It has been a BIG couple years and there have been moments it has felt more like I’m operating with a Commadore 64 or Atari ST more so than the latest NVIDIA chip. That feeling that the old machine isn’t processing as fast as preferred and the tension in the temples is caution that one’s brain may have been pushed too hard and is now broken.

Can you drive a brain too hard, to point of burn out? And, how does one keep their brain healthy?

In complex and uncertain times, getting more and more complex and uncertain everyday, our brains individually and collectively are critical. While mental health (Are you OK?) is a major priority, perhaps brain health is even more tenuous. After all, brain health is arguably the single most important asset — personally, professionally and societally. It powers every idea, decision, innovation, and relationship. It’s the instrument through which we experience joy and meaning, yet we often take it for granted.

Our brains shape the way we see the world — and the world, in turn, shapes our brains.

Protecting and nurturing that relationship is critical.

In my LinkedIn newsletter back in August I mentioned that a former staff member, Brenda, had recently died. At Brenda’s funeral her struggles with Dementia and declining brain health were mentioned. Only shortly after leaving Square Hoes, eleven year or so ago, the signs started emerging. In recent weeks my mother-in-law Betty passed away, and she had moved into aged care over the past two years as a result of Dementia. It was very sad watching the mental decline of a loved one. Leaving the world before it is time to say goodbye. My own father, Trevor, died at 61 after a year or so struggle with a brain tumor the size of a tennis ball. Watching his brain fade, from the once articulate and charismatic man fade was confronting.

Yes, sad stuff, but it does remind me of the fragility of the brain, and how important it is to protect this asset.

Understanding the fading mind

We often use Alzheimer’s and dementia interchangeably, but they aren’t the same.

Dementia is an umbrella term describing symptoms, memory loss, confusion, language difficulty, personality change — severe enough to disrupt daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause (about 60–70% of cases), involving the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles that strangle communication between brain cells.

Other forms include:

1. Vascular dementia – caused by reduced blood flow or stroke.
2. Lewy body dementia – marked by hallucinations and alertness fluctuations.
3. Frontotemporal dementia – affects personality and behaviour before memory.

And Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) sits in between — noticeable changes without full dementia, a window where prevention still matters.

Around 421,000 Australians live with dementia today — one in twelve people over 65, two-thirds of them women ([AIHW 2024](https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/health-conditions-disability-deaths/dementia/overview)). It’s our second leading cause of death and the leading cause for women.

Yet up to 40% of cases are considered preventable or delayable. That should give us hope.

The brain that builds itself

In The Mind, Explained (Netflix), Emma Stone’s narration offers a reminder:

“The brain is the most complicated structure in the known universe.”

Eighty-six billion neurons fire, connect, and reshape themselves in an act called neuroplasticity. Every thought, movement, and experience leaves a trace.

The brain isn’t fixed, it’s sculpted daily by what we do and how we live.

Ten ways to keep a brain alive

1: Move your body

Exercise feeds the brain oxygen and BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) — fertiliser for neurons.

A 2023 UBC study found regular aerobic exercise enlarges the hippocampus, improving memory and mood.

“Exercise is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain.” Wendy Suzuki, TED Talk

2: Sleep deeply

Sleep isn’t laziness, it’s maintenance. During deep sleep, the glymphatic system clears amyloid-beta (linked to Alzheimer’s) and resets emotion and memory.

“The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.” — Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep

3: Eat like a mediterranean

The MIND diet (Mediterranean + DASH) reduces Alzheimer’s risk by up to 50%.

Olive oil, greens, nuts, legumes, and fish protect neurons and reduce inflammation.

“You can build an Alzheimer’s-resistant brain.” Lisa Genova, TED Talk

4: Challenge your brain

New skills build “cognitive reserve.” Struggle is the stimulus for neuroplasticity.

“The key to longevity isn’t comfort. It’s challenge.” — Limitless with Chris Hemsworth Disney+

https://www.disneyplus.com/series/limitless-with-chris-hemsworth/6L0pJcYKHIa6

5: Stay social

The 80-year Harvard Study found strong relationships predict health and longevity better than wealth or IQ.

Loneliness increases dementia risk by about 50% The Lancet, 2020

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736%2820%2930367-6/fulltext

Connection keeps cognition alive.

6: Manage stress

Cortisol — the stress hormone — shrinks the hippocampus. Mindfulness, walking and reflection protect it.

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

7: Find purpose

Purpose releases dopamine and resilience.

People with clear meaning in life are 2.5× more likely to remain cognitively healthy.

In The Blue Zones Netflix, long-lived communities call it Ikigai — a reason to wake each morning.

8: Protect your senses and systems

Hearing, vision, and heart health are all tied to cognition.

Uncorrected hearing loss is the largest modifiable dementia risk factor.

9: Be creative

Creativity connects hemispheres, deepens focus, and builds flexibility.

“Creativity is not magic. It’s the brain’s natural state of exploration.” — David Eagleman, The Creative Brain Netflix

10: Stay Curious

Curiosity is rocket fuel. It lights up reward and memory circuits, strengthening learning.

A UC Davis study found that curiosity increases brain activity and improves memory for unrelated facts ([UC Davis, 2014]

“Curiosity is the engine of creativity.” — Ian Leslie, Curious ([Penguin Books]

At Square Holes, we call it People Curious — curiosity with purpose. Listening, learning, adapting.

Curiosity keeps neurons — and societies — alive.

The kryptonite of brain health

Every superhero has a weakness; for the brain, it’s not krypton, but modern life.

Stress, poor sleep, processed food, loneliness, and digital overload quietly corrode cognition.

We mistake busyness for thinking, and distraction for engagement.

And among the most deceptive Kryptonites are drugs and alcohol.

A glass of wine might relax you, but sustained use shrinks the hippocampus and disrupts sleep.

Recreational or prescription misuse rewires reward circuits, dulling curiosity.

“Every artificial high has a biological bill to pay.” — Andrew Huberman, [Huberman Lab Podcast]

https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/how-your-nervous-system-works-and-changes

Balance — not abstinence — is key: effort and recovery, focus and rest, stimulation and stillness.

While lifestyle is the foundation, certain nutrients support cognitive health:

• Omega-3s (fish, chia, flax) – strengthen neuron membranes
• B vitamins (B6, B9, B12) – regulate neurotransmitters, prevent brain shrinkage
• Vitamin D – low levels increase cognitive decline risk
• Magnesium – supports sleep and calm
• Curcumin – turmeric’s active anti-inflammatory compound
• Antioxidants – blueberries, olive oil, cocoa, kale
• Probiotics – gut–brain connection
• Water – even mild dehydration reduces attention

The future brain

Now, as Artificial Intelligence reshapes how we think, the question becomes sharper:

Will AI make our brains stronger — or softer?

Used well, it can expand our cognitive capacity, simulate complex systems, and accelerate learning. Used passively, it risks making us mentally sedentary — outsourcing curiosity, creativity, and empathy to algorithms.

The brain, like society, decays from disuse.

To lead in the age of AI requires the same principles as brain health itself: balance, challenge and curiosity.

As ever, the only certainty is that the future will be uncertain, and the only way to navigate this is brain health.