14 Common Habits That Are Damaging Your Brain
The only organ that thinks for you regarding all your actions is your brain for whom you haven’t thought much. Brain is the most vital organ of a human body that controls all your body processes which means it needs ample attention too. In our daily routine, we people tend to stress a lot, sleep really less, eat unhealthy foods and the most importantly we even don’t care for acquiring unhealthy habits. All these factors can really cause serious damage to our brain. In our busy schedule we usually do or acquire many small things that affect our brain adversely. Hence taking care of your brain is very much important to take a good care of your health. Let’s stop these common habits that damage our brain.
1. Sleeping less
If you’re a workaholic and just don’t care how many hours you sleep a day you might be in a trouble someday. Not getting enough sleep or sleep deprivation can reduce the cognitive power of the brain. Lack of sleep can cause dementia, also Alzheimer’s disease. It not only damages your brain but also slows down your entire body process.
2. Using electronic devices before going bed
These days getting ourselves detached from our devices is kind of a very tough job. We can’t just survive without our phones, computers, laptops, tabs, iPads, iPods etc. Checking notifications, chats, pings, mails, tweets every now and then have made us device freaks and this is one of the common habits we all have acquired but the most crucial thing that we don’t know is these devices are very harmful for our brain. Staring at the devices’ screen can damage brain’s grey matter that controls muscle contraction and sensory perception.
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3. Working when you’re sick
So you think you can still work while you’re total sick to avoid post-sick work stress, well let me tell you are totally killing yourself. You must believe what your doctor says, because resting when you’re sick is definitely a good idea. Working while you’re on a sick leave can be dangerous for your brain. Too much stressing your brain when you’re not well can reduce your brain’s efficiency leading to long term brain damage.
4. Skipping breakfast
Usually workaholics are very punctual and skip breakfast to be on time and if you’re unlucky enough you can get a workaholic boss too to rush everyday for your office skipping your hearty breakfast. But between all these, we forget that skipping breakfast is never good neither for your body systems nor your brain. After a long hour sleep morning meal is the most important meal to absorb all essential nutrients to kick start your body process especially your brain. Skipping breakfast causes low blood sugar leading to serious health issues including brain damage.
5. Losing temper
Anger or losing temper can be real bad for your brain. Well, losing temper is very common habit these days due to our over stressed lifestyle. Anger can damage brain cognitive power shutting down the analysing ability causing severe brain injuries, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Staying away from sun
People who stay indoors most of the time that even in a dark environment with dim light or minimum light can also experience brain damage. Getting exposed to sun a little bit can be very helpful not only for your bones but also for your brain. Vitamin D impairs congnitive function of the brain and slows down the information processing speed of the brain damaging the CNS.
7. Loving solitude
Well, we all can admit that stressful lives make us bound to love some “me time” to just enjoy the solitude, the silence and peace within. But spending too much of time in solitude or being lonely for a prolonged time period can deteriorate your brain and reduce your brain efficiency.
8. Eating junk foods
According to the scientists and researchers, people who eat more hamburgers, french-fries, potato chips, pasta, soft drinks have smaller part of the brain linked to memory and learning as compared to those who don’t eat junk foods. These foods not only damage your brain but also help you gain some bad weight. So grab some veggies instead of that bag of chips.
9. Intake of more sugar
Consuming too much of sugar in your diet can hinder the process of nutrients and protein absorption in your body leading to malnutrition. Malnourished body interrupt the development of the brain.
10. Smoking and drinking
A very common bad habit that is easily found in almost all people is smoking and drinking. Smoking not only causes cancer but also shrinks and damages your brain causing dementia as well as Alzheimer’s disease. Alcohol intake primarily damages the nervous system killing the neurons reducing the speed with which the nerve impulses are transmitted to and from the brian.
11. Listening high volume music
Listening to high volume music can damage your hearing causing brain damage. High volume music causes loss of brain tissues affecting the brain’s memory power adversely causing short term memory loss.
12. Being a couch potato
People with sedentary lifestyle with no workout and exercise can get serious brain damage to. Being a couch potato can give you dementia as well as weaker learning skills. Sitting on your couch idly all day with no work in front of your TV can affect your concentrating power negatively.
13. Covering your head while sleeping
Usually people tend to cover their face and head while they sleep as it feels good and restful for getting a deep intense sleep. But this habit can take a toll on your health. Sleeping your head covered can increase the amount of carbon dioxide inside your blanket increasing the amount of carbon dioxide intake. Brain needs enough oxygen to function properly but more carbon dioxide for a prolong period can damage brain cells and tissues.
14. Zero exercise of your brain
Brain is like a muscle that needs exercise to stay healthy. No exercise, your brain shrinks. No, if you think working all day at your office is brain exercise that’s totally harsh. Your brain wears and tears due to over working and work stress. It needs relaxing workouts such as puzzles, brain teasers, reading books, thinking something deep, helpful and intense can help your brain to stay healthy.
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Priyadarshini Muduli
A full time passionate writer with imperishable determination to bring healthy, smart and pragmatic changes individually and socially. Concentrate especially on lifestyle, life and personal improvement, relationships, mental health and behavior, viral issues and literature based subjects.