From working remotely to having a new baby to retiring, there are a lot of situations life throws at us that can make it more challenging to get out and be social.
“It’s so common in our culture to slowly lose our social network as we go through life,” said Dr. Zaldy Tan, the director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai. “We need to have some kind of social network that we can turn to whenever we need it — or even if we don’t think we need it.”
So, how does socialization impact the brain? “Every time we meet someone new … we make a new connection within our brain between brain cells,” Tan explained. Plus, a strong social network has been shown to improve mood, which is linked to our brain health. (Depression is one of the risk factors for dementia.)
While in-person interactions seem to be most beneficial for brain health, online socialization and virtual conversations can also help, said Dr. Glen Finney, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and director of the Memory and Cognition Program at Geisinger Health.
“There are certain people who are literally physically isolated … or may not have friends and family in their local area, [and] their online community becomes their lifeline and can have some real benefit,” Finney said.
2. You keep your brain active – but only by doing the same things over and over again.
You not only want to engage your brain by preserving the skills you already have, but you also want to get your brain outside of its comfort zone, Finney explained.
“If you say, ‘I’m no longer a kid anymore. I’m not going to worry about learning anything’ … [That] actually can sabotage your brain health and lead to premature brain aging,” he said.
Just like when we meet someone new, learning something new forms connections between our brain cells and helps to keep the brain youthful.
“You should always be expanding your mental horizons,” he said. “If you’ve never taken a musical instrument, learn a musical instrument. If you’ve never read a foreign language, learn a foreign language.”
3. You dismiss the chronic stress you’re carrying around.
Doctors Reveal Habits Aging Your Brain Prematurely
