Mental Health
10 Lifestyle Practices and Habits to Improve Cognitive Health and Performance
The younger we invest in cognitive reserves and neurogenesis, the better for long-term health.
The Purpose of the Article
Some subscribers reached out to me, mentioning they experience cognitive decline as they age and asking me whether I might offer practical ways to lower the rate of decline.
My answer is yes, based on my reviews, observations, and experience. I’d love to provide practical tips without going into scientific details. However, every point I make in this story is backed up by cognitive research that I have reviewed for over four decades.
This story does not include health or professional advice. I penned it for information, inspiration, and awareness purposes.
Why do cognitive health and performance matter?
Some might wonder what cognitive health and performance mean. First, let me define cognitive help by leveraging the definition by NIH (National Health Institute):
“Cognitive health — the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember — is an important component of performing everyday activities. Cognitive health is just one aspect of overall brain health.”
Cognitive health aims to lower the risks and prevent the manifestation of neurogenerative disorders and mental health conditions. As I documented in a previous article, millions of people suffer from cognitive dysfunction.
Cognitive health depends on fundamental human needs balancing our hormones and neurotransmitters. Even though cognitive health is vital at any age, it is more critical for the older population because, as we age, we experience accelerated cognitive decline. People also get more anxious as they get older.
Some neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, and mental health disorders, such as anxiety or depression, might be caused by cognitive decline. These Five Mental Health Conditions Cause Memory Disorders.
Oxidative stress and inflammation are two critical factors affecting cognitive health. Both stress and inflammation are necessary for growth and recovery. However, in excess amounts, they can be toxic to the brain leading to cognitive decline.
In my experience, any function related to the neo-cortex, our thinking brain, relates to cognitive health. Critical cognitive functions include focus, attention, memory, task switching, and problem-solving. They are essential for our survival and well-being.
Cognitive performance refers to improving cognitive functions and creating cognitive reserves to reduce decline effects as we age. There are various ways of enhancing cognitive functions, such as exercise, meditation, fasting, ketosis, and taking essential nutrients.
The best way to improve cognitive health and performance is to enhance our cognitive reserves. I explained it in an article titled How to Create Cognitive Reserves to Lower Risks and Effects of Neurodegenerative Disorders.
Cognitive reserves are necessary as we get older and get more prone to cognitive decline due to the effects of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia.
Here are ten practices that can be habits to improve cognitive health, top up cognitive reserves, and improve performance as we age.
1 — Essential Nutrients, Energy, and Fasting
The brain is an energy-hungry organ. It consumes more energy than any other organ and shuts down if it lacks energy. It also requires proteins, healthy fats, glucose, and various micronutrients.
I documented key nutrients in an article titled Here’s How These 7 Nutrients Can Enhance Cognitive Health and Performance.
The key point is to have a balanced diet providing energy and nutrients from whole foods, whether from plant or animal sources, based on our preferences.
Consuming our food in a specific window and remaining fasted at other times can improve the brain’s biochemistry. I explained it in an article titled Here’s How Fasting Can Change Brain Chemistry.
Fasting cause ketosis. Ketones provide cleaner alternative energy to the brain even though the brain mainly uses glucose. β-hydroxybutyrate is an energy source for the brain and a signaling molecule to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
2 — Regular Movement
The brain needs constant stimulation via physical and mental workouts. Exercise creates hormetic stress for the brain. I explained hormetic stress in an article titled Here’s How to Create Long-Term Comfort from Short-Term Discomfort.
The linked article provides the practical use of hormetic stress for neurogenesis, mitogenesis, autophagy, and mitophagy with six lifestyle habits.
The value of movement for cognitive health is irrefutable. Unfortunately, some people don’t like exercise finding them dull and tiring. However, we can turn physical training into fun by doing joyful activities.
When our workouts are joyful, the brain desire to do them more. Undoubtedly, it is possible to make our workouts a hobby. I did it. For example, jumping on a trampoline, dancing to my favorite music, calisthenics, yoga, and swimming are my hobbies. I don’t make the extra effort and don’t need the motivation to perform these activities.
