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Neural plasticity is truly about interrupting the old with the new.

In these daily, monthly and yearly increments, our brains develop the capacity to adapt and flex in the short, medium and long term. This boosts our cognitive capacity to adjust when confronted with other changes in our lives.

Monthly cognitive challenges

The key here is to vary not just the activity but the type of activity from month to month – and remember, the aim isn’t to completely master every new thing you try. It’s about expanding your cognitive experiences.

One month you could read a few books from a very different genre of literature than you’re used to.

Next you... See more

It can be hard at first to get into the habit of this, so keeping a list of ideas for these daily challenges and then journaling what you will do or have done each day is a good way to track your progress and success.

Once you’ve completed a specific daily cognitive challenge, is it off-limits? Certainly not. In fact, it might be very beneficial to ... See more

A small flex would be almost anything that requires you to engage your memory, attention, language, perception, problem-solving or decision-making in a way that encourages you to do something differently than you’ve done before.

None of these need to become new habits and, in fact, the point is that they aren’t something that continues day after day... See more

So, how do you get flexing your brain again? It’s actually quite easy to organise our lives in ways that allow us to consistently create new neural pathways. We obviously can’t change everything about our lives every day, but I don’t think we need to.

Instead, we should be striving to take on a small new cognitive challenge each day, a medium new co... See more

We now know that there is a neurological explanation: they’ve formed such deep and lasting connections in their brains for certain daily functions that the opportunities to form new connections from day to day, month to month, and year to year have become limited.

Do you wake up in the same bed, in the same room, in the same home, in the same town? Do you shower in the same place, using the same soap, drying with the same towels?

If you begin your day with a coffee, do you use the same mug, is it brewed in the same machine, and do you drink it in the same spot as you do most other mornings, or get it from the... See more

Don't become a creature of habit

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience. It’s what allows us to keep learning. But like a muscle, this part of the brain needs regular flexing to keep it in good shape.

This neural network is also the storage site for an astonishing quantity of memories. Your brain can store 2.5 mi... See more

Toxins: There’s growing evidence that exposure to toxins is tied to the development of dementia. Tiny amounts of toxic exposures occur daily – in your own home, during your commute, and in your place of work. But while there’s little hope of avoiding all of these, there are steps you can take to limit exposure including keeping your house well-vent... See more