How to Use reMYnd
Your complete guide to engaging with the program in a way that feels sustainable, practical, and built for your life.
reMYnd is designed to meet you where you are. You don't need to do everything. You don't need to be perfect. And you can't fall behind. This guide shows you how to use the program in a way that actually works.
The Core Principle
Multi-Domain Engagement Drives Results
The research is clear: targeting multiple risk factors simultaneously is what reduces dementia risk. The FINGER Trial — the landmark study this program is built on — showed significant cognitive benefits only when exercise, nutrition, cognitive training, and vascular health were addressed together.
That's why reMYnd has 8 pillars. But here's the critical part: you don't need to do all 8 pillars perfectly all the time. You need to engage with the pillars that need the most attention in your life right now, and build from there.
Start Where You Are
The Framework: Beginner vs. Non-Beginner
This isn't about fitness level or how much you already know. It's about how many of the 8 pillars need serious work in your life right now.
Beginner: Most pillars are weak or non-existent. You're building from scratch across multiple domains. Sleep is inconsistent, exercise is sporadic or absent, nutrition needs overhaul, cognitive challenge isn't happening, social connection is limited.
Non-Beginner: You already have strong habits in at least half of the pillars. Maybe you exercise regularly and eat well, but sleep and cognitive stimulation are neglected. Or you're socially connected and mentally engaged, but movement and metabolic health need work.
Review the Program Overview to understand all 8 pillars, then assess honestly: how many of these are actually working well in my life right now?
Pick 1 Focus Pillar
- Choose the single pillar that needs the most attention
- Build that habit until it feels automatic (4–6 weeks minimum)
- Don't add the next pillar until the first one is locked in
- Depth beats breadth — do one thing well before adding more
- By Month 6, you'll be engaging with 3–4 pillars without thinking about it
Pick 2 Focus Pillars
- Identify the 2 pillars you've been neglecting or doing poorly
- Use your existing strong habits as the foundation to build on
- Layer the new pillars into what's already working (habit stacking)
- Focus on filling the gaps, not starting from zero
- By Month 6, you'll be engaging with 6–7 pillars consistently
Which pillar (or two) needs the most attention in my life right now? Start there. Build the habit. Make it non-negotiable. Then add the next one. Trying to fix everything at once is the fastest way to fix nothing at all.
Habit Stacking from Day One
The most effective way to build new behaviours is to attach them to something you already do. This is called habit stacking, and it's how you integrate multiple pillars without feeling like you're doing more.
How to Engage with the Content
The Core Program
Each month has a theme and a set of practical lessons. These are the foundation. Read the lessons that feel relevant. Skip the ones that don't apply to your life right now. You can always come back to them later.
The Educational Deep Dives
Every month includes optional educational content — research breakdowns, expert interviews, detailed science explanations. These are for people who want to go deeper. If you don't, skip them. The program works either way.
The Community Forum
The reMYnd community is there if you want it. Ask questions. Share your progress. Learn from others. But if community forums aren't your thing, you don't need to engage. The program is designed to work independently.
The goal is for reMYnd to become invisible. The behaviours become part of your routine. The exercise sessions become non-negotiable. The cognitive challenges become habits. You stop thinking about "the program" and start living the life that protects your brain.
You Cannot Fall Behind
There Is No Timeline
reMYnd is structured as 12 months because that's how the research trials were designed. But you are not in a trial. You are building a life. If Month 2 takes you 6 weeks instead of 4, that's fine. If you need to repeat a month, do it. If you skip a month and come back to it later, no problem.
The only thing that matters is forward movement. Consistency beats perfection. Showing up beats doing it perfectly. And building sustainable habits beats finishing the program on schedule.
You're only behind if you've stopped moving forward entirely. If you're still engaging with the pillars — even if it's just one session per week, or one pillar instead of three — you're not behind. You're exactly where you need to be.
Combining Pillars in Practice
Here's how to layer multiple pillars into a single activity. This is how you work smarter, not harder.
3 Pillars: Exercise + Cognition + Connection
Walk with a friend (connection). Add interval bursts during the walk (HIIT). Count backwards by 7s or name countries alphabetically (cognition). Three pillars, one activity.
2 Pillars: Exercise + Cognition
Add dual-tasking during rest periods. Name animals alphabetically between sets. Recite multiplication tables during planks. You're building muscle and brain resilience simultaneously.
3 Pillars: Nutrition + Cognition + Connection
Learn a new cuisine (cognition). Cook with your partner or a friend (connection). Focus on whole foods and protein (nutrition). Dinner prep becomes a multi-pillar practice.
2 Pillars: Exercise + Connection
The class itself is the exercise pillar. The group setting is the connection pillar. No extra time required — just choose group over solo.
2 Pillars: Cognition + Connection
Take lessons (connection with teacher). Join a group or ensemble (community). Practice daily (cognitive challenge). Music hits multiple brain networks at once.
Your Action Plan
Choose Your Starting Pillar
Look at the 8 pillars. Which one needs the most attention in your life right now? That's your anchor. Start there. Build the habit. Make it non-negotiable.
Add One Habit Stack
Take your anchor pillar and layer in one additional pillar. Walking becomes walking with a friend. Strength training becomes strength training with dual-tasking. Don't add a new activity — just layer the behaviour into what you're already doing.
Repeat and Refine
Once the first two pillars feel automatic, add the next one. Keep building. Keep stacking. By Month 6, you'll be engaging with 5–6 pillars without thinking about it. That's the goal.
Do what you can sustain. If you can only manage 1–2 pillars right now, do those well. Don't try to do all 8 poorly. Depth beats breadth. Consistency beats volume. And sustainable beats perfect every single time.
reMYnd is a prevention program, not a clinical treatment. For concerns about your cognitive health, please speak with your GP. © reMYnd by Naomi Ferstera — remynd.com.au