MBRF Trustee, Dr. Roy Hamilton, recently spoke with Forbes.com to share his key tips to help people maintain and strengthen their brains with age. The article below, originally posted by Forbes.com on October 10, 2025, for World Mental Health Day includes Dr. Hamilton’s five tips as well as 5 neuroscience-backed strategies to prevent productivity slumps.
Friday October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and if you’re like most people, you might not know much about your own brain. Yet, your brain is the boss of your mind and body. It never shuts down and is active even when you’re asleep. It determines how well you perform at work and how far you climb the career ladder, so it’s important to know what it needs to work for you. With modern imaging techniques, neuroscientists have advanced secrets of this amazing organ, how it functions and simple habits you can develop to build a healthy brain.
5 Neuroscience Strategies To Beat Productivity Slumps
Amid the strains and stressors in today’s uncertain job market, your brain is the part of your body that decides whether you will “crash out” or remain calm in the face of constant digital disruptions, quiet layoffs, economic woes and 9-9-6 work schedules that threaten our very survival.
As teams gear up for year-end, small changes in routine and environment can unlock sharper concentration and sustained productivity. A 2025 survey shows that 61% of employees report being less productive during the summer months, with many putting in fewer than 30 hours of real work per week and one in 10 barely reaching 10 hours. The ripple effects often carry into fall, leaving critical projects under-resourced and deadlines harder to meet.
“October is when many professionals start to feel the weight of year-end goals, yet many are still carrying the effects of what Dr.Ramon Velazquez from Mind Lab Pro calls “vacation brain,” the slower pace that lingers after summer.
“Surveys show that most workers experience a clear productivity dip during the summer months, and those patterns can carry into autumn if left unaddressed,” Velazquez explains. “The encouraging news is that the brain is remarkably adaptable. With just a few practical adjustments, focus and drive can be quickly restored.”
Velazquez shares five brain-based strategies to help employees restore focus, sustain energy and rebuild the productivity habits needed to finish the year strong.
1. Ultradian rhythm awareness
“The brain can sustain deep focus for about 90 to 120 minutes before performance dips. Structuring work into cycles with short breaks keeps concentration steady and prevents mental fatigue.”
2. Single-tasking over multitasking
“Switching between tasks forces the brain to reset, which can waste up to 40% of productive time. Focusing on one task at a time helps you work faster and with fewer mistakes.”
3. Dopamine-driven goal setting
“Completing micro-goals triggers dopamine release, which boosts motivation. Breaking work into smaller steps makes big projects feel manageable and keeps momentum going.”
4. Environmental design for focus
“As daylight hours shorten during fall, reduced light can disrupt energy and focus. Maximizing natural light or using full-spectrum lamps helps sustain alertness throughout the workday.”
5. Consistent morning routine
“Delaying caffeine for 90 to 120 minutes prevents afternoon crashes, while early sunlight and light exercise regulate cortisol. A strong morning routine sets you up to stay productive all day.”
According to Velazquez, neuroscience shows that energy and attention follow natural rhythms of focus and recovery. “Honoring these cycles leads to sharper thinking than pushing through fatigue,” he points out. “Likewise, single-tasking preserves clarity and accuracy, while breaking projects into smaller milestones sustains motivation.”
5 Habits To Keep Your Brain Healthy As You Age
Every year your brain gets older, and knowing how to keep it vital over time ensures year-end sharpness and clarity and a longer career trajectory. The McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF) reveals that one-third of Americans feel uninformed about normal brain aging, and 87% are concerned about experiencing age-related memory loss and a decline in brain function as they grow older.
There’s growing evidence that the way you live today can have a big impact on your brain health—both now and in the future, says Dr. Roy Hamilton, professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Here are five key habits he shared with me to maintain and strengthen a healthy brain as you age and as you end the year:
1. Keep Health Risks in Check
Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease can increase your risk of stroke and other problems that affect the brain, according to Hamilton. “Managing these risks—by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet and staying on top of your medical care—can go a long way in protecting your brain,” he explains.
2. Stay Physically Active
“Regular exercise isn’t just good for your body—it’s great for your brain too,” Hamilton notes. He’s an advocate of moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day, several days a week to see the biggest benefits. He also recommends aerobic activities like brisk walking for memory and thinking, compared to gentler movements like stretching.
3. Get Good Sleep
Sleep is essential for memory and clear thinking. Hamilton advises aiming for seven-to-eight hours of sleep each night and try to get uninterrupted rest so your brain can go through all the stages of sleep. During deep sleep, he mentions that your brain processes and stores important memories while clearing out unnecessary information—a process called consolidation.
4. Stay Mentally and Socially Engaged
Your brain thrives on activity. Keep it sharp by doing things that you enjoy that challenge your mind—like puzzles, games, learning a new language, or playing an instrument. Just as important is staying socially connected. Whether it’s volunteering, joining a club, or spending time with friends and family, meaningful social interaction helps keep your brain—and your mood—healthy.
5. Quit Smoking (or Don’t Start)
Smoking increases your risk of cognitive decline later in life. But quitting can lower that risk to nearly the same level as someone who never smoked. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do, it’s never too late to try quitting.
Shake Off The Summer Slump And Finish Q4 Strong
The brisk 6-6-6 walking method is another way to get aerobic benefits, good for brain health. And spend time outside in nature. Brain scans of people who spend time outdoors show their prefrontal cortex has more gray matter plus a stronger ability to think clearly and self-regulate stress and anxiety.
Velazquez asserts that when you combine simple habits like aligning work with natural focus cycles, maximizing natural light and even using targeted tools like nootropics (cognitive enhancers that can give you a mental edge), you can rebuild the momentum needed to finish the year strong.
“Just as no one can sprint through an entire marathon, professionals cannot sustain peak output by simply pushing harder,” he concludes. “Lasting focus comes from working in sync with the brain’s natural cycles of energy, rest and reward.” That’s the secret to how employees can build a healthy brain, shake off the summer slump and finish Q4 with strength.