It's not only a recurrent and important topic at HAPPYneuron, it's also a proven scientific fact: Your brain enjoys a little mental activity - and even lots of it! A new study shows that mental activities such as reading, writing, or playing not only have a positive impact on the brain but also help preserve the brain's white matter in elderly people. Mental activities can be anything ranging from reading the newspapers, writing a letter or an email, going to the library, or playing chess.