Top 16 'Second Brain' Boosting Healthy Habits to try for Calming Your Gut and Clearing Brain Fog in 2025
Ever have one of those days? You know the kind. Your mind feels like it’s wading through thick mud, finding the right word is a struggle, and a persistent, low-level anxiety hums in the background. To top it off, your stomach feels... off. Bloated, gurgly, and just plain unhappy. It’s a frustrating cycle, where a foggy brain and a fussy gut seem to be locked in a dance, each one stepping on the other’s toes.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not just imagining the connection. Welcome to the incredible world of the gut-brain axis, the biochemical superhighway that links your digestive system with your central nervous system. Scientists now refer to our gut as the "second brain" because it's lined with millions of neurons and produces many of the same neurotransmitters—like serotonin, the "happy chemical"—as the brain in our head. When this second brain is out of balance, it sends distress signals straight to the first one, leading to brain fog, mood swings, and fatigue.
The good news? You have the power to calm this storm. By adopting specific, targeted habits, you can soothe your gut, nourish your microbiome, and in turn, lift the fog from your mind. As we look ahead to 2025, let's make it the year of clarity and calm. Forget drastic overhauls; we’re talking about powerful, sustainable shifts. Here are 16 'second brain' boosting habits to get you started on the path to a happier gut and a sharper mind.
1. Embrace a Fiber-Rich, Plant-Forward Diet
Think of your gut microbes as a tiny, internal garden. Just like any garden, it needs the right kind of fertilizer to flourish. For your gut, that fertilizer is prebiotic fiber. This type of fiber isn't digested by you but instead travels to your colon, where it becomes the primary food source for your beneficial bacteria. When these good bugs feast on fiber, they produce powerful compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), like butyrate, which reduce inflammation, strengthen the gut lining, and even communicate with the brain.
A diet lacking in diverse fiber starves this inner ecosystem, allowing less beneficial microbes to take over, leading to inflammation and a compromised gut barrier (often called "leaky gut"). To nurture your gut garden, aim for diversity. The goal isn't just to eat one type of vegetable but to consume a wide array of plant foods.
- Actionable Tip: Challenge yourself to eat 30 different plant-based foods per week. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. A sprinkle of chia seeds, a handful of walnuts, a side of black beans—it all adds up to a more resilient and diverse microbiome.
2. Incorporate Fermented Foods Daily
While prebiotic fiber feeds your existing good bacteria, fermented foods introduce new, beneficial soldiers to your gut army. These foods are rich in probiotics—live microorganisms that offer a host of health benefits when consumed. They help restore balance to your gut flora, crowd out pathogenic bacteria, and improve the integrity of your intestinal wall, preventing unwanted substances from leaking into your bloodstream and triggering inflammation.
This is one of the most direct ways to support your gut-brain axis. A gut populated by a diverse range of probiotic species is better equipped to produce neurotransmitters, regulate your immune system, and send calming signals up the vagus nerve to your brain. This can translate to a more stable mood and reduced feelings of anxiety.
- Actionable Tip: Start small to let your system adjust. Try adding one tablespoon of sauerkraut or kimchi to your lunch, sipping on a small glass of kefir or kombucha in the afternoon, or swapping your regular yogurt for a high-quality, live-culture Greek or coconut yogurt.
3. Prioritize Polyphenol Power
If you want a vibrant mind and a calm gut, eat the rainbow. The deep, rich colors in foods like berries, pomegranates, green tea, and even dark chocolate come from powerful plant compounds called polyphenols. These act as antioxidants, fighting cellular damage caused by oxidative stress throughout your body, including your brain.
But their benefits don't stop there. Polyphenols are also a favorite food source for your good gut bacteria. Much like fiber, they pass through to the large intestine, where your microbes metabolize them into anti-inflammatory compounds. This dual action—directly protecting your brain cells and indirectly supporting them by nourishing your gut—makes polyphenols a non-negotiable for clearing brain fog.
- Actionable Tip: Make it a habit to add a source of polyphenols to every meal. Toss a handful of blueberries into your morning oatmeal, enjoy a square of 70% (or higher) dark chocolate as a treat, and sip on a cup of green tea in the afternoon.
4. Stay Hydrated (The Right Way)
Water is fundamental, yet its role in gut and brain health is often underestimated. Proper hydration is essential for maintaining the mucosal lining of your intestines and for promoting the healthy balance of bacteria in your gut. Dehydration, on the other hand, can lead to constipation, which allows toxins to sit in your colon for longer, promoting inflammation.
For your brain, which is about 75% water, even mild dehydration can impair cognitive functions like concentration, memory, and reaction time. It can also trigger headaches and contribute to feelings of fatigue and mental fogginess. Staying hydrated ensures that nutrients are efficiently transported to your brain and waste is removed effectively.
- Actionable Tip: Don't just chug water; sip it consistently throughout the day. Keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times. To enhance hydration, add a pinch of high-quality sea salt or a squeeze of lemon to your water to provide electrolytes, which help your cells absorb water more effectively.
