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    *Did you know that Black women have the highest projected rates of Alzheimer's disease of any group?* **FIND A THERAPIST** https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/ **JOIN THE COMMUNITY ON PATREON** https://www.patreon.com/therapyforblackgirls In this episode of Therapy for Black Girls, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford sits down with neuropsychologist and UCSF researcher Dr. Tanisha Hill-Jarrett to talk through what brain health means, why it’s broader than mental health alone, and the daily habits that support it: cardiovascular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, stress management, social connection, and quality sleep. The conversation takes a deeper look at what our digital habits are doing to our brains — from how blue light disrupts the sleep cycles our brains need to clear toxins, to how the intermittent reinforcement schedule of social media creates dopamine loops that mirror addiction pathways in the brain. Dr. Tanisha also defines weathering — the accelerated biological aging Black women experience due to structural racism and sexism — and explains what it looks like at a cellular level, while highlighting recent research that revealed Black women can be biologically 7 and 1/2 years older than white women of the same chronological age. She connects this stat to the disproportionate Alzheimer's risk Black women face, the emerging science around menopause and estrogen's role in brain health, and why even upwardly mobile Black women are not protected from the environmental stressors that drive cognitive decline. But this conversation doesn't stop at the problem. Dr. Tanisha closes by sharing her pioneering work on Afrofuturism and brain health, including her 10-week Radical Imagination workshop with Black women elders and its preliminary findings. She makes the case that hope itself is a brain health practice, and that Black women have always been Afrofuturists simply by surviving and imagining their way forward. Whether you're in your 30s building habits early or your 50s wondering if it's too late, Dr. Tanisha's message is clear: it is never too late to start prioritizing your brain health. Find more resources and show notes at therapyforblackgirls.com/session474 00:00 Introduction: Widening the Lens to Brain Health 1:07 Dr. Tanisha's Journey into Neuropsychology 2:32 Specializing in Cognitive Aging & Health Disparities 3:33 Brain Health vs. Mental Health: What's the Difference? 4:21 The 5 Core Habits for Preserving Your Brain Health 7:17 Why Social Connection Is So Powerful for the Brain 8:12 The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media & Digital Connectivity 10:05 Dopamine Loops, Social Media & the Science of Addiction 12:14 What Short-Form Content Is Doing to Our Attention Spans 14:34 Curating Your Digital Environment for Mental Clarity 16:00 Getting Back to the Analog World 16:41 The Pomodoro Technique for Retraining Your Focus 18:41 How Racism & Sexism Show Up in the Brain Over Time 20:28 Why Black Women Have the Highest Projected Alzheimer's Rates 21:39 Neighborhoods, Environmental Stressors & Brain Health 22:56 Weathering & What It Does to Black Women's Bodies at a Cellular Level 24:59 Menopause, Estrogen & the Connection to Alzheimer's Risk 26:38 Moving Beyond a Deficit Framework for Black Women's Health 28:10 Community-Engaged Research & Why Lived Experience Matters 30:53 Advice for Black Women Who Want to Enter Neuropsychology 33:12 Small Daily Habits to Slow Cognitive Aging 34:34 Neuroplasticity, Novelty & Why You Should Start a New Hobby 35:40 AI, Brain Health & Using Technology Mindfully 37:01 Afrofuturism as a Brain Health Strategy 40:08 The Neuroscience of Imagination & Why Hoping Activates the Brain 42:29 Final Takeaways: Stay Connected, Stay Moving, Stay Mindful 43:40 Where to Find Dr. Tanisha Hill-Jarrett *Connect with Dr. Tanisha-Hill Jarrett* Dr. Tanisha Hill-Jarrett is a neuropsychologist driven to reduce disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Her work seeks to center and contextualize the experience of cognitive aging in Black older adults. She uses culturally responsive creative aging practices and Afrofuturism in her work with community-dwelling elders. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. *Website:* tanishiahilljarrett.com *Instagram:* https://www.instagram.com/blackwomenfutures/ *LinkedIn:* Tanisha Hill-Jarrett *About the Podcast* The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Is there a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Submit it at: https://therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at: https://therapyforblackgirls.com/shop Make sure to follow us on social media: https://instagram.com/therapyforblackgirls
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