By Mary Jo Griego
October 2026 | 2026 Fall Newsletter
The Alzheimer’s Association indicates that more than 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer’s or dementia. People think that the mind slows down with age; however, the mind slows down when we get comfortable. The more predictable your days are, the quieter your neurons become because of repetition. Here are some ways to keep your brain active and healthy.
When your daily routine is the same, the brain stops paying attention and learning. The brain is a prediction machine. The more it can predict, the less it pays attention. Routine makes life efficient, but efficiency kills discovery. What feels like peace can quietly become mental paralysis.
Our brains don’t retire – they reorganize. When you break routine, challenge a belief, or experience something new, the neurons in the brain wake up again. Each change, curiosity, or new skill sends a signal that says: “We are still learning – keep the lights on.” So, challenge your brain with different activities, like solving puzzles or learning a new game.
Neuroplasticity is the ability to remap reality. New experiences allow the brain to connect dots it has never connected before. That’s why travel, conversations, playing card games, and creativity don’t just make life more interesting; they keep the mind functioning. Novelty is mental oxygen – without it, the circuits suffocate.
The brain is trained daily not through willpower, but through exercising different patterns. Every time comfort is chosen over curiosity, decay is reinforced. Growth isn’t about intensity. It is about curiosity.
To keep your mind engaged, try to incorporate these mantras into your daily routine:
- Movement sharpens the mind – it floods the brain with oxygen and clarity.
- Connection deepens understanding – each conversation rewires perception.
- Curiosity keeps everything alive – it’s the antidote to mental stillness.
September 21 is Alzheimer’s Day. Use it as a reminder to learn about strategies to preserve cognitive faculties by continually challenging your brain to keep surprising it, stretching it, and teaching it to stay alive. Visit alz.org/about/awareness-initiatives/world-alzheimers-day for more information.
The Alzheimer’s Association indicates that more than 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer’s or dementia. People think that the mind slows down with age; however, the mind slows down when we get comfortable. The more predictable your days are, the quieter your neurons become because of repetition. Here are some ways to keep your brain active and healthy.
When your daily routine is the same, the brain stops paying attention and learning. The brain is a prediction machine. The more it can predict, the less it pays attention. Routine makes life efficient, but efficiency kills discovery. What feels like peace can quietly become mental paralysis.
Our brains don’t retire – they reorganize. When you break routine, challenge a belief, or experience something new, the neurons in the brain wake up again. Each change, curiosity, or new skill sends a signal that says: “We are still learning – keep the lights on.” So, challenge your brain with different activities, like solving puzzles or learning a new game.
Neuroplasticity is the ability to remap reality. New experiences allow the brain to connect dots it has never connected before. That’s why travel, conversations, playing card games, and creativity don’t just make life more interesting; they keep the mind functioning. Novelty is mental oxygen – without it, the circuits suffocate.
The brain is trained daily not through willpower, but through exercising different patterns. Every time comfort is chosen over curiosity, decay is reinforced. Growth isn’t about intensity. It is about curiosity.
To keep your mind engaged, try to incorporate these mantras into your daily routine:
- Movement sharpens the mind – it floods the brain with oxygen and clarity.
- Connection deepens understanding – each conversation rewires perception.
- Curiosity keeps everything alive – it’s the antidote to mental stillness.
September 21 is Alzheimer’s Day. Use it as a reminder to learn about strategies to preserve cognitive faculties by continually challenging your brain to keep surprising it, stretching it, and teaching it to stay alive. Visit alz.org/about/awareness-initiatives/world-alzheimers-day for more information.