Joyful movements can affect our brain chemistry. Some intense workouts can substantially increase the amount of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neuro Factor) in the brain. BDNF is essential to keep our brains active and young. It is a tool to increase our cognitive reserves as we age and get prone to mental decline.
Regular movement can make the body insulin sensitive, causing the brain to utilize glucose better. In addition, intense physical workouts can contribute to ketosis, creating alternative energy for the brain that increases its performance.
Exercise can also improve Heart Rate Variability. HRV is an essential contributor to neurogenesis. I explained HRV/RFB training to improve health and fitness in an article titled Here’s Why I Envision the Key to Good Health Resides Between the Spaces of Our Heartbeats.
3 — Restorative Sleep, Rest, and Recovery
After stimulation, the brain needs rest to create a delicate balance. Many physical and psychological activities are involved in maintaining this balance.
Sleep serves as a restoration mechanism for the body and the brain. It affects hormones and neurotransmitters. Two hormones play a critical role in sleep quality and deprivation. They are cortisol and melatonin.
These hormones play opposite roles in the sleep cycle. For example, while cortisol keeps us awake, melatonin makes us sleepy. When one is higher, the other gets lower.
The effects of exercise can be neutralized with rest and fun. When we rest the body and enjoy activities, our hormones and neurotransmitters get balanced. Restorative sleep can increase growth hormones and balance sex hormones, increasing recovery and anabolism.
A balance of hormones and neurotransmitters can recover the neurons and connections from oxidative stress and initiate growth for the cells. Sleep deprivation might have significant adverse effects on the brain.
4 — Reading, Writing, and Listening
Reading is not just for learning, even though it is one of the most mentioned benefits. We can also read for recreational purposes to improve our imagination and connect with characters and ideas in fiction books and stories.
The brain loves reading and listening to stories. Reading and listening to stories can enhance the connections of neurocircuits in the brain. If reading is impossible, we can listen to fiction books and stories. Audiobooks are enjoyable, convenient, and therapeutic.
Besides my professional writing, daily therapeutic writing puts me into an altered state of mind quickly and effortlessly. Therapeutic writing has a grounding effect on the whole brain.
My research into therapeutic writing indicates that it can calm the amygdala (alert system of the brain), strengthen the cortex (executive system), reduce chronic stress, and relieve anxiety or depression symptoms.
Besides its cognitive health and psychological benefits, such as improving mood, therapeutic writing can also improve our physical health. For example, studies indicate that it can reduce blood pressure, improve lung and liver function, and boost the immune system.
As I covered the benefits of therapeutic writing in an article, I won’t repeat them here. You may check my findings if you are interested in therapeutic writing.
5 — Sensory Deprivation and Floatation-REST
Sensory deprivation refers to reducing sensory stimuli, such as coming through our eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and skin.
We all perform sensory deprivation to some extent in our daily lives. For example, some people use eye masks, blindfolds, and earmuffs while sleeping to reduce noise and light. Thermal protection is also used to reduce the effects of cold and heat in our homes.
Another alternative term for sensory deprivation in the literature is Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy. These therapies are shortened as Floatation-REST.
Commercial companies created tools such as isolation tanks, removing the perceptual connection with the external world in a designed tank with mineral water and oxygen only.
Isolation tanks include water in body temperature and a substantial amount of Epsom Salts that I introduced in an article titled Here’s Why Epsom Salts Look Valuable Molecules for Immunity.
I documented my findings in an article titled Sensory Deprivation Therapies Might Enhance Our Cognitive Health and Performance.
6 — Daily Chores for Neuroplasticity
During my cognitive science studies, one of the most exciting findings was the brain’s neuroplasticity by learning and activity. We can increase the capacity and capability of the neocortex through simple activities, including learning and practicing them.
We can turn daily chores into brain boosters. These activities involve cognitive capabilities such as focus, attention, task switching, and working memory.
