How to Slow Down Your Brain’s Ageing

There’s a peculiar kind of frustration that comes with forgetting something you used to remember with ease. Maybe it’s the name of your colleague’s child, the location of your car keys (again), or the book you swear you just started but can’t recall a single chapter of. These moments can feel like harmless lapses—until they start piling up. And then you wonder: Is my brain getting older than it should be? It turns out that question isn’t just rhetorical. New studies suggest your brain might actually be ageing faster than the rest of your body—but there are plenty of things you can do about it.

Your Brain Ages Differently Than You Think

While we often think of age as just a number, our organs each tell a slightly different story. Your heart, your kidneys, even your ovaries—they all age at different rates. And your brain? It can be ahead of—or behind—the curve. From your 30s onward, your brain naturally begins to shrink. It’s subtle at first: a gradual atrophy of cells and the weakening of the connections between them. For some, that decline is steeper and faster, leading to earlier memory slips, slower processing speeds, or an increased risk of cognitive diseases like dementia.

But here's the game-changer: researchers have found that lifestyle choices can significantly slow, or even reverse, some of this ageing process. In fact, some experts believe that as many as 4 in 10 cases of dementia could be prevented or delayed through better habits. That’s no small number.

How Do You Know Your Brain’s Age?

Short of getting a full-body MRI, blood panels, and cognitive testing (which can cost thousands of dollars), it’s tough to determine your exact brain age. Companies like NeuroAge Therapeutics offer high-tech scans, analyzing brain structure, white matter damage, and genetic markers like the APOE4 gene variant, which is strongly associated with Alzheimer’s risk.

But don’t be discouraged if that’s out of reach. While brain-training apps and online games can’t diagnose anything, they can offer a rough sense of how your cognitive performance compares to others your age. Just keep in mind, these tools often reflect how familiar you are with puzzles or memory strategies rather than providing a truly accurate picture of brain health.

That said, what matters most isn’t a number on a screen—it’s noticing real-life patterns: Are you finding it harder to focus? Struggling to recall names more often? Losing the thread of conversations? These subtle shifts can be your cue to take action—no expensive scans required.

What Accelerates Brain Ageing?

Before diving into the solutions, it’s worth understanding what not to do. Researchers analyzing tens of thousands of brain scans identified five main patterns of brain ageing, each linked to different lifestyle habits and diseases.

A few culprits that consistently showed up in unhealthy patterns:

• Smoking

• Regular alcohol consumption (yes, even low levels)

• High-salt or high-fat diets (think processed cheese, deli meats, and salty snacks)

• Excessive caffeine (especially when it replaces hydration or sleep)

• Sedentary lifestyles

Even seemingly harmless habits, like skipping social gatherings or avoiding new experiences, can subtly contribute to a faster decline over time.

10 Ways to Slow Down Brain Ageing

If that sounds ominous, don’t worry. You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. But here are ten proven strategies—some simple, some more involved—that can help you keep your brain younger, longer.

1. Move Your Body, Move Your Brain

Exercise increases blood flow, stimulates brain plasticity, and boosts memory. Even brisk walking for 30 minutes a day can make a difference. Try dancing or swimming if you want variety—anything that keeps your heart and brain engaged.

2. Eat Like You Live Near the Sea

The Mediterranean diet—a favorite in brain research—is packed with leafy greens, fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, whole grains, and red wine (in moderation). A 2025 meta-analysis showed it reduces the risk of cognitive decline by up to 30%.

3. Feed Your Brain Nutrients

• Vitamin D supports memory and reduces depressive symptoms.

• Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation and may reduce beta-amyloid buildup (a hallmark of Alzheimer’s).

• B vitamins (especially B6, B12, and folate) are essential for brain metabolism and energy.

4. Speak Another Language

Or learn to play an instrument. Or master calligraphy. What matters is challenging your brain in unfamiliar ways. Research shows that these efforts build "cognitive reserve"—a kind of mental buffer that protects against ageing and injury.

5. Be Social—even when it’s awkward

Social engagement isn’t just for extroverts. Meaningful conversations, laughter, and emotional connection stimulate multiple brain regions. Even occasional chats with strangers—at the store, on a walk—add up.

6. Sleep Like It’s Your Job

During deep sleep, your brain clears waste proteins and consolidates memory. Aim for 7–9 hours per night, and protect your sleep with consistent routines, a dark room, and minimal screens before bed.

7. Reduce Screen Fatigue

Constant multitasking and doom-scrolling wear down your attention span. Try digital “fasts,” use blue light filters, and give your brain more moments of stillness and deep focus.

8. Challenge Your Memory—on Purpose

Try memorizing a poem. Recall what you ate yesterday, or describe a dream from last week. These simple exercises strengthen working memory and retrieval speed.

9. Correct Your Vision and Hearing

Impaired senses lead to cognitive strain. One major study linked uncorrected vision with faster brain ageing. Eye exams and hearing checks are low-effort, high-reward.

10. Let Boredom In

Boredom encourages daydreaming, creativity, and introspection—all beneficial for a flexible, adaptive brain. Put down the phone. Let your mind wander. Sometimes, doing nothing is the healthiest thing you can do.

Final Thoughts:

Your brain is not a machine—it’s a living, evolving part of you that responds to how you live, love, eat, move, rest, and grow. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to care enough to pay attention. So maybe forgetfulness doesn’t mean your best days are behind you. Maybe it’s your brain tapping you on the shoulder, asking for a little help. A little care. A little challenge. The science is clear: it’s never too early—or too late—to start slowing down your brain’s ageing. And it begins with the next choice you make.