7 Things I Do Differently as an Occupational Therapist to Support Brain Health as I Age

Brain health is not just about puzzles and memory games. Here are the everyday habits I am paying more attention to as I get older.

The older I get, the more I think about brain health.

Not just because I am an occupational therapist, but because I am getting older too.

After more than 25 years working as an occupational therapist—and six years helping care for my mom through Lewy body dementia—I do not think about brain health as something that happens only inside the brain.

I think about what we do every day.

How much we move. Who we spend time with. Whether we are still learning. How we sleep. How we take care of our overall health. And whether we continue doing things that give our days purpose.

I am not a neurologist or a brain-health researcher. I am an occupational therapist. My perspective is the one I know best: how the things we do every day can support our health, independence, and quality of life as we age.

And there is good reason to look beyond memory games. The National Institute on Aging describes brain health broadly, including cognitive, motor, emotional, tactile, and sensory function. It also emphasizes that many factors can affect brain health as we age.

There is no one habit that guarantees we will prevent cognitive decline or dementia. But there are evidence-informed things we can do to support our overall health and brain health.

Here are seven I’m paying more attention to in my own life.

1. Move More—but Pick Something You’ll Actually Keep Doing

We all know we are supposed to exercise.

Knowing it and actually wanting to do it are two different things.

That is why I think the better question is:

What kind of movement will I actually continue doing?

Maybe that is walking with a friend, gardening, swimming, dancing, taking a water aerobics class, riding a bike, or playing with your grandchildren.

Physical activity does not have to happen in a gym to count.

The CDC reports that regular physical activity provides numerous benefits for adults 65 and older, including benefits related to brain health, sleep, balance, chronic disease prevention, and the ability to live independently longer.

The National Institute on Aging also notes that physical activity may help maintain some aspects of cognitive function, while activities such as gardening, dancing, walking, and playing with grandchildren can all provide opportunities to move.

My OT take

Do not automatically choose the activity you think you’re supposed to do.

Choose one you will actually do.

If you hate the treadmill but love working in the yard, go outside.

If you love being around people, take a class.

If music makes you happy, turn it on and move.

The best routine is not the one that looks perfect on paper. It is the one that becomes part of your life.

2. Give Your Brain Something New to Figure Out

I love puzzles. But I do not believe brain health begins and ends with a jigsaw puzzle or crossword.

Your brain gets challenged during all kinds of everyday activities.

Try a new recipe.

Learn photography.

Play cards.

Read something that makes you think.

Learn to use a new feature on your phone.

Try a different puzzle.

Take a class.

Pick up an instrument you have not touched in 20 years.

The National Institute on Aging reports evidence that certain kinds of structured cognitive training can help maintain specific cognitive abilities in older adults. It also points to promising research involving meaningful activities such as music, dance, creative writing, quilting, and digital photography—but notes that more research is needed before we can make broad claims about their lasting effects on cognition.

NIA also cautions that there is not enough evidence to assume commercially available “brain-training” apps provide the same benefits demonstrated in formal cognitive-training research.

That is an important distinction.

My OT take

Instead of constantly asking, “Is this good for my brain?”, I sometimes think we should ask:

“Am I still giving myself opportunities to learn, problem-solve, create and figure things out?”

And it does not have to feel like homework.

Challenge yourself enough to stay interested—not so much that the activity becomes frustrating and ends up abandoned in a closet.

3. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Other People

You can eat dinner alone.

Walk alone.

Do a puzzle alone.

Watch television alone.

Spend an entire day at home alone.

And sometimes a quiet day sounds wonderful.

But social connection deserves a place in the healthy-aging conversation too.

The National Institute on Aging reports that social engagement has been associated with better cognitive health in later life. It suggests activities such as volunteering or joining a group built around something you already enjoy.

That last part matters to me.

My OT take

You do not necessarily need to “go socialize.”

Do something you enjoy that happens to involve other people.

Walk with a friend instead of walking alone.

Join a book club if you love to read.

Take an exercise class if you like to move.

Volunteer for a cause you care about.

Work on a puzzle with someone else.

Have coffee with the friend you have been meaning to call.

Social participation is part of everyday life. And sometimes the easiest way to get more of it is to connect it to something you are already interested in doing.

4. Stop Treating Sleep Like the Part You Can Skip

This is an easy one to push aside.

We are busy, there is one more episode to watch, one more thing to finish, or we are scrolling through our phones much later than we intended.

But sleep belongs in the brain-health conversation.

The American Heart Association recommends that most adults aim for an average of seven to nine hours of sleep. Adequate sleep supports brain functions including learning, memory, focus, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving.

My OT take

Sleep is also a routine, and routines are something occupational therapists think about all the time.

Look at what happens before you go to bed.

Do you go to bed around the same time?

Is your bedroom comfortable?

Are you still answering emails at 11:30?

Are you scrolling through your phone in bed?

Could you create a short routine that tells your body the day is winding down?

You do not have to create the world’s most perfect bedtime routine.

Start with one change.

And if sleep is consistently difficult, talk with your healthcare provider rather than simply accepting poor sleep as part of getting older.