These cognitive abilities help us activate several brain regions and keep the neocortex healthy. We can keep our thinking brain active when we intentionally and mindfully use daily chores like cleaning dishes, washing clothes, gardening, and brushing our teeth.
For example, I used to practice only one hand while brushing my teeth or writing my journal. When I tried to use my left hand, it was initially challenging and tiresome. The urge was sturdy to use the right hand. But, after a while, I got used to it.
When undertaking these activities, we might have some resistance and impatience as they are usually mundane tasks. The critical point is to recognize uncomfortable emotions and deliberately maintain focus and attention. This meditative approach can be therapeutic for the brain and enhance cognitive health and performance.
7 — Meditation and Neurobics
Mindfulness practices have significant beneficial effects on the brain. Awareness, acceptance, focus, attention, task switching, empathy, and compassion are the key components of mindfulness. I meditate three times a day to improve my cognitive reserves.
By being and remaining mindful, we live in the moment. Observing our thoughts and emotions without judging them can bring many mental health benefits. For example, we feel less anxious when we live in the moment refraining from past regrets and future concerns.
Regular meditation, daily for around 15 to 20 minutes, can calm the brain and reduce our anxieties. The positive effects of meditation on the brain have been intensely studied by neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. Meditation can also increase our self-compassion and self-love while making our connections with others more effective.
In a previous story, I introduced a concept called neurobics. This concept can be explained with the metaphor of brain gymnastics using daily activities. The central premise of the idea is that repetitions can activate several parts of the brain, can strengthen neural connections, and expand the neural network.
I have been using neurobics to create cognitive reserves for decades. I measured the progress objectively and subjectively. Therefore, I pass along this tacit knowledge in my stories. We can use our daily chores or fun activities to stimulate various brain parts. For example, even though we have a dishwasher, I always wash my dishes myself as a daily activity.
In this particular example, I have a purpose, use my hands, feel the warm water, and focus on completing a task at a specific time. So it is a meditative activity. I only focus on each movement on the plates and the sensations.
In earlier days, I used to feel frustrated and irritated. However, after years, it is now a pleasant activity that turned out to be therapeutic for me. Many friends I introduced also enjoyed it. Some listen to music to add extra sensation. And some even sing while cleaning the dishes.
I use numerous other daily brain boosters, such as dexterous writing, brushing my teeth with both hands, and barefoot walking on grass or beach sand daily. These activities can create new neurons and strengthen the ones associated with these activities.
Reading and writing have significantly improved my cognitive reserves. Therefore, despite my personal and professional challenges, I read and write daily.
8 — Social Connections, Laughter, Fun, Music, and Dance
Our brain is hard-wired for social connections. We cannot live in isolation. We evolved as tribal beings because the brain’s limbic (emotional) part is an open system craving stable relationships with others.
Thus, we desire social connections from genetic and neurological predispositions. While solitude can be desirable for some of us, loneliness might cause emotional and mental disturbances for others.
Social connections can significantly activate various brain regions. Longevity studies indicate the importance of social connections for cognitive health. Socially engaged people experience fewer mental health diseases.
Laughter and smiles are not only for fun, but also they have therapeutic effects in dealing with chronic stress. The psychological and neurobiological effects of laughter and smiles are well-researched.
Laughing and smiling can enhance pleasant brain activities. For example, when we deliberately smile or laugh, the brain can release neurochemicals to reduce stress. These neurotransmitters not only lubricate the neuro-circuits for better functioning of brain activities, but they also serve as an antidepressant.
Therefore, laughter is used by therapists as an essential tool. I learned that laughter therapists could help reduce anxiety and chronic stress for people with mental health conditions structurally with guidance. I introduce laughter yoga in an article titled Here’s What Happened to Gloria After She Did Laughter Yoga for a Year.
Singing, listening to music, and playing an instrument can also enhance brain activities and boost our mood. In addition, dancing with music can further empower the neurocircuits. I introduced the importance of dancing for longevity.
