Control your sleeping environment’s temperature to optimize sleep, as your body temperature needs to drop 1-3 degrees to fall and stay deeply asleep, and increase 1-3 degrees to wake refreshed.
Aim for 180-200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio per week, which is exercise where you can just barely maintain a conversation, to increase blood flow to the brain, release growth factors like BDNF, and support overall brain health.
Regularly lean into truly challenging activities, especially those you don’t enjoy, to grow and activate your anterior mid-cingulate cortex (AMCC), which is the brain region associated with willpower, tenacity, and grit.
Practice 10-30 minutes of NSDR (e.g., Yoga Nidra) regularly by lying still with an alert mind, engaging in body scans or directed relaxation, to restore cognitive and physical vigor, offset sleep loss, and increase dopamine levels.
Modulate dopamine through healthy, non-pharmacological means to improve working memory, which can decline with age due to reductions in this neuromodulator; refer to zero-cost protocols on the Huberman Lab website.
Avoid head injuries, particularly repeated ones (the ’two-hit model’), as this can significantly decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
When performing shift work at night, filter out blue light using blue blockers or amber/reddish lights to dramatically reduce cortisol levels, which helps maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and mood.
Engage in activities that promote overall cardiovascular health, as good blood circulation is perhaps most important for the brain, and anything beneficial for the heart is also good for brain health.
Participate in exercises that involve coordinated bodily training, such as learning new physical skills or dance, to help offset the age-related loss of cognitive functioning.
Keep anything that contributes to plaque in the arteries, capillaries, and veins of the brain minimal, as the brain is heavily vascularized and its health depends on clear blood flow.
Strive to have your cortisol peak elevated early in the day and gradually subside, as late-day cortisol peaks are associated with negative outcomes like depression and anxiety.
Practice standard meditation, focusing on your breath and redirecting attention when it drifts, to improve memory, enhance focus, and achieve stress-offsetting effects.
Consider self-directed hypnosis for specific problem-solving or to engage neuroplasticity, as it combines focus and relaxation to access brain states that can accelerate positive changes, such as smoking cessation.
For social media apps you struggle with, delete and reinstall them daily to create a behavioral barrier, which can significantly reduce compulsive use and mindless scrolling.
Take a daily vitamin-mineral probiotic drink like AG1 to ensure you meet quotas for vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics, especially for micronutrients hard to obtain sufficiently from whole foods.
Maintain a level of curiosity and discernment about various health and science approaches, understanding that different methods can achieve similar goals and what works varies for individuals.
Share valuable, science-based information and support efforts in public health communication, contributing to a collective effort to disseminate useful knowledge.