Mental health is a complicated matter that is impacted by a wide variety of factors. Some, like genetics, you can’t change, but you can still improve your lifestyle. There are a few bad habits that, if you cut them out, may help keep your brain on track (https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/5-everyday-habits-that-are-hurting-your-brain-health/).
Smoking is one of the worst habits around for a bunch of different health reasons. We know it’s bad for the lungs, the heart, the blood vessels, and pretty much everything else. There’s also some evidence that it prevents blood from flowing properly to the brain and may even cause the brain to shrink. That puts you at increased risk of cognitive impairment, which can lead to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Another habit that may restrict blood flow and therefore potentially shrink your brain – although it’s a little more controversial when you try to assess its risks against its benefits – is excess caffeine consumption. You’ll find a lot of debate about whether coffee or tea are helpful or harmful, but there’s no doubt too much caffeine can disturb your sleep, and that has a knock-on effect on your brain health.
Becoming less and less controversial, despite some pushback from people heavily invested in sports, are the dangers of a ball to the head. We’re not just talking about high-contact games of football; we’re talking about the apparently innocuous bouncing of the ball off your head in soccer. There’s growing evidence that soccer players are at increased risk of neurodegenerative disease because of these small but repeated blows.
Any discussion of health is probably going to cover sugar at some point, although mostly in the context of obesity and diabetes. It can be very hard to stop eating sugary foods once you start. What you might not realize is that too much sugar can have an inflammatory role, in addition to interfering with your blood flow. None of this is good for the brain.
Then there’s another very modern problem: the ubiquitous screen. Constant scrolling through endless social media notifications can be overstimulating, messing up your dopamine levels and how your brain processes pleasurable activities. This can put you at increased risk of depression or anxiety.
You can’t control everything that impacts your mental wellness, but when it comes to brain health, sometimes even small things can make a difference.
