As life expectancy grows, the average person is now at greater risk of encountering brain health issues or cognitive decline. No matter what age you’re at now, it is time to invest in healthy habits that reduce the threat.
Here are 10 of the best that will protect brain health and generally aid your quality of life.
1. Sleep Better
A good night’s sleep is vital for many aspects of your health, not least the brain. It is a time for regeneration to take place so that the brain can function properly. A lack of sleep can cause malfunctioning neurons. Therefore, adopting a better evening routine and getting 7-9 hours per night is crucial. Tackling your partner’s snoring is another step that can make a huge difference to your quality of sleep and future health.
2. Keep Your Brain Active
Keeping the mind engaged with problem-solving and critical thinking is essential. As well as tackling challenges at work, playing games like Mahjong has an immensely positive influence. It also helps develop your memory and pattern recognition skills. Other games like Sudoku can have a similar impact. Alternatively, taking the time to research your family tree or learn more about a topic you love can work wonders.
3. Maintain Good Eye Health
The link between the eyes and the brain is known to be a potential source of blindness. However, many people do not realise that the eyes often give insights into the risk of Alzheimer’s and related illnesses. Therefore, regular eye tests followed by wearing glasses or embracing other advice is a key responsibility. Aside from reducing the risks in later life, it will improve your quality of life starting from today.
4. Protect Yourself From Trauma
Research into heading footballs and dementia shows the dangers of repetitive minor head trauma. Similarly, many combat fighters have suffered with their brain health as a result of physical damage to the head. So, when you encounter any activity where trauma could occur (not just sports-based), you must be protected. Helmets for cycling are a great example. Meanwhile, if an activity could cause a blow to the brain, avoid it.
5. Maintain A Healthy Weight
Obesity has been shown to harm brain volume, executive function skills, and cognitive development. Moreover, the associated high blood pressure can starve the brain of oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, actively changing your diet and lifestyle to reach a healthy weight range and BMI is vital. It may take months to achieve the desired results, but you will notice benefits throughout the journey.
6. Stay Active
In addition to aiding in the pursuit of a healthy weight, regular exercise is great for the brain. It actively supports your memory and critical thinking skills. Moreover, it helps ensure that oxygen is delivered to the brain. When combined with the influence it has in reducing anxiety and depression, there is no doubt that you need to exercise. Whether it’s hitting the gym or playing sports, the key is to find something you love.
7. Quit Bad Habits
Too much alcohol consumption doesn’t only have short-term effects on the brain. It also reduces the size of neurons to cause long-term issues. Meanwhile, smoking is shown to cause cognitive decline. Therefore, a conscious effort to quit smoking and reduce your alcohol intake can be very effective. You will notice the health benefits very shortly. Perhaps the biggest reward, though, is the reduced threat of brain diseases.
8. Protect Your Emotional Health
Poor emotional health and mental wellness cause cognitive decline. Therefore, it’s imperative that you adopt a lifestyle that limits anxiety, depression, and exhaustion. Likewise, you must address your social circle and financial health as these can impact your brain. While you might not notice the change in your mindset or wellness, the level of decline over the years will be huge.
9. Spend Time Outside
Spending time outside is great for your health for many reasons. Crucially, it means getting more oxygen to the brain. Moreover, you will avoid many of the negative issues that stem from spending too long in front of the TV or computer. Gardening is a particularly good option as plants take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Taking care of plants, plotting walks, and generally keeping the mind engaged is also hugely beneficial.
10. Address Health Problems
Finally, your brain is linked to every part of the body. So, all health conditions have the potential to seriously damage your future brain health. Therefore, visiting the doctor and getting the right treatments is vital. Whether it’s diabetes, heart disease, or any related issue, it doesn’t matter. Keeping your physical health in a better place can only support your brain. Physically and mentally.