Activate Your Prefrontal Cortex To Decrease Chances Of Neurological Diseases

For a practical breakdown of how activating this one part of your brain could help reduce your risk of disorders like depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer’s - watch the full video:

Why This Part of the Brain Matters

The medial prefrontal cortex, sometimes called the executive center, plays a major role in foresight, decision-making, risk assessment, and strategic thinking. It helps you plan, stay balanced, and remain objective rather than reactive.

When this area is underactive, you’re more likely to function from deeper brain structures like the amygdala or nucleus accumbens. These areas are important too, but when they dominate, you may feel more emotionally volatile or cognitively unbalanced.

This imbalance is associated with an increased risk of several neurological diseases, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Alzheimer’s disease

As discussed in this blog on how the mind-body connection works, the way we live daily has a direct influence on our nervous system. And it starts with the brain.

Measuring Your Prefrontal Cortex Activation

There’s a tool called Mendi that tracks how much oxygen and blood are reaching your prefrontal cortex. You wear the device and perform basic focus exercises, such as following a moving ball, while the tool monitors how well your brain activates the area.

While this is a helpful tech-driven solution, Ramin points out it shouldn’t be your only approach. Consistent activation comes from something deeper.

Why Meaningful Challenges Matter

You don’t need fancy equipment to strengthen this part of the brain. You need purpose.

When you engage in activities that are meaningful to you, you’re more likely to activate your executive center naturally. This creates something called eustress—a form of positive stress that boosts your health and brain performance.

This is covered more in how voids and values drive your behavior, where Ramin explores how aligning with your deepest values creates internal clarity and direction. The result? A stronger, more balanced mind.

How to Strengthen Your Prefrontal Cortex in Daily Life

If you want to reduce your risk of neurological decline over time, start by designing your life around what really matters. Here are two simple paths:

1. Live by your values
   Identify what’s truly important to you and bring more of it into your work, health, and relationships. The more your daily life reflects your personal vision, the more you stay in that optimal brain state.
2. Connect current actions to long-term goals
   Even if your current tasks aren’t ideal, you can reduce mental stress by linking them to a meaningful outcome. For example, preparing a presentation at work might seem draining—until you frame it as a step toward mastering communication for your own business.

This ties into insights from The Part of the Brain That Helps You Achieve Your Highest Goals, where Ramin explains how executive function develops when you live with intention.

Final Word

Brain health isn’t just about what you avoid. It’s about what you lean into.

When your life is aligned with purpose and your challenges are meaningful, you activate the part of your brain that makes you thrive—not just survive. This builds mental resilience and helps protect you from long-term cognitive decline.

To explore more practical strategies for supporting your nervous system, visit the full blog library or read Free Yourself From Motivation, which builds on the idea of purposeful living and deep focus.