Just like our bodies, our brains change as we age. The older we get, the harder we recall information, like the name of a restaurant we went to or where we put our keys. Or it may take longer to learn something new.

But the good news is we actually have a lot of control in keeping our brains healthy and from aging prematurely and it starts with daily habits. Most notably, the behaviors we avoid could have a positive impact on our cognition.

We talked to experts about seemingly harmless habits we may be doing every day that could be aging our brains and what we can do instead. Here are the mistakes to correct ASAP:

1. You dont get enough social interaction.

From working remotely to having a new baby to retiring, there are a lot of situations life throws at us that can make it more challenging to get out and be social.

Its so common in our culture to slowly lose our social network as we go through life, said Dr. Zaldy Tan , the director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai. We need to have some kind of social network that we can turn to whenever we need it or even if we dont think we need it.

So, how does socialization impact the brain? Every time we meet someone new we make a new connection within our brain between brain cells, Tan explained. Plus, a strong social network has been shown to improve mood, which is linked to our brain health. (Depression is one of the risk factors for dementia.)

While in-person interactions seem to be most beneficial for brain health, online socialization and virtual conversations can also help, said Dr. Glen Finney , a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and director of the Memory and Cognition Program at Geisinger Health.

There are certain people who are literally physically isolated or may not have friends and family in their local area, [and] their online community becomes their lifeline and can have some real benefit, Finney said.

2. You keep your brain active but only by doing the same things over and over again.

You not only want to engage your brain by preserving the skills you already have, but you also want to get your brain outside of its comfort zone, Finney explained.

If you say, Im no longer a kid anymore. Im not going to worry about learning anything [That] actually can sabotage your brain health and lead to premature brain aging, he said.

Just like when we meet someone new, learning something new forms connections between our brain cells and helps to keep the brain youthful.

You should always be expanding your mental horizons, he said. If youve never taken a musical instrument, learn a musical instrument. If youve never read a foreign language, learn a foreign language.

3. You dismiss the chronic stress youre carrying around.

Stress is a part of daily life, and our bodies can typically recover quickly from a specific stressful event or situation. The problem is when this stress becomes chronic and we dont address it.

We are really skilled at keeping the stress response on all day at a moderate level that we might not even notice, said Dr. Elissa Epel , a psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of The Stress Prescription. Even when nothing stressful is happening, we may be carrying around unconscious stress.

She said its important to be aware of this stress and release it throughout the day, such as being mindful of our thoughts and slowing our breathing. Creating short-term states of acute stress in our body can actually help relieve stress, she added, such as using a sauna, taking a cold shower, or trying a high-intensity workout. This gives us more states of relaxation during the day and a better sleep quality at night.

When we are able to have deeper rest states, both during the day and while asleep, we give our neurons a chance to restore as well and slow brain aging, she explained.