In this article we are going to talk about the How to Make Your Brain Healthy? The pandemic has provided us with a reason to live healthier lives. I believe that this might be the case with many people. However, that in itself is not an appropriate approach. This is because once the pandemic is over and once the looming threat of immediate death vanishes, people will resort back to their old ways. It will happen because the very reason why many people have started living a healthier lifestyle is because of the pandemic, and not because they genuinely wanted to be healthy. As soon as the pandemic is over, the reason behind people being healthy vanishes, and with it, so does their healthy lifestyle.
Old habits die hard, which is why they become a part of a person. As a result, after defeating Covid-19, many people might end up going back to cater to them. There will also be those who will want to live an unhealthy lifestyle just because the pandemic robbed them of the ability to do so as if they were wronged. Regardless, I urge that you start living in such a manner that improves your health, and the underlying reason for the change should not lie in your fear of the pandemic. Live a healthy life for the sake of living one, for it is a good goal to achieve.
How to Make Your Brain Healthy?
This article is specifically written for the sake of keeping our brain healthy, for our society more often than not ends up forgetting about our brain. The following are the 10 ways to keep your brain healthy –
1. Eat Well
What we human beings eat becomes our source of nutrition. However, all food cannot be considered healthy. Avoiding junk food will be beneficial to your health. Not only will eating a healthy and balanced diet keep your weight in check, but it will also provide the required nourishment for your brain to function properly. An inadequate diet leads to improper functioning of the brain, resulting in poorer decision-making, fatigue, etc. The food you eat also has an impact on your mood. The worse your diet the worse your mood swings will be. Negative emotions harm the brain. Work towards steering clear of them by avoiding junk food as much as you can and incorporating different types of food into your diet (like meat, green vegetables, fruits, etc.).
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2. Exercise
As the saying goes, a healthy body houses a healthy mind. It is important that you exercise regularly. In the beginning, it might seem forced, but if you stick to the routine then it will eventually become a habit. Exercise is good for your brain because it increases your heart rate, further increasing blood flow to the brain. Exercise also affects your mood. It can be a cathartic experience. You can purge yourself of negative emotions and feelings. This will help reduce mental stress, which has been known to kill off brain cells. Exercising will also make you feel tired, making it easier for you to sleep (in case of sleep problems).
3. Sleep Well
Sleeping is essential for the brain to function properly. Our brain is the most complex organ of our body. It works nonstop to make sure that everything in our body is in order (even while we are asleep). That is why it needs time to take care of itself as well. It does so while we sleep (removes toxins that build up while we are awake). Hence why we must get adequate amounts of sleep each night. My suggestion for you is to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. It will also help you be less cranky and improve your mood. It will benefit your brain but will also make the lives of those living around you easier. Nobody likes cranky people!
4. Listen to Music!
This comes as a boon to all music lovers that listening to music positively affects our brains. Recent studies have indicated that music helps our reasoning faculties and overall brain development. Just like exercising, music helps with catharsis. That is why Aristotle (an ancient Greek philosopher who lived 2000 years ago) defended the theme of tragedy in art. Due to tragedy and pity in art, catharsis is possible. That is also the reason why when you feel sad, you end up listening to melancholic music. It helps you confront those feelings and makes you feel better. Since ancient times, we as a society have enjoyed listening to music. Don’t let it stop, even more so now, considering the different benefits that have been and are being discovered.
5. Meditate
Given how hectic and fast-paced life has become, meditation is still unpopular. We barely get enough time for ourselves, and the time we can allocate is spent doing things that aren’t necessarily good for us. Many of us indulge in watching tv series or movies on Netflix or other platforms. Many a time we do so to either distract ourselves from prevailing things, issues, state of affairs, or it simply acts as a reward mechanism. We are all guilty of treating ourselves to watching a movie or an episode of a tv series after getting by a long day.
Nothing wrong with doing so but instead of making it a habit, you could replace such activity with meditation (from time to time). Studies suggest that meditation stops the brain from aging. More importantly, it also helps reduce stress, which is known to harm the brain. It has helped the mentally ill as well, lessening the strain on their brains. Start meditating and watch yourself live a more peaceful life!
6. Avoid Smoking
It is in your best interest to stop smoking. The more you smoke the more you increase your chances of getting dementia. Recent studies show that secondhand smoke causes dementia too. Not only are you putting yourself at risk but your family as well (if you smoke near them). And if not for your brain, then do it for your lungs at least. In general, smoking makes it more likely for you to get diseases, ones you wouldn’t have developed otherwise. So, get rid of this habit as soon as possible!
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7. Mental Activities
There is a mental aspect to the brain as well, and keeping our brain healthy isn’t restricted to the purely physical sense. We need to keep our brain sharp which is why I’d suggest doing activities that will help the brain remain perceptive and nimble. You could read books, solve puzzles (like sudoku) or learn to play an instrument. It depends on you and what you are comfortable with.
8. Drink Water
Our bodies are primarily composed of water. The same goes for our brain. Drinking adequate amounts of water every day is essential for the functioning of the brain. Apart from the role drinking water plays in the process of the brain regulating stress, dehydration also sometimes results in headaches. So, the next time you find yourself experiencing a headache, it could be because of dehydration!
9. Limiting Our Use of Technology
With the rise of social media in popularity and increased boredom, the use of devices like smartphones and laptops has increased as well. We use it as means to alleviate our monotony. Technology has its pros and cons, but too much of anything is bad. The same applies to technology. Some of the negative impacts are social isolation, addiction, and impairment of brain development. Social isolation is the need of the hour but we need to find different ways to do so. Digital detoxing from time to time should lessen the amount of time you spend on devices such as smartphones or tablets.
You should also be concerned about impaired brain development. This is especially alarming since the younger generation is obsessed with social media, and how most of the development of the brain occurs during the earlier stages of life. If you have younger siblings or kids glued to their devices, try your best to change that. But this applies to you too. Make sure you take care of yourself as well.
10. Social Interaction
Lastly, you must not take social isolation to the extreme. Do not lock yourselves up in a room just because of Covid-19. It is advisable to do so (if you have been tested positive) but that does not mean that you cannot interact with others. With the help of technology, you’re only a call away from talking to your girlfriend/boyfriend or friends. If you are living with your family then take the time to talk to them. Pull out a monopoly from the closet and play some family games. Take this time to bond with them. This interaction will not only reduce your stress and anxiety (stemming from the pandemic) but theirs as well. Studies suggest that social interaction helps decelerate memory decline. So, make sure that you aren’t always on your phone under the guise of social isolation and take the time to socialize with your friends and family.
Health is wealth, so please pay more attention to it, and in your attempts to do so, remember to take care of your brain as well. Often, how we treat our brain goes unchecked. As a result, we are faced with different types of issues and problems. I hope that if not all at least some of the ways will be adopted by you. Thank you and take care of yourself!