It's a Good Life

"Cognitive Fitness 101: How to Stay Mentally Sharp with Dr. Tommy Wood"

Host: Brian Buffini
Guest: Dr. Tommy Wood
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brian Buffini sits down with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood to explore the foundations of brain health, staying sharp at any age, and how cognitive fitness impacts performance in daily life and business. Drawing from his experience coaching elite athletes and everyday high performers, Dr. Wood outlines practical, research-backed strategies from his upcoming book, The Stimulated Mind, to help listeners boost their mental game, support lifelong learning, and optimize stress for growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The 3S Model for Brain Health (03:07 - 10:36)

Dr. Wood introduces his core framework for cognitive fitness:

The 3S Model:

• Stimulus:
  • How you use your brain is the #1 driver of its function.
  • Includes cognitively demanding work, social connection, and learning complex skills (e.g. languages, sports, music).
    • "How we use our brains is the primary driver of how our brains function." (03:32)
• Supply:
  • The brain needs adequate blood flow and biochemical supply (nutrients, oxygen, glucose) to perform and adapt.
  • Physical activity is crucial; heart and metabolic health (managing blood pressure, sugar, blood lipids) influence cognitive performance and long-term dementia risk.
    • “If you want your brain to be constantly adapting…you need a really healthy blood supply.” (06:29 - Dr. Wood)
  • Specific nutrients: Vitamin D, B vitamins (homocysteine as a marker), iron, omega-3s, polyphenols found in fruits/vegetables/seafood.
• Support:
  • Prioritize recovery and avoid factors that inhibit cognitive adaptation (sleep, stress management, avoiding tobacco/alcohol, air pollution, chronic inflammation).
  • Oral health (gum disease) and chronic stress notably impact cognitive health.

Brian Buffini:
“If I commit to those three things in the short term, it’s going to increase my capacity, my ability to concentrate, my ability to be fully present, my ability to think and operate clearly. But do it in a way that expands my longevity as opposed to shorten it, right?” (10:36)

2. Daily Cognitive Performance vs. Long-Term Brain Health (08:27 - 11:14)

• Brain health isn't just about preventing dementia; it's fundamental for daily focus, mood, and productivity.
• Physical health habits and cognitive engagement work together—improvements in one ripple through the others.

  Dr. Wood:
  “The most important thing that somebody should do for their brain health is the thing that they will actually do and do consistently.” (02:41)

3. Building Headroom: Expanding Mental Capacity (11:14 - 12:49)

• “Headroom” is your available cognitive capacity at any given time—a bank you can draw on during high-pressure moments.
• Like physical fitness, mental capacity grows through cycles of challenge (stimulus), proper supply (nutrition, sleep), and support (recovery).

  Dr. Wood:
  “The brain is exactly the same as muscles—you don’t get stronger in the gym, you get stronger when you recover.” (11:45)

4. Handling Stress and Improving Sleep (12:49 - 20:03)

Practical Tools:

• Exercise builds a “buffer” against stress (cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis).

  Dr. Wood:
  "One of the best ways that we know to buffer stress, build our stress capacity, is exercise." (12:59)

• In-the-Moment Stress Relief:
  • Closing your eyes to reduce stimuli.
  • Breathwork (long exhalations activate vagus nerve for relaxation).

    "You can’t think yourself out of stress—your brain is being dunked in adrenaline." (15:01)

  • Calming touch and music.
• Mindset:
  • Viewing stress as a sign of engaging challenges turns it from a threat into a performance enhancer.

    “When we think about stress in that way, that stress is enhancing…that improves cognitive function when we’re under stress.” (16:06)

• Sleep Optimization:
  • Wind-down routines, writing notes to off-load thoughts, reducing screens and stimulation before bed.
  • Don’t stress over individual bad nights: “Most of what happens after one night of poor sleep is based on expectation.” (19:27)
  • Breathwork (Wim Hof-style or slow breathing), especially before sleep.
  • Environment: cool, dark, consistent bedtime.

