One of my biggest health worries is making sure my mind stays in-tact. Watching my grandfathers succumb to ailments where they lose all sense of reality was a wake-up call.

I suppose this is one of the reasons I became a voracious reader, but it turns out there’s a myriad of ways to protect the brain and unfortunately, none of those can beat genetics. However, there’s a huge advantage to living today and that’s access to decades of research alongside medical advancements.

The real irony to watch for is getting so stressed about it that the stress exasperates the problem. So what to do?

To start, a variety of everyday actions that will build a healthy brain and body:

Some exercise
A variety of nutritious food
Connecting with those I love
Challenging the mind
Self-reflection
Hobbies
Finding the joy in the every day

For me, the biggest thing to avoid is isolating myself in my own world and forgetting that what happens in my head is of my own making. To protect my mind, I need to step out of it.