Brain Health, made simple
Your portal to learning about brain health. Discover how it shapes the way you think, feel, work and connect in every aspect of life.
Have a question?
Ask our AI
New Partnership Announcement
The Behaviour Change Agency’s Brain Matters Project is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with the University of Cape Town’s HIV Mental Health Research Unit.
Together, we are bringing world-class short courses in HIV, mental health, and behavioural science to a wider community of healthcare professionals, researchers, and change-makers.
This collaboration combines UCT’s global expertise in mental health and neuroscience with BrainMatters’ mission to make brain science accessible, practical, and impactful.
Brain Matters + Behaviour Change Agency + UCT: Advancing science. Empowering people. Changing lives.
What is Brain Health?
The brain is your body's command centre. It's what helps you remember your Gogo's chakalaka recipe and solve tricky problems at work.
Brain health is about keeping your command centre running smoothly.
Curious about your brain – and brain health?
Did you know?
Your brain is constantly changing based on your daily choices. Sounds too complex? No worries – we've made it simple to find what you want and need to know. Start with brain basics or explore what interests you most.
Your brain responds to everything in your life – from daily stresses to joyful moments. When it's working well, you feel balanced, focused and capable. It's constantly adapting, but sometimes, it needs extra support – just like any other part of your body. It's not just about solving puzzles or doing crosswords though – it's about creating a lifestyle that helps your brain thrive.
The foundation of good brain health is to build everyday habits like getting good sleep, exercising regularly, managing your heart health and engaging in other activities to stay sharp.
Brain Basics
Your brain never stops growing.
It's a living organ not a static thinking machine.
BRAIN BUILDS NETWORKS
Pathways that affect how you think, feel and react
BASIC BUILDING MATTER
- Billions of tiny cells or neurons
NEURONS TALK USING
- Electrical signals
- Chemical messages
STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS
- Grow stronger or weaker based on what you do daily
BRAIN PHYSICALLY CHANGES
- Neuroplasticity
- Ability to adapt and rewire
How it works - Learning to ride a bike
Day 1
- New connection
Week 1
- Practice
Month 1
- Strong connection
Brain health challenges are not 'just in your head'
Brain health challenges are as real as a broken bone or a heart condition – they reflect actual changes in how brain cells process and share information, similar to how your body processes sugar differently with diabetes.
Everything you do shapes your brain – healthy habits and poor habits.
As you learn or create memories, the structure of your brain changes.
Exercise, good sleep, and learning new skills strengthen connections, while stress and poor sleep can affect how your brain works. The great news? Your brain can actually change throughout your life and get healthier with the choices you make every day.
Just as exercise strengthens muscles, the more you live healthy habits like getting good sleep, the stronger they get – literally reshaping your brain for the better.
It's that simple.