5. Lifelong Learning & Neuroplasticity: The Owl Story (20:03 - 26:21)

• Barn Owls with Prism Glasses:
  • Young owls adapt quickly; older owls only adapt when the environment demands it (social context, need to hunt).
  • Lesson: The adult brain will rewire—but needs motivation, novelty, necessity, and social engagement.

    "The adult brain doesn’t change if you don’t give it a reason to. But if you give it a reason, the brain adapts just fine." (22:40)

• “Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks” Myth:
  • Mindset shift is key; adults need to believe change is possible.
  • Adults aren’t “professional learners” like kids; time, focus, and willingness to make mistakes are non-negotiable.

    "The best way to learn something and to drive neuroplasticity is to make mistakes. And adults hate making mistakes." (25:35)

  • Remove distractions, accept failure, and engage regularly—even in short sprints.

    Brian Buffini:
    “…It is impossible to learn something new without making mistakes.” (26:38)

6. Applying Cognitive Fitness in Daily Life and Business (26:21 - 30:09)

• Business, sports, and personal life all require mental adaptability.
• Buffini shares his own “learning new trick” experience with golf, highlighting the role of mindset and perseverance.
• The power of consultation, coaching, or any stimulating conversation: even 30 minutes of focused, challenging input can drive clarity and action.

Memorable Quotes & Key Moments

• Dr. Wood:
  “The most important thing…is the thing they will actually do and do consistently.” (02:41)

• On stress:
  “…You can’t think yourself out of stress because your brain is essentially being dunked in adrenaline. What you do is you change the inputs to the body, you change your physiology, and then that changes your brain.” (15:01)

• On adult learning:
  “One reason adults feel like they can’t learn…is not because their brain can’t do it. It’s because they’re not professional learners like they were when they were kids.” (24:35)

• On embracing mistakes:
  “We know mistakes are required for learning, so the final piece is just letting go of a little bit of that ego and being willing to risk it and being willing to fail, because that’s really what drives learning.” (25:45)

Highlighted Timestamps

| Segment/Event | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|---------------| | Intro & Dr. Wood’s background | 00:17 – 01:16 | | The 3S Model breakdown | 03:07 – 10:36 | | Impact of blood pressure/sugar | 05:12 – 07:49 | | Daily cognitive performance | 08:27 – 11:14 | | Building “headroom” | 11:14 – 12:49 | | Tools to buffer stress | 12:49 – 15:57 | | Sleep: practical tips & mindset | 17:25 – 20:03 | | The barn owl/prism glass story | 20:03 – 23:05 | | Neuroplasticity, adult learning | 23:05 – 26:21 | | Mindset for business, learning, life | 26:21 – 30:09 |

Rapid-Fire Personal Questions (30:09–35:23)

1. Best advice ever received:

• From his dad: “Remember, this doesn’t mean you actually know anything.” (30:54)
• From a friend’s mom: “Be nice to nurses.” (32:02; Dr. Wood broadens it: “Be nice to people.”)

2. Gift/talent wish:

• Dr. Wood wishes he was a better dancer (32:02), with an explanation of why dance is so good for the brain.

3. Influential book:

• “Behave” by Robert Sapolsky
• “The Neuroscience of You” by Chantal Pratt (33:17)

4. Movie watched over and over:

• “Love Actually” (34:22)

5. What a good life looks like:

• “Freedom and ability to do things I enjoy and make me feel good on a daily basis.” (34:45)
• Variety (work with drivers, neuroscience lab, collaborations, dogs, exercise, cooking).

Takeaways for Entrepreneurs & Listeners

• Focus on the small habit you’ll actually stick with—for cognitive, not just physical, fitness.
• Engage regularly with new, challenging, and meaningful stimuli—socially, mentally, and physically.
• Supply your brain with quality nutrition, healthy habits, and enough rest.
• Approach stress as a tool and learn to leverage it, not fear it.
• Embrace making mistakes; it’s the essential path to all growth—whether in business, golf, or life.
• Remember: Brain health is about thriving today and tomorrow.

Book recommendation:
The Stimulated Mind by Dr. Tommy Wood – “Instead of watching Netflix at night, maybe stimulate your mind by reading this book before you go to bed and then shut it down.” (29:41)