Your brain is undoubtedly the most important part of your body, considering it’s the centre of all thought processes. It maintains full control over everything we do and every part of our body consults it before anything is done. The brain is the command centre for the entire nervous system. It allows us to store memories and helps us coordinate our actions and reactions. However, despite being aware of all these facts, we’re usually not particularly good at taking care of our brain. Here are some brain damaging habits that we should avoid to help with the latter.
1. Skipping Breakfast
All of us know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but not everyone pays attention to it. After several hours of not eating due to being asleep, we need to restock our bodies with a much needed dose of nutrients. Not eating anything in the morning can weaken your brain cells. Drowsiness and laziness are usual side effects of not having a healthy, heavy breakfast.
2. Overeating
Eating too much is something all of us are guilty of. However, one thing we aren’t aware of is that, apart from making you gain excessive weight, this habit is also concerning because it hardens your arteries which can be seriously damaging for your brain.
3. Too Much Sugar
High sugar consumption makes it harder for your body to absorb proteins and other much needed nutrients. This makes sure that your body isn’t receiving the amount of food it requires to function properly. Thus, people who believe that they eat too much because of their high sugar intake, may be starving themselves in reality.
4. Smoking
All of us, smokers included, are well aware of how damaging this habit is. It kills our brain cells and makes our memory shorter and weaker. It can also be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
5. Air Pollution
It may not exactly be a habit but that doesn’t make it any less hurtful towards the human brain. Our brains need a huge amount of oxygen to function properly and air pollution keeps it from receiving the required amount. This keeps the brain from working to its full capacity.
6. Talking Rarely
Engaging in intellectual conversations allows your brain to stretch and grow. It gives it more information and makes it open to new ideas. Not talking much or lacking in stimulating thoughts eventually makes your brain accustomed to not thinking much. This, at times, can cause your brain to actually shrink!
7. Sleeping with Your Head Covered
Our brain not only requires oxygen when we’re awake, but also while our bodies are asleep. Sleeping with something blocking your way of getting oxygen (perhaps a pillow or a blanket) can be extremely dangerous for us. It also increases the amount of carbon dioxide we inhale which is additionally concerning.
8. Working During an Illness
When we aren’t feeling well, it is usually because we have worked ourselves into exhaustion. It is our body’s way of telling us to slow down. Continuing to work in such a condition can be seriously damaging because we need rest to recharge ourselves before we can continue with our hectic daily lives. It is vital to get proper amounts of rest to remain healthy and active.
Our brain is the hardest working part of our body, one that never sleeps or so much as takes a break. Thus, it is our duty to make sure we go out of the way to take special care of our brains and not let it work itself ragged.