Four simple habits that can help 'de-age' your brain by eight years

Adopting some positive habits in your life can have a huge impact on your mental health. These small changes can make the brain up to eight years younger, as per new research. And guess what? You need no equipment or space to do these, they are easily adjustable to your daily routine already.

Four simple habits that help 'de-age' your brain

Scientists at the University of Florida, performed a study where they tracked 128 adults in midlife and older age from four continents over a period of two years. Nearly 70% of the participants were women and most were living with chronic pain related to or at risk of knee osteoarthritis.


Using advanced MRI scans and machine learning techniques, researchers estimated each participant's 'brain age' and compared it with their actual age. Those who reported the healthiest mix of psychological and lifestyle factors had brains that appeared up to eight years younger than expected.

They found that four habits including optimism, getting enough deep sleep, managing stress and having strong social support were linked to the younger-looking brains on the scans. Other behaviours linked to a healthier brain ageing were avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight.

In contrast, the brains that appeared older faced hardships like chronic pain, lower income, lower levels of education and social disadvantage.

"Health–promoting behaviours are not only associated with lower pain and better physical functioning. They appear to actually bolster health in an additive fashion at a meaningful level," said Kimberly Sibille, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Florida, who led the research published in the journal Brain Communications.

Is this true?

The first habit was optimism. According to a 2024 study published in OxJournal, optimism has very positive effects on psychological and physical health. According to Johns Hopkins expert Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H. and her colleagues, people with a family history of heart disease and a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack within five to twenty-five years.

Next comes deep sleep and everyone knows a good night's sleep can make your day. As per a 2020 National Library of Medicine report, people who get more deep sleep are less likely to develop Alzheimer's. This is because this phase of sleep allows the brain to clear out more waste products.

Stress activates a part of the brain that produces cortisol, which raises our heart rate and increases blood flow to our arms and legs. It prepares our body to fight or flee. If your brain is constantly stressed, it finds it difficult to function normally and may have issues with memory and thinking, according to a Brown University Health article.

Having a social life not only fills your time and heart, but it also keeps your brain engaged. A 2021 study published in Ageing & Society found that people with the highest levels of social connectedness had the highest scores on cognition tests. Another study of 1100 adults found that those who were most socially active had 70% less cognitive decline than those with the lowest rates of social activities, according to Harvard Health.

Thus, following these four habits could actually keep your brain young and prevent the onset of many diseases and cognitive troubles.

Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment and before changing your diet or supplement regimen.