13 Jun Brain Health: Does Your Daily Routine Damage Your Brain?
Lifestyle habits are crucial to the overall health and wellness of a person. It can determine your health status and the risks you might face.
Your daily routines and lifestyle habits also affect your brain health. Brain health is responsible for cognitive functions, sensory, social-emotional, and behavioral. Some conditions affect the brain and nervous system and can damage brain structures and impair brain functions.
The World Health Organization noted that 70% of the global burden of neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions comes from low-and-middle-income countries. Neurological conditions also account for more than nine million deaths per year.
Fortunately, you can avoid neurological conditions or early mental decline. Here are some practices you should remove from your routine:
- Lack of movement: a 2018 study found that too much sitting is linked to changes in a section of the brain essential for memory. Those who sat the longest had thinner medial temporal lobes.
- Isolation: lack of socializing or loneliness has a connection to depression and a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. A 2021 study found that less socially active people have higher chances of losing the brain’s gray matter, which is essential for processing information.
- Poor sleep quality: a 2018 study noted that people who slept fewer than seven hours per night find their cognitive skills declining.
- Stress: chronic stress has an impact on the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning, the prefrontal cortex. Stress management also benefits your brain health, not just your overall wellness.
SOURCES: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-worst-habits-for-your-brain