Overcoming 5 Unsafe Behaviours for Cognitive Decline and Impairment

These risky habits can adversely affect the biochemistry and structure of the brain and cause cognitive, mental, and neurological issues in the long run.

The brain, being the master organ, controls many aspects of our lives, including our thoughts, emotions, movements, daily actions, and behaviors. Thus, it is crucial to understand harmful habits that may damage the chemistry and structure of the brain, leading to cognitive decline and impairment.

In this story, I will introduce several habits, presenting them under five short sections in simple language without delving into scientific or technical details to create awareness. All these points are backed by scientific research.

As a postdoctoral researcher, I have spent decades reading scientific papers, clinical studies, reviews, and meta-analyses to understand and address these habits adversely affecting our cognitive system for myself, my clients, my loved ones, friends, colleagues, and community members for many years.

Being aware of the consequences of these habits, we can empower ourselves to make healthier lifestyle choices for our cognitive function, neurological health, and mental well-being.

In the upcoming sections, I will touch on the mechanisms, impact, and implications of these habits at a high level and provide practical strategies to safeguard our brain’s vitality and preserve our cognitive acuity.

Since the topic is comprehensive and I have written numerous articles about them, those interested in detail might check the linked stories. I compiled my cognitive health and brain-related stories in a list for easy access.

1 — Cognitive Distortions and Social Isolation

When we constantly think negatively about ourselves and feel lonely (socially isolated), it can lead to chronic stress. Excessive stress response can activate the HBA axis, the brain-gut axis, and the adrenal glands and release more cortisol, adrenalin, and noradrenaline.

In addition, cognitive distortions (negative thought patterns) can also overactivate the amygdala and the limbic system and cause anxiety. So, overactivation of the brain regions and the nervous system can damage the brain cells over time.

Those feeling lonely and persistently negative about themselves may face higher risks of cognitive and emotional challenges. Thus, social isolation and a negative self-view may cause cognitive decline and mental health issues and increase the likelihood of mood disorders like depression.

To safeguard mental health and cognitive function, maintaining social connections and fostering a positive self-image is crucial.

Recognizing the impact of social isolation and negative self-perception highlights the importance of staying connected and cultivating a positive self-image with realistic optimism.

Social connections can significantly improve cognitive function and mental health. Meditation can calm the brain and nervous system and positively change the structure and biochemistry, including hormones and neurotransmitters.

2 — Excessive Toxic Substances

The most common culprits are cigarette smoking, too much alcohol, and recreational drugs. These substances can harm our brain cells and their connections.

People who indulge in these habits over the long term are notably more at risk of cognitive decline, impairment, and neurodegenerative disorders of Alzheimer’s.

Substantial research supports the idea that smoking, drug use, and excessive alcohol can seriously impact the brain, mainly because of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

Smoking pumps harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide into our brain cells, disrupting the structure and function of neurons and connective tissues through oxidative stress and inflammation. This damage can lead to memory loss and a higher risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and other dementia types.

Heavy and prolonged smoking may lead to cognitive decline and increase the chances of neurological disorders. I provided practical tips to quit smoking permanently.

Too much alcohol messes with how neurotransmitters in the brain communicate, affecting cognitive functions. It can also lead to vitamin B deficiencies, resulting in Korsokoff syndrome.

It can shrink our brain volume, disrupt neuron formation, and damage brain cells, causing cognitive decline and raising the risk of mental health issues like addiction, depression, and anxiety.

Long-term drug use harms the structure of our brain and hinders the formation of new neurons, contributing to cognitive decline. Recreational drugs can also mess with the brain’s reward system, making us more prone to addiction and increasing the risk of inflammation and oxidative stress.

This, in turn, makes us more susceptible to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Therefore, we must refrain from these habits and use natural detox to activate the self-healing abilities of the body and mind.

3: Excess Junk Food and Too Much Sugar

A diet consistently high in junk and sugary foods and drinks might lead to problems in our thinking and put us at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. So, understanding how sugar and overeating affect our brains encourages us to make intelligent choices about what we eat.

Too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, all of which can harm precious neurons and connective tissues. Therefore, we must focus on nutritional biochemistry to prevent undesirable impacts on the brain and cognitive system.

When we consume too many sugary and junky foods, it can mess with our cognitive system, reduce neuroplasticity, and increase the risk of health problems like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. These issues can negatively affect our brains and how we think, learn, and make decisions.

In the long run, these not-so-great eating habits might play a role in cognitive decline and neurological disorders. Many studies have found connections between overeating sugar, insulin resistance, and declining thinking abilities, even coining a new term in science: type III diabetes.

4 — Sedentary Life and Sleep Deprivation

Our lifestyle choices, specifically a sedentary life and insufficient sleep, can adversely affect the brain's biochemistry and cognitive system.

