Are your daily habits ruining your brain?
It’s a strange question, but it needs to be asked. The things you do every day could help OR hurt your brain. Smart choices can increase your brain’s ability to learn & remember, but bad choices can speed up cognitive decline.
Let’s look at a few habits that hurt your brain, along with some solutions to help keep your brain healthy.
1. The SAME Daily Routine
It may sound odd, but following the same routine every day can be bad for your brain. Routines follow a specific pattern: a cue triggers a behavior. Over time, your brain needs less effort to follow this loop. The brain becomes efficient but less able to adapt. A brain that isn’t challenged stops making new connections. This means less learning & less flexibility.
Try new activities and change up your routine. Learn new skills, take different routes on your walks, or try new hobbies to keep your brain active.
2. Sedentary Lifestyle
Sedentary means sitting a lot or not very physically active. Spending too much time sitting or lying down can raise your chances of developing long-term health issues that have side effects like poor blood sugar control. Poor blood sugar can damage nerves, blood vessels, and brain cells. This decreases cognitive function and triggers memory problems.
Stay active with regular exercise. Try walking, swimming, or yoga to improve blood flow and keep your brain healthy.
3. Unrestricted Screen Time
Everyone loves funny animal videos, but too much screen time hurts cognitive function. People who spend a lot of time scrolling through social media struggle to pay attention. They have poorer impulse control and decreased executive function. Now this doesn’t mean you can’t watch shows and such (but see 2, above).
Limit screen time and take frequent breaks. Engage in other activities like reading or doing puzzles to stimulate your mind.
4. Excessive Sugar Intake
Sugar is bad for your brain. In small amounts, it’s good energy. But more often than not, our diets have too much sugar. Excess sugar damages blood vessels, nerves, and brain cells. This leads to memory problems and cognitive deficiencies. Too much sugar can shrink your brain, especially the parts related to higher function.
Try to eat a balanced diet with more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose natural sweeteners like honey or fruits to reduce sugar intake.
5. Insufficient or Poor Sleep
By not getting enough rest, you are harming your brain and lowering its ability to function properly. Research shows that lack of sleep messes with your ability to store and recall memories. When you don’t sleep enough, your brain can’t produce the proteins it needs to stay flexible and build long-lasting memories.
To combat this, aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Establish a bedtime routine and create a sleep-friendly environment to ensure restful sleep.
These are just some examples of daily habits that might be ruining your brain. The good news is you can change many of these habits starting today. Replace them with healthy habits to improve brain function!
