakfast a couple of times a week to practice intermittent fasting, aiming for 16 hours without eating, as this can be good for attention and focus by encouraging the brain to use ketones.
Take short breaks throughout the day, breathing deeply for five minutes a couple of times, or three minutes three times a day, as this meditative pause can be helpful.
Incorporate strength training, even with light weights, into your exercise routine, as it is increasingly suggested to be an essential component for brain health.
Dedicate 10-20 minutes during the transition from wakefulness to sleep (hypnagogic state) to reflect on riddles or problems, as this period can serve as a ‘strange portal to your subconscious’ for creativity.
Keep a pen and paper by your bed to immediately jot down any creative thoughts or solutions that come to mind just before falling asleep or upon waking.