5. Mind Your Omega-3 Intake
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat renowned for their potent anti-inflammatory properties. The modern diet is often heavy in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats (found in vegetable oils and processed foods) and deficient in omega-3s. This imbalance can fuel chronic, low-grade inflammation that affects both the gut lining and brain function.
In the gut, omega-3s help maintain the integrity of the intestinal wall. In the brain, they are a critical component of cell membranes, essential for neuron communication and protecting against cognitive decline. By actively taming inflammation, a diet rich in omega-3s can help calm gut irritation and sharpen mental focus.
- Actionable Tip: Aim to eat fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines 2-3 times per week. For plant-based sources, incorporate freshly ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts into your daily routine. If you struggle to get enough from your diet, a high-quality fish or algae oil supplement can be a great option.
6. Reduce Ultra-Processed Foods and Sugar
If fiber and polyphenols are fertilizer for your gut garden, then ultra-processed foods and refined sugar are the weeds. These foods are typically high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and artificial additives, all of which feed the pathogenic ("bad") bacteria in your gut. This can lead to dysbiosis—an imbalance of gut microbes—and trigger inflammation that ripples throughout your body.
This inflammation isn't contained to your gut. It can cross the blood-brain barrier, contributing directly to brain fog, mood instability, and long-term cognitive issues. Cutting back on these foods is one of the most impactful things you can do to starve the "bad guys" and create an environment where your beneficial microbes can thrive.
- Actionable Tip: Start by making one simple swap. Instead of a sugary cereal for breakfast, opt for oatmeal with berries. Instead of a bag of chips for a snack, reach for a handful of nuts or an apple. Read labels and aim to choose foods with short, recognizable ingredient lists.
7. Practice Mindful Eating
How you eat is just as important as what you eat. In our fast-paced world, we often eat while distracted—scrolling on our phones, working at our desks, or watching TV. This sends your body into a "fight-or-flight" state, which shuts down optimal digestion. Mindful eating is the antidote. It involves paying full attention to the experience of eating, which activates your "rest-and-digest" nervous system.
When you eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly, you produce more digestive enzymes, which helps break down food more effectively and reduces the likelihood of bloating and indigestion. This simple practice sends signals of safety to your brain, calming your entire nervous system and allowing your gut to do its job properly. As we often discuss on the Goh Ling Yong blog, this simple shift can be transformative.
- Actionable Tip: Before each meal, take three deep breaths. Put your fork down between bites. Try to identify all the flavors and textures in your food. This practice not only improves digestion but also enhances your sense of satiety, helping to prevent overeating.
8. Prioritize 7-9 Hours of Quality Sleep
Sleep is not a luxury; it's a non-negotiable biological necessity for both your brain and your gut. During deep sleep, your brain's glymphatic system activates, acting like a cleaning crew to flush out metabolic waste and toxins that accumulate during the day. Insufficient sleep disrupts this process, leading directly to that classic feeling of brain fog.
Simultaneously, your gut microbiome operates on a circadian rhythm, just like you do. Poor sleep can throw this rhythm out of whack, negatively altering the composition of your gut bacteria and increasing intestinal permeability. This creates a vicious cycle: a stressed gut sends inflammatory signals to the brain, which then further disrupts sleep quality.
- Actionable Tip: Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Dim the lights an hour before bed, avoid screens, and consider a warm bath or reading a book. Aim for a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends, to regulate your body's internal clock.
9. Incorporate Regular, Moderate Exercise
You don't need to run a marathon to reap the benefits of exercise for your gut and brain. Regular, moderate movement like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or yoga is incredibly beneficial. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, delivering more oxygen and nutrients. It also stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth of new neurons.
For the gut, exercise has been shown to increase the diversity of your microbiome and boost the production of that all-important SCFA, butyrate. It also helps stimulate peristalsis, the muscle contractions that move food through your digestive tract, which can aid in regularity and reduce bloating.
- Actionable Tip: Find a form of movement you genuinely enjoy and aim for 30 minutes most days of the week. Even a 15-minute walk after a meal can do wonders for your digestion and blood sugar control.
10. Manage Stress with Mindfulness or Meditation
Chronic stress is a primary antagonist of the gut-brain axis. When you're stressed, your brain releases cortisol, the primary stress hormone. High levels of cortisol can wreak havoc on your gut, decreasing blood flow, increasing intestinal permeability, and altering the composition of your microbiome in favor of less-friendly microbes.
This is where practices like mindfulness and meditation come in. They help shift your nervous system out of the "fight-or-flight" state and into the "rest-and-digest" state. This directly tones the vagus nerve, the main line of communication between your gut and brain. A well-toned vagus nerve means better digestion, lower inflammation, and a calmer, clearer mind.
- Actionable Tip: Start with just 5 minutes a day. Use an app like Calm or Headspace, or simply find a quiet place to sit and focus on the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body.
11. Get Morning Sunlight Exposure
Your body's master clock, which governs your sleep-wake cycle and countless other bodily processes, is located in your brain and is calibrated by light. Exposing your eyes to natural sunlight shortly after waking sends a powerful signal to your brain to shut off melatonin production and kickstart cortisol in a healthy, natural rhythm.