5. Take Care of Your Heart—and You’re Taking Care of Your Brain, Too

For years, I think many of us put health into separate boxes.

Heart health over here.

Brain health over there.

But our bodies do not work that way.

The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 includes physical activity, nutrition, avoiding nicotine, healthy sleep, weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure as important components of cardiovascular health.

The National Institute on Aging also recommends managing health issues that may affect cognitive health, including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and high cholesterol, as well as addressing hearing or vision loss and reviewing medications with healthcare professionals.

My OT take

Healthy aging is not about becoming obsessed with every number.

It is about taking care of the body that allows you to continue participating in your life.

Keep your medical appointments.

Get recommended screenings.

Take your medications as prescribed.

Do not ignore changes in hearing or vision.

Ask questions when something does not seem right.

These are not particularly exciting healthy-aging strategies.

But sometimes the important things are not.

6. Forget the “Magic” Brain Food

Blueberries.

Fish.

Nuts.

Olive oil.

Every few months it seems as though another food gets promoted as something we should eat to protect our brains.

Individual nutritious foods can certainly be part of a healthy diet. But I would not build my brain-health plan around one supposedly magical ingredient.

The American Heart Association recommends looking at your overall eating pattern, emphasizing foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole foods, lean proteins, nuts and seeds.

My OT take

This is where I think the conversation gets more interesting.

Because knowing what you want to eat and being able to consistently prepare it are two different things.

If eating well is difficult, ask why.

Is standing at the kitchen counter painful?

Does grocery shopping exhaust you?

Have complicated recipes become overwhelming?

Is opening packaging difficult?

Do you simply hate cooking for one person?

Would sitting while you prep vegetables help?

Could you prepare several portions at once?

Sometimes we do not need another lecture about what we should eat.

We need to figure out what is getting in the way of doing it.

That is a very occupational therapy way of looking at the problem.

7. Keep Doing Something That Makes You Feel Like You

Of all seven, this may be the one I care about most.

As we age, roles change.

We retire.

Children grow up.

Physical abilities can change.

We may lose people we love.

Activities that once filled our days may disappear.

But I do not think healthy aging should be only about preventing disease or checking boxes on a wellness list.

We also need reasons to get up in the morning.

The American Occupational Therapy Association describes occupational therapy’s role in productive aging as helping older adults continue participating in the meaningful, necessary and familiar activities of everyday life.

That is the part of occupational therapy I wish more people understood.

An “occupation” does not just mean a job.

It can be gardening.

Cooking Sunday dinner.

Volunteering.

Traveling.

Caring for grandchildren.

Doing puzzles.

Taking photographs.

Walking the dog.

Playing golf.

Creating something.

Going to church.

Learning.

Spending time with friends.

Or sitting at a table working on something you enjoy for no reason other than the fact that you enjoy it.

My OT take

Ask yourself:

What makes me feel most like myself?

Then ask another question:

Am I still making room for it?

If an activity has become harder, do not automatically give it up.

Maybe it can be simplified.

Maybe the environment can be changed.

Maybe a tool can make it easier.

Maybe you need to do it differently than you did ten years ago.

Different does not necessarily mean finished.

You Do Not Have to Do All Seven

This may be the most important thing I can tell you.

You do not need to finish this article and suddenly exercise five days a week, overhaul your diet, sleep eight hours every night, join three clubs, learn Italian, lower your cholesterol, and take up watercolor painting.

That is not realistic.

Pick one thing.

Maybe you call the friend you have been meaning to call.

Maybe you take a 20-minute walk.

Maybe you pull an old hobby out of the closet.

Maybe you schedule the hearing test you’ve been postponing.

Maybe you sign up for that class you have been thinking about.

Or maybe you simply ask yourself:

What is something I enjoy that I want to do more often?

After more than 25 years as an occupational therapist, that is one of the things I believe most strongly about aging well:

Healthy aging is not only about adding years to our lives. It is about continuing to participate in the lives we are living.

Learn More

For evidence-based information about brain health, physical activity, heart health, and healthy aging, these trusted organizations offer additional resources:

National Institute on Aging — Cognitive Health and Older Adults
Learn more about factors that may support cognitive health as we age.

CDC — Physical Activity Benefits for Adults 65 or Older
Learn about the benefits of regular physical activity for older adults.

American Heart Association — Life’s Essential 8
Explore key factors that support cardiovascular health, including physical activity, nutrition, sleep, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

American Occupational Therapy Association — Productive Aging
Learn more about occupational therapy’s role in supporting participation, independence, and meaningful activities as we age.

Educational Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized occupational therapy services, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider about your individual health needs and before making significant changes to your health, diet, or exercise routine.

About the Author

Kimberly Orlando, MOT, OTR/L is an occupational therapist with more than 25 years of clinical experience across hospital, home health, skilled nursing, and community-based settings. She also spent six years caring for her mother with Lewy body dementia, giving her both professional and personal insight into the challenges caregivers and families face.

Kimberly is the founder of Sunny by Kimberly, where she shares evidence-informed occupational therapy strategies, caregiver education, healthy aging resources, and practical tools to support greater independence, purpose, and connection.

Learn more at Sunny by Kimberly.