Your lifestyle habits and daily choices affect your memory, both short- and long-term.Not getting enough sleep, too much alcohol and a poor diet can negatively impact your memory.Trying new healthy recipes and engaging with family and friends supports your memory and brain health.
Your everyday habits have a lasting impact on your health, including how your brain works to process and store memories. Your daily choices can affect your memory both in the short term and long term. Getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and staying physically active are just a few of the habits neurologists recommend to help your brain function at its best.
According to Jon Artz, MD, a board-certified neurologist, everyone begins to lose brain tissue starting in their 40s. However, some people can compensate for these changes because of their cognitive reserve. “Cognitive reserve is how you adapt or cope with the decline in your cognitive abilities as you get older,” says Artz.
While some people are better at adapting to the changes with age, one thing is for sure: the habits you practice throughout your life can help to maintain your cognitive reserve so that your brain can perform at its best. Learn more about the everyday habits that may be hurting your memory and what you can do instead to keep your mind sharp.
1. Not Getting Enough Sleep
One of the most detrimental habits you can have when it comes to memory is not prioritizing sleep. According to Artz, poor sleep and not treating sleep apnea can lead to poor concentration, fatigue and irritability. “If you can’t focus or concentrate, it makes it hard to retain information.”
These negative effects can carry over into the changes that occur in the brain overnight. “Deep sleep is important for memory consolidation,” says Artz. Without deep sleep, your memory suffers both in your ability to remember information during the day and in your ability to consolidate that information as memories overnight.
2. Regularly Drinking Alcohol
While the debate over moderate alcohol consumption and its effect on health continues, Artz makes it clear that alcohol should be avoided when it comes to improving memory. “Alcohol has no benefit to the human body or the brain,” he says. If you don’t drink alcohol, there’s no reason to start.
And if you do drink alcohol, consider reducing your intake over time. “We don’t yet have all the answers when it comes to alcohol and brain health, but we know too much is harmful, and there may be other reasons to avoid it,” says Maggie Moon, M.S., RD, best-selling author of The MIND Diet: 2nd Edition.
3. Relying on A.I.
“We are at the tip of the iceberg for what AI is doing to our brains,” says Dr. Kimberly Johnson Hatchett, board-certified neurologist. “Studies show that by using AI, some have found that we are not utilizing parts of our brain for creativity and deductive reasoning as much.” However, Hatchett cautions against making broad assumptions about AI at this point since we are still learning how it will affect the brain and memory. Still, you may want to limit your reliance on AI for basic tasks to continue to flex your critical thinking skills throughout the day.
4. Eating Too Much Added Sugar and Saturated Fat
Eating a diet that includes excess added sugar and saturated fat can have a negative effect on your brain. “I’d limit the amount of fried foods and sweets to no more than a couple times a month as they’re common sources of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars that can diminish how well brain cells communicate and function,” says Moon.
Research also shows that people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of developing dementia. “Good nutrition provides critical nutrients to support the brain’s complex memory processes, including memory formation, storage and retrieval,” says Moon.
Moon recommends prioritizing seafood and plant-based sources of omega-3s, lean protein foods, dark green leafy vegetables, and a variety of colorful plant foods, including fermented ones for optimal brain health.
5. Sitting Too Much
Our modern lives make it easy to be sedentary. With many jobs supported by technology plus limited opportunities for active transport to and from work, school or other businesses, our daily movement is often limited. However, physical inactivity does not benefit the brain or any other aspect of our health. “There is nothing that a sedentary lifestyle is beneficial for when it comes to health,” says Artz.
Artz recommends primarily aerobic exercise for the brain as it’s shown to have the most benefit. “Up to 300 minutes per week is beneficial for health.”
6. Not Managing Stress
No one will live a completely stress-free life, but some are better at managing their stress than others. The stress response is accompanied by a release of cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol can affect how the brain functions, particularly the areas of the brain involved in memory. “Stress steals our memory, so it’s important to find ways to manage it in the moment and build resilience to it in the future,” says Moon. “Put a relaxation practice into place, which could include a few rounds of box breathing, a walk in nature or journaling—these are all evidence-based stress management strategies.”
7. Not Monitoring Blood Pressure
“High blood pressure can damage the small deep blood vessels in the brain that, over time, can close up and leave little dots that are visible on an MRI,” says Artz. This damage to the blood vessels leads to damage to the brain’s axons, parts of neurons that play a central role in the nervous system function.
This process can negatively impact brain function, making it essential to monitor and treat high blood pressure as soon as it develops. “I recommend monitoring blood pressure at home even if you’re on medications,” he says. “Check your blood pressure at home a minimum of three times per week using an upper arm cuff, not a wrist cuff.”
30-Day MIND Diet Meal Plan for Cognitive Health, Created by a Dietitian
Our Expert Take
Supporting your brain with healthy, everyday habits can go a long way for your cognitive function and memory. Other than including movement in your day, eating a nutrient-dense diet, prioritizing sleep and reducing stress, you should also find other ways to engage your brain throughout the day.
“Try prepping and cooking a new healthy recipe to fire up a variety of complex brain processes,” says Moon. You can also seek social connection daily by engaging with friends and family to engage your brain and promote improved brain function. The habits you practice today will set you up for a healthier future.