Q: Regular social enrichment has been shown to stimulate the production of BDNF. Try to meet with friends and family once or twice a week. Talk about your week, listen to their stories, and tell jokes and laugh. Socializing also helps to reduce stress, which can further increase your body’s production of BDNF.  Alternatively, you can join a social group like a church group, volunteer group, or a local intramural sports team. Use online websites to find groups that meet in your area. Biohacking groups can help you learn how to increase BDNF in a social environment. Activities that are challenging, as well as new, are a great way to stimulate your brain and increase your BDNF.  Learn an instrument or a new language. Take a class at your local community college, or listen to a lecture at a local museum. Traveling to new places is also a great way to stimulate your brain. Even something as simple as changing your daily routine can increase BDNF; for example, take a new route to work, or cook something new for dinner. Puzzles like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and Scrabble are a great way to challenge your brain. Word problems, reading, or doing research on a topic you are interested in are also great ways to challenge your brain. The harder the puzzle is, the harder your brain will work and the more BDNF it will produce. Engage in challenging activities at least two to three times a week.
A: Socialize with friends and family. Try a new activity. Challenge your brain with puzzles.

Q: Smoke odors cling to hair, so try protecting your hair as much as possible if you can’t take a shower before seeing your parents. If you have long hair, pull it up in a bun to keep it out of the way. Cover up your head with a hat or hood and draw it closed to prevent any smoke from seeping in. Then switch to a different hat or hoodie before you get home. If you show up at home wearing clothes that reek of smoke, your parents will notice. Have a separate outfit on hand for when you want to smoke. Consider bringing along a hoodie or sweater and another set of bottoms with you when you head out to smoke. Change into these clothes while you smoke and keep your regular outfit well away from where you’re smoking. When you’re finished, seal up your smelly clothes in a separate bag and switch back into your regular outfit.  If your regular clothes have any traces of smoke, air them out or spritz them with a deodorizing fabric spray before seeing your parents. Be strategic about this. If you go out wearing one outfit and come home wearing something totally different, your parents will know something’s up. Save empty cardboard paper towel and toilet paper tubes. Then stuff them with crumpled dryer sheets to create a sploof. Or secure a few dryer sheets over the end of the tube with a rubber band. When you’re smoking, exhale the smoke through the tube. The dryer sheets will filter out some of the smoke. Remember that your parents might know just as much about mistakes as you do, and they might get suspicious if you start hoarding toilet paper tubes or dryer sheets. Make sure you don’t smoke in the same care that your parents use. If you smoke in your own car, crack open your windows and make sure to hold your cigarette out the window. Turn up the heating or air conditioning, depending on the weather, and aim the vents towards the nearest window to help push the smoke outside. Be sure to exhale the smoke with a strong whoosh out the open window. When you’re done, roll the windows down more and leave the air on. Cruise around for a while to air out the vehicle, yourself, and other passengers.  Don’t leave your windows cracked when it’s parked at home since your parents might get suspicious. Be sure to drive safely and responsibly, even if you’re smoking. Also, keep in mind that it may be illegal to smoke in a car with any passengers who are still minors. Avoid tossing your cigarette out of the window and littering the streets. Suspicious parents may ask to smell your fingers, so make sure you wash off as much of the smell as possible. Wherever you are, head to a sink to scrub off your hands with warm water and scented hand soap. Splash your face, mouth, and nose, too, if you can’t stop for a shower.  If you’re out and about, try stopping by a gas station bathroom or another public restroom on your way home. Use cigarette holders or grip your cigarette with a folded-up piece of paper towel to reduce the contact your hand makes with the cigarette. As soon as you can, brush your teeth with toothpaste to freshen up your teeth and tongue. If you’re on the go, chew on a piece of minty sugar-free gum or eat a breath mint to reduce the signs of smoke.  Eating peppermint candies can also help, but do this in moderation so you don’t get cavities. Bring a portable toothbrush and a travel-sized toothpaste with you so you can brush your teeth at any sink while you’re out. Remember that even if you take great care of your teeth, smoking will still do irreversible damage to your oral health. Smoke odors can linger on your clothes, hair, and skin for hours, and it’s nearly impossible to smoke without smelling. If you can, take a shower as soon as possible after smoking, before you get home, to rinse off the odors. Lather up your hair with shampoo and use a scented body wash to get rid of any smoke particles and odors. Don’t forget to change your clothes, too, so you smell totally fresh and free of smoke.  After you smoke, try hitting the gym and shower in the locker room before heading home. If possible, get home before your parents do and take a quick shower to cover up your odors. If you shower at an odd time of day, or show up from a friend’s house with wet hair and a different outfit, your parents will probably get suspicious. Choose fragrances with musky, woody aromas that complement the smoke odors rather than sweet and floral scents. Opt for scents with bright top notes, too, such as citrus or peppermint, to draw the attention away from the smoke odors. Spray a small amount to your collarbone or chest and your inner wrists, but avoid using too much fragrance.  If you spray too much, your parents will get suspicious that you’re trying to hide something. Consider peeling and snacking on an orange after you smoke. Oranges give off a strong citrus smell that will cling to your hands and breath. Even if just a few of your belongings smell faintly of smoke, your parents will notice the tell-tale smell when they enter your room. Get into the habit of burning incense or scented candles when you’re at home in your room. Not only can incense provide a strong aroma, but it also gives off a smokey burning smell. As an alternative, spray your room with a deodorizing product to minimize the smoke smells.  Never leave candles or incense burning unattended, as they can quickly cause fires. Don’t spray a deodorizer while you have candles or incense lit since the sprays are highly flammable.
A:
Cover up your hair while you smoke. Keep a separate set of clothes for smoking in. Exhale smoke through a sploof. Air out your car if you smoke inside it. Wash your hands to get rid of the smell after smoking. Freshen up your breath with toothpaste, mouthwash, gum, or mints. Shower after smoking to wash off the smell. Spritz yourself with a fragrance to distract from the lingering smoke. Light incense or use a deodorizing spray to freshen up your room.