Some scientists think your brain may age in waves which kick in at 57, 70, and 78 on average. 

While that’s still just a theory, experts at the Mayo Clinic say that exercising, socialising, sleeping well, and drinking less seem well-researched enough to recommend to pretty much everyone. 

And now Emily McDonald, a neurosurgeon, has shared “what I do every single morning as a neuroscientist to basically be the best person I can be”.

Her five-step morning routine includes: 

1) Staying away from screens

“When we waking up in the morning, our brainwaves are transitioning from delta theta alpha and then into beta when we are more awake and alert,” McDonald explained. 

If you look at your phone during that delicate transition, the neuroscientist says, you’re “causing your brain to go straight into high beta waves” ― associated with focus, but also anxiety ― “and you are priming yourself to have more stress.” 

Checking social media first thing also creates spikes of a happy chemical called dopamine and “lowers your baseline dopamine levels to help you continue to crave checking social media throughout the day,” the expert added. 

2) Playing, or saying, positive affirmations

Though McDonald doesn’t doom-scroll through X in the morning, she says she does play positive “affirmations” when she gets up. 

In a funny way, this is linked to why she doesn’t check her phone as soon as she awakes ― the neuroscientist explains some research suggests we’re more impressionable when we’re freshly out of bed. 

That “neuroplasticity” means that not only are we more likely to learn and remember things we hear in the morning, but that we may be able to “reprogram our subconscious mind” better too. 

The National Institute for Health says that “a growing body of research suggests that having a positive outlook can benefit your physical health” ― so why not get some positive sounds in your ear in the wee hours?

3) Getting some exercise in

McDonald says “exercise is key” for good brain health.

It boosts “happy” chemical dopamine, focus-boosting norepinephrine, and mood-regulating endocannabinoids, the scientist shared.

“So you get energy, focus, motivation, and a mood boost for the rest of your day.” 

Activity also boosts your blood flow “and oxygen to the brain, so it’s the best way to wake up.”

4) Getting some sunlight, too

Some scientists think we’re not tired because our sleep is so bad ― instead, the issue might lie in being out of tune with our circadian rhythm, or body clock. 

Sleep experts have long extolled the virtues of getting morning sunlight in particular, as this helps your body to know what time it’s working with.

McDonald says she likes to “get sunlight in her eyes every morning” for that very reason ― to help her circadian rhythm. 

5) Meditating

The practice has an “extensive list of health benefits,” McDonald shared. 

Indeed a 2017 study found it helped to reduce stress; a 2014 meta-analysis suggested meditation may reduce anxiety; a 2018 paper says it increases focus.

No wonder the neuroscientist said it (along with the rest of the steps in her routine) has “changed [her] life”.