YOUR 2025 BRAIN BRAWN • MINI RESOLUTION BEST YOUR STRESS • WEEK 2

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Good morning! Today, let’s explore some of the science behind the stress response and how it is considered a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline.

Track Your Progress!
 
We urge you to stick with all our past mini resolutions, too. Use our new log to to track all your progress!
 
Questions? Email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected].
 
If you are new to Motivated Mondays, you can review the 2025 content here.

Stress and Cognitive Decline

In this image, you can see the two primary chemicals released in response to sustained activation of the Fight or Flight response are cortisol and adrenaline.
 
Adrenaline initiates the response and cortisol sustains it.
 
In a true emergency, these are valuable secretions leading to physiological reactions that are beneficial for overcoming a mortal threat. But, when released continuously, throughout the day in the absence of a mortal threat, the body and brain are awash with these chemicals.


Long-Term Effects of Stress
 
Long-term effects of chronic stress are many and well-documented. They include:

• Decreased brain volume, particularly in regions of the brain involved with cognitive function, such as the hippocampus
• Decreased BDNF expression (as discussed in the resolution to exercise, BDNF is “Miracle Grow for the Brain”)
• Increased oxidative stress in the brain
• Increased tau pathology and an inability to clear amyloid from the brain

The result: Overall poor cognitive function marked by poor episodic and spatial memory, diminished executive function, reduced processing speed and language difficulties. In addition, elevated levels of cortisol have been implicated in worsening of neuropsychiatric behaviors in those already diagnosed with dementia and AD.


Last week, we introduced your “home base” for putting the brake on the Fight or Flight response- breathing! How does deepening and slowing the breath activate the Rest and Digest system? Diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the Vagus Nerve—the 10th cranial nerve and which courses through the diaphragm (its innervation is in yellow in the previous image).

The Vagus Nerve can also be activated by vibrations created by the following activities:

• Gargling
• Laughing
• Singing
• Humming – this is our favorite. It is something you can use anywhere, anytime! Select a “theme song,” something that is just so “you,” which puts a smile on your face and a spring in your step. The next time you are in a too-long line at the post office or stuck in a traffic jam or looking at a pile of bills-hum your theme song. Sounds silly but it works.

We will see you next week for more Vagus Nerve stimulation ideas.
 
(NOTE: Medical devices that stimulate the Vagus Nerve to treat specific medical conditions will not be considered here.)