Whenever we discuss matters of the brain, it is almost always in a positive light. It’s always about “the top 10 foods to strengthen your brain,” “the 7 must-do’s to boost your memory,” or “the 4 best apps to boost your problem solving ability.” There are literally millions of facts and information on the internet on the things to do to promote a healthy brain and keep it functioning at its optimum – and we sure do love reading about that subject!
We are constantly looking for ways to make our brain work better – more effectively, more efficiently – but it seems like for the most part, information on the negative things that can affect our brain is not so widespread. A lot of the times, we are even borderline hypocritical as we may be actively trying to improve our memory and focus… while doing something completely counteractive for the brain like smoking.
Well, on that subject, we don’t necessarily have to keep doing more to keep our brains healthy and functioning at an optimum rate. Sometimes, the solution may not have to necessarily lie in doing more, or adding more things to our to-do list, but maybe just in correcting things that we are already currently doing that negatively affect the old noggin’. The following is a list of twelve things that will kill you brain cells and will cause you mental problems. Avoid doing them!
- Sniffing Paint. If you’ve ever sniffed a little paint back in your early years, you’d know that it can get you a little high for a very short while, but did you know that it can really severely inflict brain damage? In a study, it was shown that construction workers working around paint all their lives had impaired thinking abilities, and were significantly slower to react to stimuli. Not convinced yet? Sniffing enough fumes can also kill you.
- Being Constantly Stressed. Sure, from time to time, things can get a little out of hand – especially when you find that you have so much to do that you can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. We all have our ways to try to cope and reduce stress, but if you aren’t handling it all too well, seek help. Cortisol, produced by stress, kills brain cells, and also does a big number on the body.
- Getting a Concussion. While we don’t really have much control of when we do get concussions, we need to learn and avoid situations where we are more at risk of getting them. This includes high-impact sports and maybe even riding on a bicycle or motorcycle – if you can’t stop, at least wear a heavily padded helmet!
- Binging on Alcohol. Yes, you’ve probably heard this way too often. While there are health benefits to drinking alcohol, the consensus is still binge-drinking, or drinking to achieve an altered state of mind (probably the reason you drink in the first place) is very bad for your brain. Drink in moderation. What is moderation? 1 glass of wine or 1 small bottle of beer a day. This means you can only drink to the point before you even start feeling slightly tipsy.
