My grandmother never needed to write anything down. At 78, she could recall every grandchild’s birthday, remember where she’d left her reading glasses (usually on her head), and keep track of multiple conversations while cooking Sunday dinner. When she passed three years ago, I inherited her handwritten letters, each one dated and organized perfectly in a shoebox. Not a single forgotten detail among them.

Her mental sharpness wasn’t luck. Looking back, I realize she did specific things daily that kept her mind razor-sharp. Now, as I dive deeper into cognitive health research for my work, I’m discovering that what seemed like simple habits were actually powerful brain-protecting behaviors.

If you’re over 65 and can manage these eight activities without sticky notes, phone alerts, or constant reminders, your cognitive health is likely in excellent shape. More importantly, if you’re not quite there yet, these are the exact areas where small improvements can make a huge difference.

1. You remember to take medications at the right times

This sounds basic, but it’s actually incredibly complex from a cognitive perspective. Managing medications requires working memory, time awareness, and executive function all working together seamlessly.

Think about what your brain does here: it tracks multiple schedules, remembers whether you’ve already taken something, and maintains awareness of timing throughout the day. Medication adherence can decline with age, not because people stop caring, but because the cognitive load becomes heavier.

If you’re managing your medications independently without pill organizers with alarms or family reminders, you’re demonstrating strong prospective memory—the ability to remember to do things in the future. This type of memory is often one of the first affected by cognitive decline.

2. You can follow multi-step recipes from memory

Every Sunday morning, I call my mother, and she often tells me about the elaborate meals she’s been cooking. She rarely needs to check recipes anymore, even for complex dishes she makes monthly.

Cooking from memory engages multiple cognitive systems simultaneously. You’re using procedural memory (remembering how to perform tasks), working memory (keeping track of what you’ve already added), and executive function (adjusting timing and coordinating multiple dishes).

When someone can prepare a full meal without constantly checking instructions or forgetting ingredients, they’re demonstrating intact sequential processing and attention management. These are sophisticated cognitive skills that many people take for granted until they start to fade.

3. You manage your finances without confusion

Can you balance your checkbook, pay bills on time, and spot unusual charges on your statements without help? Financial management is one of the most cognitively demanding regular tasks we face.

It requires mathematical reasoning, pattern recognition, and the ability to track multiple accounts and due dates. Studies have shown that difficulty with financial tasks is often an early indicator of cognitive changes, sometimes appearing years before other symptoms.

If you’re handling investments, taxes, and daily money management independently, your executive function and mathematical cognition are functioning well. This includes understanding abstract concepts like interest rates and being able to make sound financial decisions based on complex information.

4. You navigate familiar routes without getting lost

Spatial navigation relies heavily on the hippocampus, one of the first brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease. If you can drive to the grocery store, find your way around the mall, and return home without confusion or anxiety, your spatial memory is intact.

This goes beyond just knowing where things are. It includes adapting when roads are closed, finding alternate routes, and maintaining your sense of direction in complex environments. Some people rely heavily on GPS even for familiar routes—if you don’t need to, that’s a positive sign.

5. You maintain your daily routine independently

I keep a physical notebook for my work, and every Sunday evening, I do my “life admin” session to organize the week ahead. But imagine if you couldn’t remember to do these regular tasks without constant reminders.

Maintaining a routine means your brain successfully manages temporal awareness (knowing what day it is and what typically happens), task initiation (starting activities without prompting), and activity sequencing (doing things in logical order).

If you’re showering regularly, keeping appointments, maintaining your home, and managing daily tasks without family members reminding you, your cognitive executive function is working well. This encompasses planning, organizing, and following through on intentions.

6. You can follow conversations in noisy environments

At family gatherings, can you track multiple conversations, remember who said what, and contribute meaningfully even with background noise? This ability, called cocktail party effect, requires sophisticated auditory processing and selective attention.

Your brain must filter relevant from irrelevant information, maintain focus despite distractions, and quickly process and respond to verbal information. Difficulty following conversations in noisy settings can indicate processing speed changes or attention difficulties.

7. You remember recent events and conversations

Every morning, I do crossword puzzles as a brain warm-up before checking emails. But beyond structured activities, can you recall what you had for dinner two nights ago? Remember the plot of the TV show you watched last week? Recount a conversation from yesterday without struggling?

Short-term and recent memory consolidation are crucial cognitive functions. If you can tell someone about your recent activities in detail, remember where you put things, and don’t find yourself repeatedly asking the same questions, your memory encoding and retrieval systems are functioning properly.

8. You learn and adapt to new technology

When I call my mother on Sundays, I often end up explaining what’s happening in tech news. But she surprises me by already knowing about many developments and even teaching herself to use new apps.

Learning new technology requires cognitive flexibility, the ability to form new neural pathways, and adaptability to changing interfaces. If you can figure out a new phone, learn to use online banking, or adapt when websites change their layout, you’re demonstrating neuroplasticity—your brain’s ability to form new connections.

Final thoughts

These eight abilities represent different aspects of cognitive function, from memory and attention to executive function and processing speed. If you’re managing all of them independently, you’re demonstrating remarkable cognitive health.

But here’s what matters most: cognitive health isn’t fixed. Research consistently shows that challenging your brain, staying socially connected, exercising regularly, and maintaining good sleep can support cognitive function at any age. Whether you’re acing all eight or noticing some challenges, there’s always room for improvement and protection.

My grandmother’s sharp mind wasn’t just genetic luck—it was the result of a lifetime of habits that kept her brain engaged and active. The same opportunity exists for all of us.