7 Ways Women Can Support Their Brain Health

Small lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your mood, memory and more

Christine Richmond

Updated May 14, 2026

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From chronic stress to the hormonal changes of menopause, many women face challenges that can affect their brain health. Fortunately, lifestyle habits, such as sleeping well and socializing with friends, can support cognitive health and help you feel good every day. We combed through the latest research on the female brain and spoke with leading experts in the field to come up with these seven steps women can take to help keep their bodies and minds healthy.

1. Take a few deep breaths

Nearly one in four women experience high levels of stress, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2025 “Stress in America” report. Chronic stress can harm brain health: Women who had the most life stress had lower brain volumes and worse cognitive function than those with the least stress in a study of 1,232 middle-aged women published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2023.

One way to ease the effects of stress is to take deep breaths, says Jessica Caldwell, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. She suggests “focusing on the present moment — the sensation of your breath, for example,” as a meditation practice. “Research shows even a few minutes of meditation a day lowers stress, inflammation and depression — and improves memory and mood,” Caldwell says.

2. Take a walk

“Exercise gets your heart in shape so that it’s more efficient in pumping oxygen and nutrients to brain cells,” says Dr. Gary Small, director of behavioral health breakthrough therapies at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey and co-author of “The Small Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Exercise also helps your body produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a protein produced in the brain that stimulates cell growth.

You don’t have to be a triathlete to reap the benefits, Small says. Any kind of aerobic activity will do, as long as you move regularly. National guidelines recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise (30 minutes a day, five days a week, for instance) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous activity. But even up to 35 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise can lower your risk of dementia by 41 percent, according to a study of nearly 90,000 adults, median age 63, published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association in 2025.

People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can be a precursor to dementia, also seem to benefit from aerobic exercise, according to a review published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2023.

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3. Schedule an annual exam

A number of common medical conditions have been associated with memory decline and Alzheimer’s disease, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes. In its report “The Brain-Heart Connection,” the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) concluded that “keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy likely reduces your risk for cognitive decline and dementia.” Other issues — such as perimenopause, menopause and thyroid disease — can affect the brain, too. And depression, which affects more women than men, is associated with dementia, research shows.

Many of the conditions that can harm brain health can be treated, so be sure to see your health provider annually. An annual exam that includes a full lipid and metabolic panel can help to identify a variety of health issues.

4. Try something new

Keeping your mind engaged with stimulating activities you enjoy can benefit brain health as you age, according to the GCBH report “Engage Your Brain.” “Challenging the brain can help build cognitive reserve, which is resilience that can help protect against dementia,” says Dr. Niyatee Samudra, director of the Women’s Midlife Brain Health Clinic at Stanford University.

Try expanding an activity you already enjoy doing, Samudra suggests. If you like to read, for example, “you could join a book club where you’re making friends and reading with others,” she says. Or if you can speak a little bit of another language, consider “meeting up with a native speaker or tutor to practice,” she says.

5. Do bedtime better

Research suggests that, during sleep, the brain flushes out toxins, a process that may help keep the brain healthy. Yet women are twice as likely as men to have sleep problems, according to a research review published in Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde in 2024. This is partially due to hormonal changes that women experience during perimenopause, along with stress and other health conditions.

To improve your sleep, “try to go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day,” suggests Samudra, who also recommends keeping your bedroom “cool, dark and quiet.” An activity like journaling that reduces stress and anxiety can also be helpful, Samudra says, as can reducing your alcohol intake and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon.

6. Phone a friend

Loneliness and isolation are risk factors for dementia and many other health issues, according to the National Institute on Aging. Picking up the phone to call a loved one or making plans with a friend will not only brighten your mood but may also benefit your brain. Keep making new connections: Among 6,670 women with a mean age of 70, those who said they had the most social support had a lower risk of MCI and dementia than women with the least social support, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

7. Follow a Mediterranean eating plan

Population studies have linked the Mediterranean eating plan — which emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood and olive oil — with better brain function. In a study of 6,028 adults ages 45 and older published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2025, women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had better cognitive test scores than women who rarely or never followed a Mediterranean diet. Eating a Mediterranean diet could also lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 30 percent, according to a meta-analysis of 23 studies published in GeroScience in 2025. Check out our starter Mediterranean meal plan.

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