Brain is one of the primary organs of the human body. It is like the head office of the entire system. If it goes off, life goes off, if it is one then life is on. The efficiency of your brain impacts various things like decision making, emotional stability, perception and your impulses.
Keeping your brain healthy is extremely important for overall wellness in life. But we are constantly doing things that are damaging our brain. Due to lack of knowledge and poor choice of life style we are unknowingly damaging our own brain.
In this article I Sahil Kumar Nagpal, Author, Researcher and Life & Wellness Coach will reveal 7 daily habits that are damaging our brain.
1) Using Gadgets Before Sleep
Many studies and research have found that using electronic gadgets like smart phones, laptop, computers or television can seriously impact sleep pattern. The reason behind this is the blue rays coming out of the screens of electronic gadgets.
The rays releasing from the gadgets suppresses the melatonin (sleep hormone) release and there by negatively impacting circadian rhythm of our body. This in the long run impacts the brain performance.
Not only is this but the major problem with this habit not even noticed by researchers yet. The major problem with this habit is this that most of the people watch poor quality of content.
It is not like they are learning something. Most of the time people either access social media, watch some random video, watch a movie on OTT platform, etc. Now watching such content will release certain hormones within our body which are not conducive with sleep. Hormones such as adrenaline, testosterone, etc are causing stress within the body. Such body chemistry delays sleep timing and also negatively impacts the quality of sleep.
What Is The Healthy Option As Per A Life Coach?
Turn off all the electronic gadgets at the least 1 hour before you go to sleep. Read a book instead or spend time with your family.
2) Watching/Reading Too Much News
Have you ever felt this that after watching/reading some news you immediately start to feel a little negative? A study was done on 2 groups of people where in they were made to watch news for 15 min. One group did relaxation exercises and the other group didn’t.
Researchers found that in both the group the mental anxiety and total mood disturbance (TMD) were increased right after watching news. The mental anxiety & TMD were reduced to baseline after 15 min but only in the group that was doing relaxation exercise, not with the other group.
This study shows how toxic news watching can be. We all know news is very important. But if we watch or read it sympathetically then it can do a lot of brain damage by inducing fear, anxiety & stress. It can do further damage by reducing creativity, problem solving capability & courage to do necessary things.
How To Maintain Wellness Of The Mind?
Watch news but only for a certain period of time. Instead of reading or watching randomly, dedicate a time slot especially for news reading. Make sure you don’t watch the news that is not necessary for you. Read all the headlines and only read the articles that are important for you. Watch with empathy not with sympathy. Make sure you do some relaxation exercises (see this simple & wonderful relaxation exercise by Life Coach Sahil Kumar Nagpal) any time during the day.
3) Accessing Social Media/Television While Eating
A particular study have shown that teenagers who were allowed to eat while watching television or playing game ate more than their regular meals. Same results were found when research was done on smart phones.
Not only this habit affects the amount we eat but it also impacts how we eat. We tend to eat faster especially when we are watching something exciting. This hinders the digestion. Also the body chemistry that is produced while watching something dramatic is not conducive to digestion.
It is a well established fact that gut is in direct relation with brain. When you overload your gut, that impacts your brain’s performance as well. This habit seriously impacts brain gut relationship. In the long term it will impact the overall performance of the brain.
SOLUTION
Make a rule of not taking electronic gadgets to the place you eat. Make sure you don’t have any television near your dining table.
4) Non Stop Working/Not Taking Breaks
Our mind is designed to be in a balance of activity & rest. Rest is as important as activity. We can productively work for longer duration but only if we include small breaks within.
Many people have this tendency to constantly work without taking a single break. This may make you feel that you are working hard but in reality your performance & your creativity is getting hindered.
What to do to work longer & also staying sharp?
Keep taking short breaks. Depending upon your capacity work for 30 min, 45 min, 60 min or 90 min and after that take a 5-15 min break. Go for a mild walk or have some water or get some fresh air. This way you will be able to work longer without damaging your brain.
5) Not Learning New Things
Healing & growth are the nature of life. Every living thing around us is growing or healing. If we are not healing or growing then in a ways we are deteriorating.
Many of us stop learning something new as soon as we start earning. Our mind gets set to a particular lifestyle. Slowly we become rigid and attached to our lifestyle. This makes our brain function in a typical way.
Brain plasticity is quality of our brain and if we don’t stretch our brain by learning something new or trying something new then in a way we are damaging our brain.
How to address it?
Scientists say that learning new things or solving new puzzles keeps your brain sharp. You don’t necessarily learn something very difficult, a small game or puzzle is also great. Make sure to dedicate sometime daily to learn the new art.
6) Over Eating
It is one of 6 badhak tattvas in hatha yoga and is also considered as sin in many cultures. Why? Because it causes serious counterproductive problems.
It is a well known fact that overeating is cause for obesity, diabetes, heart related problems and blood pressure problems. But do you know that it impacts our brain’s performance right away?
When we over eat, most of the blood circulation is concentrated toward the gut area as that region is over loaded. This decreases our brain’s capacity. That is why we feel dull & lethargic when we overeat.
What to do to avoid overeating?
One of the best things you can do to avoid overeating is that you include more fruits and nuts in every meal. And eat them before anything else. Fruits make you feel full but are not heavy on the system. Nuts are hard and it takes more chewing efforts then any regular cooked food. This chewing process will signal your brain a little early that you are full and you will end up eating moderate food.
7) Not Taking Enough Sleep
Any person can only live without sleep maximum up to 1 week. It is one of the 3 major sanskars (impressions). A good sleep is essential for our overall wellbeing. Ask any life coach in India or else where he or she will tell how much it is important.
When you not take enough sleep your brain is weak and it is also overloaded. The working capacity of the brain is already low as it is not yet repaired properly. And so any regular activity causes too much load on the brain & nervous system. It is because of this reason that we feel our heartbeat elevated when we don’t take enough sleep.
What to do?
Simple, take enough sleep and make sure the quality of sleep is good.
CAUTION: Oversleeping also damages the brain. So sleep for moderate amount of time.
LET’S WRAP IT UP
Avoid these 7 Brain Damaging Habits right away:
- Using Gadgets Before Sleep
- Watching/Reading Too Much News
- Accessing Social Media While Eating
- Non Stop Working/Not Taking Enough Breaks
- Not Learning New Things
- Over Eating
- Not Taking Enough Sleep
Be sure to address them right away before things get worst. Make sure to share this article with those who need. Also give your feedback in comments below. What points you found useful? What were already known to you?