First up, a sedentary lifestyle — not moving around enough and skipping exercise. This can decrease blood flow to the brain, impacting the creation of new brain cells and the brain’s ability to adapt and learn. I provided practical steps to optimize cerebral blood flow.

Being sedentary may lead to reduced cognitive function, memory issues, a heightened risk of depression, and neurocognitive disorders like dementia.

Therefore, it’s vital to maintain an active lifestyle for both brain health and cognitive performance. So, keeping active is vital for both brain health and cognitive performance.

Exercise can stimulate the release of a molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), promoting the growth of neurons and strengthening connections in the brain. Therefore, we must find ways to leave our comfort zones and work in stretch or risk zones.

If you have a job that keeps you sitting for long periods, you might notice cognitive decline over time. Recognizing the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on our brains tells us that regular movement and physical exercise are crucial. The Brain Needs 4 Types of Workouts.

Now, onto sleep — not getting enough of it can mess with the connections between our brain cells, affecting our ability to remember things and stay focused. Chronic insomnia or inadequate sleep can lead to reduced cognitive performance.

Consistently not getting enough sleep can cause cognitive deficits, mood disturbances, and increase the risk of disorders like dementia. I have struggled with sleep issues myself, but I found ways to improve my sleep, and it sharpened my brain and mind.

During deep sleep, our brain’s glymphatic system works to flush out toxins, which is essential for overall brain health.

So, understanding the importance of getting enough rest and quality sleep highlights the need to prioritize our downtime. The Brain Needs 3 Types of Rest, which are essential for adenosine balance

5 — Too Much Time on Digital Screens, Information Overload, and Multitasking

Spending too much time on screens, especially those emitting blue light, can mess with our internal body clock (circadian rhythms) and interfere with the melatonin balance hormone that helps us sleep.

Excessive screen time, especially before bed, can lead to sleep problems, a shorter attention span, and issues like digital eye strain. Ongoing research suggests that screens in the evening can mess up our sleep and make us less alert during the day.

Prolonged screen exposure, particularly before bedtime, can interfere with sleep patterns and cognitive function due to disrupting circadian rhythms. It can also increase deltafosb, wreck the dopamine system, and lead to addictions.

Recognizing the downsides of too much digital screen time encourages us to balance our digital activities. Managing smartphones and avoiding social media addiction is crucial to maintaining mental health and productivity. They can cause The Zeigarnik Effect.

Now, onto information overload and multitasking. Being bombarded with too much information and constantly multitasking can overwhelm our brain cells and connections.

This cognitive overload can lead to mental fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome. It can reduce cognitive performance, making it harder to make good choices and decisions and causing oxidative stress, leading to chronic inflammation.

Cognitive theories about attention, working memory, and task-switching explain how too much information and multitasking can adversely affect our brains and cognitive systems.

Therefore, I stopped multitasking years ago. Single-tasking in a flow state made me more efficient and healthier, improving my working memory, RAS, procedural memory, and attention. This has made me more efficient and healthier, improving my cognitive functions.

Recognizing the adverse impacts of information overload and excessive multitasking causing cognitive overload on the brain emphasizes balancing and managing tasks effectively to reduce stress and anxiety. I am also careful with toxic noise, which can adversely impact the cognitive and emotional systems.

Conclusions

To sum it up, it’s crucial to recognize the profound influence our daily habits wield over the well-being of our brains and cognitive function.

The risky habits I covered in this story can impact our neurons, other brain cells, and connective tissues through various channels, ultimately affecting our cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions.

Understanding these mechanisms, their impacts, and their implications can be a powerful tool and mental framework, allowing us to make informed choices that safeguard and elevate our brain health and cognitive performance.

By having healthier habits and steering clear of detrimental ones, we gain optimal cognitive, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Changing habits is not an overnight process. It often takes about 90 days, as per my experience, to break free from old habits and adopt new, healthier ones. Therefore, patience is key.

Each positive habit we get for the brain contributes to enhancing our cognitive reserves and mitigating the adverse effects of age-related cognitive decline. So, let’s be patient, persistent, and proactive in nurturing habits that contribute to a healthier brain and a more vibrant mind.

We need to focus on both the intellectual and emotional parts of the brain. I documented my experiences in two different stories.

Here’s How I Train My Brain Daily for Mental Clarity and Intellectual Productivity.

Here’s How I Optimized My Emotional Brain for Mental Clarity and Physical Vitality

I have improved my cognitive health through healthy lifestyle choices — eating a balanced diet from whole foods, time-restricted eating, regular movement, restorative sleep, downtime, long-term fasting, thermogenesis, meditation, neurobics, and other cognitive stimulation activities.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. Some topics I cover are brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, and humor.

I contribute to multiple publications but keep my health and wellness stories on EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.

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