Everyone forgets things from time to time, whether it's where you put your phone, an upcoming appointment, or someone's name. Occasional forgetfulness is a normal part of life. The good news is that memory isn't fixed. Your brain has the ability to strengthen many of its memory processes through healthy daily habits.

It’s 3:00 PM. You feel irritable, exhausted, and are desperately reaching for a second cup of coffee or a sugary snack to get through the day. We usually blame our sleep, our stress, or our workload for this afternoon slump. But the real culprit is often much simpler: it's, in part, due to what you had for breakfast hours ago.

Dr. Nicole Murray recently presented to Trent University's Accessibility Services, Student Wellness, Counselling, and Health Promotion teams, sharing practical, evidence-based strategies to help professionals differentiate ADHD, anxiety, and post-concussion symptoms while supporting student success.

Many people who struggle with focus, motivation, overwhelm, or emotional ups and downs assume they are dealing with anxiety or depression. In some cases, that's true. But for others, the underlying issue may actually be Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Because ADHD, anxiety, and depression can share many symptoms, it is not uncommon for one condition to be mistaken for another. Understanding the differences can help people get the support and treatment that best fits their needs.

When people think about workplace wellness, they often picture major initiatives like gym memberships, wellness programs, or company-wide health campaigns. While those efforts can be valuable, the reality is that workplace wellness is often shaped by much smaller actions that happen every day. The habits employees and leaders practice consistently can have a significant impact on energy, focus, stress levels, productivity, and overall well-being. In many cases, small daily changes are easier to maintain and can create lasting improvements over time.

You don't have to wait months to experience the cognitive benefits of physical activity. Research shows that exercise can begin affecting brain function almost immediately, with both short-term and long-term benefits for memory, focus, mood, and overall cognitive health. If you've ever noticed that a walk helps you think more clearly or that you feel mentally refreshed after a workout, there's a scientific reason why.

When most people think about dementia, memory loss is often the first symptom that comes to mind. However, dementia affects much more than a person's ability to remember names, dates, or events. One of the most significant yet often overlooked changes involves emotional regulation, the ability to recognize, manage, and respond to emotions appropriately. For individuals living with dementia and their loved ones, emotional changes can sometimes be more challenging than cognitive symptoms. Understanding why these changes occur can help families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals provide more effective support while fostering greater compassion and patience.

Stress is part of being human. The goal is not to eliminate it. The goal is to process it in a way that helps your mind and body recover instead of staying stuck in a constant state of tension. Many people think they are managing stress because they are distracting themselves from it. Scrolling social media, binge-watching television, staying busy, or pushing through exhaustion can provide temporary relief. The problem is that stress often remains in the background, continuing to affect sleep, concentration, mood, and physical health. Processing stress means acknowledging it, understanding what is driving it, and giving your brain and body opportunities to recover.

A concussion can feel confusing, frustrating, and unpredictable. One person may feel back to normal within days, while another struggles with headaches, fatigue, or brain fog for weeks or even months. Naturally, one of the most common questions people ask after a head injury is: “How long does it actually take the brain to heal after a concussion?”

Many adults with ADHD do not fit the stereotype people often imagine. They may be successful at work, highly educated, organized in some areas of life, and capable of managing significant responsibilities. From the outside, they can appear productive and “high-functioning.” But internally, many are working much harder than others just to keep up.

When people think about brain injuries, they often picture physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, or memory problems. What is less commonly discussed is how a brain injury can also affect personality, emotions, behaviour, and relationships. For many individuals and families, these changes can be among the most difficult parts of recovery to understand and manage.

Stress doesn’t always look like panic or overwhelm. Sometimes, it looks like nothing at all.

You sit at your desk, staring at a screen. You know what needs to be done, but your mind feels blank. You avoid emails, delay decisions, or mentally ‘check out’. This experience, often described as shutting down, is more common than people realize, and it’s rooted in how your brain is wired to protect you.

If you think exercise is just about physical fitness, you’re missing half the story. Daily movement has a powerful, measurable impact on your brain. It shapes how you think, feel, and function every day. The best part? You don’t need intense workouts to see the benefits. Consistent, simple movement can create meaningful change.

While no lifestyle change can completely prevent conditions like Dementia, strong evidence shows that the way you live, how you move, sleep, eat, and connect, can help delay cognitive decline and support long-term brain health.

If you feel busy all day but still behind, you’re not alone. A lot of people are stuck in a cycle of pushing harder, working longer, and ending the day mentally drained. But here’s the shift most people miss: Sustainable productivity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what works for your brain, consistently.

After a head injury, one of the most common things people hear is: “You look fine.” But when it comes to brain health, appearances can be misleading. Just because someone looks okay on the outside doesn’t mean their brain has fully recovered.

If you’re living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, you’ve probably tried productivity hacks, apps, or strict routines, only to find they may not stick. That’s not a failure of effort. It’s often a mismatch between the strategy and how your brain actually works.

Self-awareness changes everything.

Cognitive health is something many people don’t think about until something feels off. Maybe it’s forgetting conversations, struggling to stay focused at work, or feeling mentally slower than usual. While occasional lapses are a normal part of life, persistent changes in memory, attention, or thinking skills can signal something more.

Every day at work, people make dozens, sometimes hundreds, of decisions. Some are small, like choosing how to prioritize emails. Others carry more weight, like hiring a new team member, approving a budget, or choosing a strategic direction.But decision-making is rarely as rational as we think. Our brains rely on shortcuts, past experiences, and emotional reactions to process information quickly. While these mental shortcuts can be helpful, they can also lead to errors in judgment.

We’ve all been there, walking into a room and forgetting why you went in, or blanking on a person's name two seconds after they introduced themselves. While we often joke about losing it, memory isn't just something you're born with; it’s a skill you can sharpen.