9 — Emotional Regulation and Adversity Quotient
Emotional regulation is critical to coping with stress. Excessive stress, especially when it turns chronic, can cause severe mental health issues. Chronic stress is the root cause of many ailments.
As mentioned in this article, emotional stress is the more significant part of the iceberg for energy deficiency in the body and the brain. Therefore, emotional stress can prevent us from living a satisfying life.
Emotional regulation requires increasing emotional intelligence, improving emotional maturity, and enhancing adversity quotient to reduce emotional stress.
When we gain these capabilities, we can experience an abundance of energy so our brains can thrive and serve us longer. I provided handy tips and a structured framework to deal with emotional toxicity and prolonged stress, especially at work.
Emotional regulation can enhance our adversity quotient (AQ). I introduced AQ in an article titled Here’s How to Increase Adversity Quotient in 6 Steps. AQ is a critical skill for improving cognitive health and performance.
10 — Working in a Flow State
Working in a flow state is ideal for the brain and mind. The flow state can change the content of our consciousness at a specific time to an optimally functioning mental and physical performance. Intuition and logic work together in a flow state.
Flow state brings many benefits to the brain. The most significant benefits are stress relief and emotional regulation. However, people usually want to go to the flow state to create better, produce more with less effort, and perform well to achieve desired results.
The flow state is ideal for work and study as this state is directly related to our cognitive capabilities, such as focus, attention, task switching, memory, and problem-solving.
Professionals, including scientists, doctors, musicians, and athletes, use the flow state to produce better results. The distinguishing factor of remarkable inventors and scientists is the practical and deliberate use of intuition which happens during the flow state more often.
Apart from work and study, my main reason for regularly getting into a flow state is to improve my physical and mental health. In addition to work and study, we can enter a flow state during daily chores, including exercise and eating.
Flow state contributes to these goals by reducing emotional stress. When emotional stress is low, our energies flow better and get balanced. Health requires balance.
I documented my experience and perspectives in an article titled Here’s How to Enter a Flow State In Three Simple Steps. By using the three steps, anyone can gradually enter a flow state at work or while studying.
Conclusions and Takeaways
Millions of people suffer from cognitive decline and, eventually, dysfunction. However, it is possible to improve cognitive health and performance to lower risks and prevent cognitive decline as we age.
Even though cognitive health is vital at any age, it is more critical for the aging population because we experience cognitive decline as we get older. We also get more anxious as we age.
Some neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression might be caused by a cognitive decline, as I documented in an article titled These Five Mental Health Conditions Causes Memory Disorders.
Stress response and inflammation are two critical factors affecting cognitive health. Both stress and inflammation are necessary for growth and recovery. However, in excess amounts, they can be toxic to the brain. Cognitive health depends on fundamental human needs balancing our hormones and neurotransmitters.
Any mental function related to the neo-cortex, our thinking brain, relates to cognitive health. Critical cognitive functions include focus, attention, memory, task switching, and problem-solving. They are essential for our survival and well-being.
Exercise, fasting, thermogenesis, and meditation can change the brain’s chemistry for neurogenesis by increasing cognitive reserves. The fundamental mechanisms are signaling molecules, e.g., BHP (β-hydroxybutyrate), and growth proteins, like BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor).
The key to cognitive health and performance is proactively increasing cognitive reserves. As aging is inevitable, when we get these disorders, at least we can survive with cognitive flexibility. The younger we invest in cognitive reserves, the better for the long term.
I believe these ten factors can lower stress, reduce inflammation, and contribute to balancing our hormones, increasing our cognitive health and performance. People with better cognitive health and performance can overpower challenges, face setbacks effectively, and enjoy their lives.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
Petechiae, ALS, Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and urinary track disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
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Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
As part of my creative non-fiction writing goals, I’d like to share a few stories that might warm our hearts with a bit of humor into weighty topics.
Sample Humorous Stories
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