By Jayne Jacova Feld and Courtney Shapiro Updated: May 29, 2025
Stress plays a bigger role in your brain health than you may think
Each day, we understand more about how our lifestyle impacts our cognitive longevity—especially risk factors for prominent neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Experts often reiterate how we can help protect our brains by exercising, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding smoking. But there are even smaller, simpler everyday habits that require little to no effort that can help prevent cognitive decline.
Everyday habits that prevent cognitive decline
Experts say these healthy lifestyle habits can help keep your brain sharp for years to come.
Stay socially active
Social interaction is critical for cognitive longevity, especially for older adults, confirms Brandon Crawford, DC, FIBFN-CND, Functional Neurologist at the NeuroSolution Center of Austin.
“Every conversation activates multiple areas of the brain—memory, language, emotional regulation, executive function,” he explains. “These interactions keep neural pathways flexible and engaged, which is key to preventing cognitive decline.”
Dr. Crawford recommends at least 15 to 30 minutes of intentional social connection daily. In-person is ideal, like walking with a friend, attending a group class, volunteering or participating in a community group or faith-gathering, he says. However, even phone calls can be effective if they involve real engagement.
“Passive digital interaction, like scrolling or liking posts, doesn’t stimulate the same brain activity,” clarifies Dr. Crawford. “The brain knows the difference between true connection and digital noise.”
“The brain knows the difference between true connection and digital noise.” —Brandon Crawford, DC
Limit screen time
Screen exposure, especially first thing in the morning and late at night, disrupts the brain’s natural rhythms, explains Dr. Crawford. It dysregulates dopamine (a feel-good brain chemical), delays production of the sleep hormone melatonin and alters the brain’s reward circuits.
Try to avoid screens for the first 30 to 60 minutes of the day, he advises. Instead, use that time for natural light exposure, light movement or mindfulness. It’s also smart to limit recreational screen time to under two hours a day. After 6 pm, use blue light filters to block sleep-disrupting light from digital screens, or ideally, power down all devices 90 minutes before bedtime.
“A good rule of thumb: For every hour of screen time, aim for two hours in natural light,” offers Dr Crawford. “This helps balance dopamine and supports healthy circadian regulation, both of which are essential for cognitive preservation.”
Limit multitasking
While it’s something we all do quite naturally in our hectic lives, multitasking has been proven to age our brains, says Sarah Bullard, PhD, ABPP, Director of Psychology at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.
“Our brains are not designed to quickly toggle back and forth from one task to another, and it puts an undue burden (think of it as wear and tear) on your brain,” she says.
Bullard suggests turning off your email notifications whenever possible and focusing on one task at a time. Not only will this help preserve a healthy brain (plus improve your quality of life), it can also make you more efficient in the long run when you concentrate on one thing at a time, she says.
Consider ‘coactivation’
”Here’s where people get confused: Not all ‘doing two things at once’ is bad,” notes Dr. Crawford. “In fact, when it’s done intentionally, with the right systems, it can actually boost brain function.”
This is called coactivation, and it looks very different from multitasking. While multitasking looks like typing emails while half-watching a TV show, switching between browser tabs every 30 seconds or scrolling your phone during a conversation, coactivation often includes:
- Performing eye movement drills while balancing on a board
- Doing coordination exercises during red light therapy
- Walking outdoors while engaging in meaningful conversation
- Reading affirmations while doing breathwork to lock in neurological patterns
“Coactivation pairs neural systems that are naturally connected—like movement and cognition or vision and balance—and trains them to fire together more efficiently,” explains Dr. Crawford. “It’s structured, purposeful and designed to strengthen the brain’s ability to integrate and regulate information.”
Find ways to de-stress
Chronic stress pushes the brain into a prolonged state of fight-or-flight, which over time suppresses brain flexibility, disrupts memory formation and inflames the nervous system, explains Dr. Crawford. Daily stress regulation is crucial for long-term brain health.
“Stress isn’t just emotional—it has a direct chemical impact on the brain,” he says.
Before adopting stress management techniques, take a moment to ask yourself: What activities drain your energy, and what ones replenish it?, suggests Bullard. For example, does meditation or deep breathing help you feel calmer, or do you find more energy spending time in nature or sunlight?
Find ways to de-stress
Chronic stress pushes the brain into a prolonged state of fight-or-flight, which over time suppresses brain flexibility, disrupts memory formation and inflames the nervous system, explains Dr. Crawford. Daily stress regulation is crucial for long-term brain health.
“Stress isn’t just emotional—it has a direct chemical impact on the brain,” he says.
Before adopting stress management techniques, take a moment to ask yourself: What activities drain your energy, and what ones replenish it?, suggests Bullard. For example, does meditation or deep breathing help you feel calmer, or do you find more energy spending time in nature or sunlight?
“Once you identify what works best for you, try incorporating it regularly, whether that’s practicing mindfulness for a few minutes daily or setting boundaries to protect your downtime and soak up some fresh air,” she says. “Most of us can find 10 to 15 minutes to sit on a bench in the sun or close our doors and do some deep breathing.”
As for how to start your day, Dr. Crawford suggests breathwork or prayer in the morning, at least 10 minutes of natural sunlight exposure within the first hour of waking and red light therapy or cold exposure to help reset the stress response.
“Evening rituals are just as important,” he adds. “Journaling, low light environments or calming audio can help signal the brain that it’s time to shift into repair mode.”
Prioritize positive thoughts
Our thoughts shape our neurochemistry, and repetitive negative thinking, including rumination, self-criticism or catastrophizing, activates stress pathways and contributes to brain inflammation, cautions Dr. Crawford. Over time, this disrupts brain repair processes and lowers resilience.
“I recommend a daily practice of reframing—interrupting negative spirals and replacing them with truthful, forward-oriented thoughts,” he says. “Gratitude journaling, breathwork and even guided affirmations can help.”
Here’s a guided meditation video designed to help you reconnect with positivity and enhance your brain’s adaptability:
“Simple reframes like ‘My brain is healing’ or ‘I’m still learning’ are not fluff—they’re neurological inputs,” says Dr. Crawford. “They rewire the emotional centers of the brain over time.”
Bullard also recommends starting a gratitude journal to reflect on three things you’re thankful for each day. If journaling is not for you, find a consistent time to reflect on three good things that have happened each day, she suggests.
“When challenged, I try to remind myself that I am an intelligent woman and I will figure out the problem!” says Bullard.