Memorial BrainWorks

Your brain. It's one of your most important assets. Yet for many, until you see changes in areas like memory, or have watched someone you know experience a brain related disease or injury, you don't think about how to keep your brain healthy. And haven't been taught why it is so vital for how we live day in, day out.

It is only recently that science has started sharing the critically important message that our brain is both most resilient to disease and best able to perform and maintain its performance longer and better when we adopt the habits known to foster brain health.

At all ages, there are some simple guidelines to practice to keep you on the path of providing proper hygiene for your brain.

1. Spend time in activities that are new to you and that require complex thinking and focused attention. In other words, it is good for your brain to do things that are different enough that you must pay attention in order to get them done.
2. Make time to have fun, rest, relax, and manage stress. Stress is a chemical reaction that has the ability to compromise how your brain functions. Often if you are very stressed, you will notice your memory doesn't work as well as usual.
3. Take care of your body through heart health, aerobic exercise, nutrition, balance, and sleep.
4. Stay connected and participating in groups and activities that lead to meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging.
5. Protect your brain by wearing a helmet and engaging in activities that maintain your sense of balance.

When we engage our brains in these ways, it is a contribution to many aspects of our day to day performance and enjoyment of life and to our future, and our ability to remain vital, independent and healthy for a long as possible.