Mindful Moments for Your Brain

🌟[TT] rose 🧠

Two weeks ago, we talked about hydration, the steady sips that supports your brain. Let’s stay with that cup a moment longer for today.

As I write today’s Thursday Tips, I just returned from the European Neuro-Ophthalmology Society conference, full of good conversations with colleagues.

One in particular, stayed with me. A colleague spoke about their love of the ancient roses: their delicate beauty, their scent. And the fact that they flower only once a year.

Once a year! So you either notice it, or you miss it.

And two days ago, I spoke at an event by myaware, a charity doing wonderful work for people with myasthenia gravis. My topic? Mindfulness.

So both the roses and the myaware event have inspired today’s Thursday Tips!

You may have heard that mindfulness helps with stress. It can. But there are three things about mindfulness and your brain that often surprise people. More on them in the section after the 3 practical tips, first.

And you may be thinking that mindfulness is all about sitting quietly with your breath, meditating.

Well, it could be that, but did you know you can create mindful moments that integrate into your daily life? Here are 3 tips to do that

📍3 Mindful Moments for Your Brain

[1] The mindful cup of tea

Your daily tea or coffee break is a ready-made moment.

Hold the warm cup between your hands and notice the heat in your palms.

Take in the aroma before the first sip, and notice how the taste shifts from the first sip to the last.

You don’t need to drink in slow motion (but you can if you wish!)

Do this for the first three sips (or maybe just one if you’re truly in a rush!), to really taste your drink .

[2] One slow minute

Take one slow minute to observe something in nature. Perhaps a flower or a rose!

Take a minute to really observe the delicate details, the colours, the shapes, the smells.

Expand this to notice the surroundings.

Just take a slow minute with this, nothing else to do but to notice the nature around you

[3] Anchor it to something you already do

Bring awareness to an ordinary moment, of your body and your breath.

This could be whilst you hold a glass of water in your hands, the first few steps when you stand up from your desk, the kettle coming to the boil.

That thinking and planning your brain defaults to? That can wait for a moment.

📍The Brain Science Behind It

Here are three things about mindfulness that tend to surprise people.

One, your brain may grow or reconnect in different ways.

In a small study, people who completed an eight-week mindfulness course showed increased grey matter density in regions including the left hippocampus, a part involved in memory and emotion regulation.*

The sample was small, but the idea that attention training might leave a structural mark is worth sitting with.

Two, your immune system listens.

A systematic review of 20 randomised controlled trials, more than 1600 people in total, found that mindfulness meditation was linked to changes in markers of inflammation, immune cell activity, and cellular ageing.*

The findings are considered tentative, but the hypothesis is strong, so it’s a good reason to watch this space.

Three, it is more than sitting quietly.

People often think mindfulness means formal seated meditation. Yet informal practice, the kind you weave into everyday acts like a cup of tea or washing the dishes, was associated with wellbeing in a survey of 218 practitioners.*

This was a cross-sectional study, ie it shows a link rather than absolute proof of cause. But it is a kind reminder that your tea break counts.

So the rose, the scent noticed once a year, and the first three sips of your tea sit closer together than they seem!

📍Where this sits in the BRA(i)NS® Method

Mindfulness sits within the BRA(i)NS® Pillar of Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System. It is one of the main ways you steady your stress and relaxation responses, a gentle hand on the body’s accelerator and brake.

A quick summary for those new to the Thursday Tips Tribe (welcome!). The BRA(i)NS® Method is how you build your brain health ecosystem for consistent energy, focus and performance. It has Purpose and Meaning as its container, with three pillars inside:

Building Brain Resilience covers your physical foundations.

Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System covers your stress and relaxation responses.

Optimisation pulls these together through mindset, habits and community. All this is individualised to you, giving the (i) in BRA(i)NS®.

So mindfulness lives in your stress and relaxation responses. Anchoring it to a daily cup of tea is an Optimisation move, a habit made easy. And the (i) fits too. The practice that suits you, the length, the moment of day, is yours to find. There is no single right way for everyone.

📍Question for you today

What everyday moment could become your mindful anchor this week?

Hit reply and tell me, I love getting your replies to these Thursday Tips, and yes they come straight to my inbox!

Wishing your Mindful Moments in your day

Dr Sui Wong

PS: interested in that Mindful Cup of tea practice and want a free audioguide? Access it inside my BRA(i)NS® Clarity Community on Skool, which is free to join. [CLICK HERE]

References

*Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, Congleton C, Yerramsetti SM, Gard T, Lazar SW. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. 2011 Jan;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21071182/

**Black DS, Slavich GM. Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2016 Jun;1373(1):13-24. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12998 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26799456/

***Birtwell K, Williams K, van Marwijk H, Armitage CJ, Sheffield D. An Exploration of Formal and Informal Mindfulness Practice and Associations with Wellbeing. Mindfulness. 2019;10(1):89-99. doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-0951-y https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30662573/

📌 Summary

Mindfulness does not have to mean sitting quietly in meditation. Simple moments woven into daily life, such as enjoying a cup of tea, observing a flower, or pausing to notice your breath, can help bring attention back to the present moment. Research suggests mindfulness may influence brain structure, support immune function, and contribute to overall wellbeing. These small mindful moments can become powerful tools for balancing stress and supporting brain health.

❓ FAQ

Does mindfulness have to involve meditation?
No. Mindfulness can be practised informally during everyday activities such as drinking tea, walking, or spending time in nature.

Can mindfulness affect the brain?
Research suggests mindfulness may be associated with changes in brain regions involved in memory, learning, and emotional regulation.

What is a simple mindful practice to start with?
Try bringing your full attention to the first few sips of your tea or coffee, noticing the warmth, aroma, and taste.

Why does mindfulness fit within the BRA(i)NS® Method?

Mindfulness supports the Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System pillar by helping regulate the body’s stress and relaxation responses.

Books: available where all good books are sold, in print, eBook and audiobook formats. LEARN MORE: Mindfulness for Brain Health , Break Free From Migraines Naturally, Sleep Better to Thrive, Quit Ultra-Processed Foods Now, Sweet Spot for Brain Health, Magnesium: Restore & Revitalize Your Brain & Body

My mission:

To inspire a movement for better brain health.

Because better brain health supports better wellbeing. And better wellbeing creates a ripple effect that benefits individuals, families, communities, and beyond.

Making the world a better place for all.

I am a practising medical doctor (MBBS MD FRCP MA FHEA DipIBLM) working as a Neurologist and Neuro-Ophthalmologist, and am an active neuroscience researcher. My research is inspired by questions arising from my busy clinical practice, and I am grateful that both have been recognised with awards.

I am also an Author and Speaker, creating public-facing health content in my spare time.

Learn more:
drsuiwongmd.com

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