You can lower your risk of many mental illnesses and cognitive decline just by staying in touch with and supported by family and friends. Spending time with others helps to reduce stress levels and keeps your cognitive skills sharp. Your brain wants to be connected and included and feels calmer and happier when it is. Research finds:

• Higher social engagement is associated with higher cognitive functioning and reduced risks of cognitive decline.
• Volunteering helps lower mortality and depression rates and slows down the decline in physical health and cognitive function.
• Larger social network sizes are associated with better cognitive function.

Stimulate and Challenge Your Brain

Your brain loves routine. However, studies show that staying in your comfort zone is not good for your brain. It kills productivity, creativity, and motivation, and promotes negative neuroplastic change. Humans are masters at unknowingly contributing to our brains’ decline with our habits.

Your brain needs novelty and stimulation to stay healthy. It’s important to kick your brain out of its comfort zone and into the enhancement zone by doing things that are unfamiliar and mentally challenging regularly. You want to push your brain beyond its norm by learning new skills, hobbies, or sports, continuing to educate your mind, putting yourself in new social situations, and traveling to new locations, for instance.

Recent studies have found that having an intellectually challenging job helps to preserve thinking skills and memory as you age. Learning a second language, playing a musical instrument, or undertaking a new craft or hobby all have brain benefits. Anything that forces your brain to stretch, grow, and learn is going to be good for it. Activities that require intense mental focus switch on neuroplasticity, promoting the growth of new synapse connections and leading to strong neural wiring.

Conclusion

You can take simple steps to start instilling brain-healthy habits in your life to keep your physical brain and mental health at its best. When you are trying to adopt healthier habits, start with small changes one at a time and add on from there when you are ready. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Small steps can add up to big results and a healthier brain and body.

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