Wow! What a concept!
Is it possible in this day and age where we are constantly bombarded with a cacophony of predictions of doom and gloom?
The constant negative predictions affect our health and how we think!
Without burying our head in the sand or reducing to Pollyanna naïveté, there is science showing benefit in seeing optimism over negativism, not to mention plain “ole common sense”. If we focus on negative thoughts more that positive though, well….there is clear evidence that the actions, attitudes and thoughts all play a role in brain health.
While there is no shortage to the fear based news of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and the APOE gene, we must remember that God created the body for an automatic setting, which is to: HEAL!
A happy brain is a healthy brain!
Let’s help our brain towards it’s “normal” setting, shall we?
Sleep
It is estimated over 86 million people are sleep-deprived!
When we lack sleep, we deprive our body the ability to detoxify (both thoughts and the body), cause a number of day-time issues: chronic fatigue, headaches, moodiness, poor memory, and digestive issues.
Adults need an average of 8 hours sleep per night, children significantly more.
I wrote a blog about the importance of sleep (3/6/2023) and recommendations.
Focus on one task at a time!
Multi-tasking…is a LIE!
We have been sold a bill of goods when it come to the myth of multi-tasking! Less than 2.6% of the population can multi-task! (If you are in that percentage, still consider the ways health to improve the health of your brain!)
Research conducted by Stanford University suggests multitasking reduces your efficiency because your brain can only do one thing well at a time. The study authors said: "People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time." (a)
Exercise
“You’ve got to move it, move it, move it!”
Exercise can help you stay fit in your brain too! It can slow the onset & progression of dementia & Alzheimer’s, increase cognitive function, increase mood & energy, helps retain memory, increase blood flow to the brain, and lowers levels of stress hormones.
Depending on your fitness level, a 15 minutes HIIT (high intensity interval training) or 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3 times per week with bring brain-boosting effects!
Journal
Yup! Old fashioned pen & paper is what I’m talking about here.
NOT on a tablet, pone, or computer!!!!!
The blue light from our electronic devices is so detrimental to brain health! (I will cover this topic in another blog).
When we write by hand, we better internalize and retain information!
"[Even when laptops are used solely to take notes, they may still be impairing learning because their use results in shallower processing. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand.
We show … laptop note takers' tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim, rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words, is detrimental to learning." (b)
Mental Stimulation
Learning to play an instrument, a new language, playing board games, crossword puzzles, or taking a class all activate brain cells to grow!
Watching TV is associated with mental decline. (c)
Meditation, Prayer
Both help to regulate emotions and improve well-being. Science is showing that prayer & meditation increase the activity of the frontal lobes which is the part of the brain that helps focus attention!
Optimistim
The OFC (orbitaofrontal cortex) section (in the prefrontal cortex) of your brain grows with optimism!
Who knew Pollyanna was right? (d)
The last 2 suggestions are
Eating a Healthy Diet & Removing Toxins
These two topics and much more are covered in detail in the Krager Wellness Whole Health Digestive Program. It provides a proven plan to not only help with a “Happy Brain” but much more!
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