This simple habit has a domino effect. It anchors your circadian rhythm, leading to better energy and focus during the day and deeper, more restorative sleep at night. As we've learned, quality sleep is crucial for both gut and brain health. Sunlight also helps your body synthesize Vitamin D, a critical nutrient for immune function and mood regulation.
- Actionable Tip: Aim for 10-20 minutes of outdoor sunlight exposure within the first hour of waking. Leave the sunglasses off (but don't stare directly at the sun). Enjoy your morning coffee on the porch or take a short walk around the block.
12. Practice Deep Breathing Exercises
One of the quickest and most direct ways to influence your gut-brain axis is through your breath. Slow, diaphragmatic (or "belly") breathing is a powerful way to manually stimulate your vagus nerve. This tells your brain that you are safe, effectively hitting the brakes on the stress response.
This simple action can have profound physiological effects. It lowers your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and switches your digestive system back "on." By regularly practicing deep breathing, you are actively training your nervous system to be more resilient to stress, which protects your gut from its harmful effects and keeps your mind clear under pressure.
- Actionable Tip: Try "box breathing." Inhale slowly for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale slowly for a count of four, and hold at the bottom for a count of four. Repeat this cycle for 2-5 minutes whenever you feel stressed or foggy.
13. Consider a Gentle Intermittent Fasting Schedule
Intermittent fasting (IF) is not about calorie restriction; it's about giving your digestive system a dedicated rest period. When you're not eating, your gut can focus on housekeeping. It activates something called the migrating motor complex (MMC), a series of muscular contractions that "sweep" undigested food particles and bacteria out of the small intestine.
This sweeping action is crucial for preventing bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine (SIBO) and maintaining a healthy gut environment. For many people, a gentle fasting window (like a 12-14 hour overnight fast) can reduce bloating, improve digestive comfort, and enhance mental clarity as the body shifts into a state of cellular repair.
- Actionable Tip: Start simply by closing your kitchen after dinner and not eating again until breakfast. Aim for a 12-hour fast (e.g., 7 PM to 7 AM). If that feels good, you can gradually extend it to 14 hours. Always listen to your body and consult a professional if you have underlying health conditions.
14. Create a "Digital Sunset"
The blue light emitted from our phones, tablets, and computers is a major disruptor of our circadian rhythm. When your eyes are exposed to this light in the evening, it tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime, suppressing the release of melatonin, the hormone that signals your body it's time to sleep.
This not only leads to difficulty falling asleep but also results in lower-quality, less restorative sleep. As Goh Ling Yong has emphasized in previous posts, protecting your sleep is paramount. A "digital sunset" involves putting away screens at least 60-90 minutes before your desired bedtime. This allows your brain to naturally wind down, paving the way for the deep sleep your gut and brain desperately need to repair and reset.
- Actionable Tip: Set an alarm on your phone for one hour before you want to be asleep. When it goes off, put all your devices away to charge outside of your bedroom. Use this time to read a physical book, stretch, or listen to calming music.
15. Connect with Nature
Spending time in nature has a remarkably calming effect on the nervous system. Whether it's a walk in a park, a hike in the woods, or simply sitting in your backyard, being in a natural environment has been shown to lower cortisol levels, reduce blood pressure, and decrease rumination (the pattern of overthinking negative thoughts).
This stress reduction directly benefits your gut by calming the "fight-or-flight" response. Some research even suggests that exposure to the diverse microbes in soil and natural environments can positively influence our own microbiome. It's a simple, free, and powerful tool for soothing both of your brains.
- Actionable Tip: Schedule "nature time" into your week just as you would any other important appointment. Even 20 minutes can make a significant difference. If you can, try "grounding" or "earthing" by taking off your shoes and walking barefoot on grass or sand to enhance the connection.
16. Keep a Gut-Mood Journal
We are all unique, and what works for one person's gut-brain axis may not work for another's. One of the most empowering habits you can adopt is to become your own health detective by keeping a simple journal. This helps you identify personal patterns and triggers that you might otherwise miss.
By tracking a few key variables, you can start to connect the dots between what you eat, how you feel physically (bloating, energy levels), and how you feel mentally (mood, focus, anxiety). This personalized data is invaluable for making informed adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.
- Actionable Tip: In a notebook or a notes app, jot down three things each day: 1) What you ate for your main meals, 2) Your gut symptoms (on a scale of 1-10), and 3) Your mental state (brain fog, mood, energy, also on a scale of 1-10). After a week or two, you'll begin to see clear patterns emerge.
Your Path to Clarity Starts Now
Tackling brain fog and calming your gut can feel like a monumental task, but it doesn't have to be. The journey to a healthier gut-brain connection is not about perfection; it’s about consistent, compassionate action. Looking at this list of 16 habits might feel overwhelming, so please don't try to implement them all at once.
Instead, pick just one or two that resonate with you the most. Perhaps it's committing to a 10-minute walk after lunch or adding a spoonful of sauerkraut to your dinner. Master that one small habit. Feel the positive shift it creates. Then, when you’re ready, add another. These small, steady steps are what build lasting momentum and create profound changes in your health. Let 2025 be the year you reclaim your mental clarity and find digestive peace, one simple habit at a time.
Which habit are you most excited to try first? Share your choice in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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