Fatigue, brain fog, and a general lack of focus — on our worst days it can feel like the price of admission to adulthood in a busy, modern world. It’s tempting to simply pour another coffee and power through at a reduced capacity day after day, without examining how certain lifestyle factors like that extra shot of caffeine and stress can compound poor cognitive clarity. However, overlooking your mental health and well-being can have long-term impacts, especially as we age. If you find your daily life is fogged by fatigue and distraction, it’s essential to consult your healthcare provider first to rule out any larger issues. Excluding medical conditions, simple changes in lifestyle practices can have a huge impact on how we both think and feel in daily life — factors that can shape the future of how we age.

A Mindful Approach

Regular exercise supports whole-body health. Photo courtesy Jenia Nebolsina via Pixabay

On 30 acres of farmland in Saco, Maine, Rebecca Wing and Terry Fralich have spent more than 20 years teaching mindfulness and meditation to students and fellow healthcare professionals at the Mindfulness Center of Maine. Both licensed clinical counselors, the couple has trained under Tibetan Buddhist teachers and renowned mindfulness pioneer, John Kabat-Zinn. “Many people feel the brain randomly generates thoughts outside of their control,” said Wing. “They feel unable to settle into their body and choose what they focus on. However one can train his or her brain to aim and sustain attention through meditation and mindfulness practice. When we do, we’re strengthening the part of our brain that sustains focus and connection.”

Digital Detox

Manage your screen time to avoid feelings of burnout. Photo courtesy fancycrave1 via Pixabay

Could you manage a week without your smartphone? A day? For all the advantages and convenience technology brings to our lives, it can come at a cost to our cognitive fitness. A 2020 study published in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience suggests the impacts of technology and screen time can include: “Heightened attention-deficit symptoms, impaired emotional and social intelligence, social isolation, impaired brain development, and disrupted sleep.”

Today, most smartphones include software tools to limit screen time and encourage healthy digital habits. Try to adopt the following healthy practices: Track and measure your screen time to see your baseline. Introduce limits on certain high-use apps, such as 30 minutes per day on social media. Avoid screens during mealtimes. Turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime, and keep the bedroom a screen-free zone. When the impulse to scroll strikes, Wing challenges students to ask: “Am I consciously choosing this, or is this an unconscious impulse?” The Mindfulness Center of Maine guides students through the process of slowing down response time, meaning all actions become informed choices rather than learned impulses.

Rest to Restore

Although we may spend as much as a third of our life doing it, it’s easy to under-prioritize sleep behind family, work, and social life. But you may find all those other areas impacted as a result. Sleep is essential for every function, affecting our brain, mood, and overall health. When it becomes elusive or fractured, the edges of daily life can feel like they begin to fray. “Neurobiological processes that occur during sleep have a profound impact on brain health, and as a result, they influence mood, energy level, and cognitive fitness,” said Dr. Margaret O’Connor in a Harvard Health blog.

Take intentional steps to cultivate good sleep health and the payoff will be immense during waking hours. This doesn’t mean lying in the dark and frantically willing sleep to descend. Furthermore, stress can significantly impact sleep, creating a negative cycle of fatigue and low mood. A routine of regular bedtimes preceded by clear boundaries with caffeine, work, and screens can help establish positive “sleep hygiene,” while sleep aids like supplements and sleep devices offer a smoother journey to slumberland.

Food and Fitness

We often consider the role of diet and exercise in terms exclusive to our bodies — primarily how these practices make us look and feel — without considering deeply how they shape the workings of our minds. Research indicates diet and physical activity may be two of the most significant modifiable factors to help us stay sharp in the short and long term. We can’t change our genes or all elements of our environment, but we can improve the ways we choose to eat and move.

Fitness apps and wearable devices such as Strava, FitBits, and Oura Rings track and report your vitals, including movements, heart rate, and circadian rhythms to give a comprehensive view of your fitness.

Prolonged stress can affect mental clarity
and impact long-term health. Photo courtesy 1388843 Pixabay

Seek Peace

Is there anything more aggravating than being told to calm down? Yet stress, and the insidious spike of cortisol hormone it induces, have real impacts on your ability to think clearly and focus. “Anxiety pulls away the attention,” said Wing, describing the condition as a kind of “mental time travel” that detracts your attention away from the present moment. While we can’t always change or remove all stress triggers in life, practices like meditation, mindfulness, and yoga can provide management strategies and resiliency against the drag of anxiety. The Mindfulness Center offers tailored workshops and courses in Southern Maine, while apps like Headspace offer at-home support.

It’s normal to feel like your cognitive health is predetermined, like the hand of cards that you’re dealt at birth. But, both scientific research and ancient holistic practices like meditation indicate an alternative outlook, where consistent lifestyle changes can improve mental well-being. Small steps, such as daily meditation and healthy daily routines, could make a big difference to your focus and energy in the short term, and even safeguard against cognitive decline in the long run.

Saisie Moore is a writer and editor based in Portland, Maine. When not tapping a keyboard, you can find her outdoors cultivating her ecological gardening business, Pollen.