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"Stop These 4 Daily Habits Before They Steal Your Brainpower"

Scientifically proven daily habits that wreck your brain health

By Shayan AliPublished 5 months ago 4 min read
Image by Polina on pexels

Your lifestyle is the key to better health and overall well-being. It is the single most important factor that can help you gain a longer healthspan.

It can ensure a better old age by reducing your risk of neurodegenerative diseases that plague the world.

You have a fair shot at better brain health, yet you get trapped in the lore of these poor habits that end up wrecking your brain health in the long run.

These bad habits get veiled by a fast lifestyle that you cling to, but no matter the reason, they end up hurting your brain health, which wrecks your healthspan in the long run.

So, be more mindful and eradicate these stupid habits from your lifestyle before it's too late.

You scroll through the wrong content

One lifestyle habit that ends up eating up a big chunk of your day is scrolling through a sea of short videos.

No matter which social media app you open to pass the time, you will find yourself hypnotized by the short-form videos that have absorbed social media.

There's no running away from these time-consuming monsters, as you will end up stumbling on this bite-sized content anyway.

They are easy to digest, fun, and addictive. Hours fly by before you realize you have been staring and scrolling on your phone, and what's worse, you don't have anything to show for it.

You learn nothing from one-minute videos, as they barely scratch the surface of a topic, but they are made in a way that fools you into believing you are learning new things.

Short video addiction is real, and it can hamper your brain health, alter your brain activity and negatively impact decision-making, and lead to impulsive behaviour.

It can make you more dependent on short-term gratification, which can have adverse long-term consequences.

Instead:-

Use social media for connectivity and networking.

Learn new things from long-term content.

Stop watching reels and switch to content with real people.

You miss out on the most brain-boosting exercise

Exercise is the best thing you can do for your brain health. It improves your cognitive function and neuroplasticity, which decreases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

But you miss out on the best exercise that's proven to boost cognitive health on purpose because it's teh most difficult day of training.

Leg days are hated by fitness freaks all over the world, but training these big muscle groups is paramount for cognitive health.

People who are unable to perform heavy load-bearing exercises lose muscle mass over time, which has been linked to fewer new nerve cell production.

Moreover, squatting alone can help you prevent the cognitive decline caused by sedentary behaviour. It only takes one minute of half squats after 20 minutes of sitting to boost focus and reduce cognitive decline.

Show up on those dreaded leg days and do your reps, no matter how much you want to skip them.

But missing leg day has become the norm; it's so common that you will find a plethora of memes on it.

Instead:-

Make it a habit of doing 50 squats and lunges every morning.

Simplify your leg days by decreasing intensity rather than quitting them.

Take short walking breaks during work.

Long sleep is not enough to protect your brain

Most good brain health habits require hard work, but this habit is both simple and easy, so you can add it to your routine without a fuss.

Sleep is teh easiest thing you can do every night to boost brain health without any effort, as all you need to do is get in bed and turn off your brain.

However, sleep is a little more complicated, as it's more difficult to get good quality sleep every night.

You could be doing everything right, but still getting irregular sleep, which leads to a dip in mood the next morning.

Moreover, disturbed sleep is worse for your health as it has been linked to 172 diseases, including major neurodegenerative diseases.

Irregular sleep can increase the risk of parkinson by 37% and it can lead to various mental health issues, including depression.

Yet we waste the precious night away consuming content till late, which ensures the disruptive and poor sleep quality throughout the night.

Instead:-

Put yourself to sleep the old-fashioned way by reading a good book.

Stop using screens at least an hour before bedtime.

Develop an evening routine that helps you sleep on time.

Your sugar-free lifestyle harms your brain even more

Addictions can wreck your life and health in a short span; they're the biggest challenge when it comes to good brain health.

But there is one secret addiction that hides in plain sight, which is seldom ignored as it's not considered as deadly as smoking or alcohol.

Yet it's the most prevalent addiction that we have been indulging in since we were kids.

Sugar is the addictive substance that's been declared the biggest health enemy, as it's associated with a plethora of diseases.

The awareness around it in the past few decades has led to the development of sugar-free substitutes that have replaced sugar.

But the sugar-free substitutes like Erythritol can cause brain cell damage and increase the risk of stroke.

These sugar-free substances have been pumped into our food for decades, so we have now become completely dependent on them.

The food industry has done a splendid job by replacing one addiction with another.

Instead:-

Switch to better and more natural alternatives like date sugar.

Do due diligence before introducing any sugar substitutes into your diet.

Conclusion

These everyday habits take a toll on your cognitive health slowly but surely.

These habits are easily reversible, yet we fall into the trap of comfort, which stops us from changing them.

But you can make small efforts to lead a better lifestyle that can help you boost brain health in the long run.

Maintain a better evening routine to boost sleep quality.

Consume information in long-form content only.

Switch to natural sugar substances for better brain health.

Do not skip leg day, as it can be your gateway to better brain health.

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About the Creator

Shayan Ali

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