Sneaky things that impact your brain without you realizing it
and what you can do about it
Your brain adapts to it’s environment.
It’s what makes humans so resilient.
But it can be a double edged sword.
If your environment is toxic, your brain will adapt to that too.
Neuroplasticity doesn’t know the difference.
Here are 3 things that impact your brain whether you realize it or not.
1. Your Content Diet
What type of media do you regularly consume?
Think about tv shows, news, social media, and podcasts.
The content you repeatedly expose yourself to strengthens neural connections without any conscious effort. Remember, repetition rewires.
Think about the lyrics of songs you listen to. Even if you don’t fully comprehend them, your brain is processing the messages, emotion, and tone which impacts you and can shift your mood.
Your brain is like a sponge and everything you read, watch, or listen to soaks in.
Pay special attention to the content you consume right before bed. Violent, scary, or dramatic content increases your brain’s stress response (the sympathetic nervous system) and can make it harder to fall asleep.
Protect your brain health by being selective about the type of content you let influence and shape your mind.
Curate your social feed and unfollow accounts that don’t add value to your life.
You choose what you let in — don’t let an algorithm decide for you.
2. Your 5 Closest Friends
“Show me your 5 closest friends and I’ll show you your future.”
The human brain is wired to learn from and mimic the behavior of those around them (hey mirror neurons).
Research studies have shown how your body and brain become more in sync with your closest friends (ex: brain waves, heart rate, language patterns, and even your microbiome).
Choose your close friends wisely because they are the models your brain will imitate.
I also want to underscore the importance of investing in a small, trusted circle of friends.
Meaningful connection isn’t a nice to have, it’s fundamental for lifelong cognitive health.
Your brain is wired to be fully known and fully loved and we flourish when this need is met.
Relationships are powerful. They can truly make or break your brain health.
3. Your Environment
Most people focus on what they eat for brain health but forget the brain's first and most essential fuel: oxygen.
Other environmental factors matter too: the quality of water you drink, the products you put on your skin, chemicals in cleaning products, I could go on and on. But for the sake of this newsletter we’ll stick to air quality.
Studies have shown environmental toxins are linked to brain decline and illness.
Krzyzanowski et al., (2023) mapped out the risk for Parkinson’s disease based on particulate matter in a region.
A study by Cho et al., (2023) found air pollution exposure induces Alzheimer’s disease-like brain shrinkage and impairs cognitive function.
An air filter was one of the first things I bought for my house — even before furniture! (I have this one.)
Your brain is constantly adapting to the world around you.
The content you consume, the people you engage with, the air you breathe — all of it shapes, strengthens, or weakens your brain over time.
The good news is, you have agency.
You can set up your environment so you have more clarity, energy, and focus.
I’m helping people do that in my next live cohort. It’s all about creating a routine that supports your brain’s natural rhythm.
You can find more details here.
I’ll see you back here next week with more neuroscience you can use.
-Julie
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References
Cho, J., Jang, H., Park, H., Noh, Y., Sohn, J., Koh, S. B., ... & Kim, C. (2023). Alzheimer’s disease-like cortical atrophy mediates the effect of air pollution on global cognitive function. Environment international, 171, 107703.
Krzyzanowski, B., Searles Nielsen, S., Turner, J. R., & Racette, B. A. (2023). Fine particulate matter and Parkinson disease risk among Medicare beneficiaries. Neurology, 101(21), e2058-e2067.
Love this framework - we’re constantly programming our brains without realising it.
Something I might add is daily movement or walking. As a doctor, there’s so much evidence now showing how good daily exercise is protecting against cognitive decline.
Nice