Reducing Stress Makes Your Brain Healthy
Would you like to improve your focus, increase your memory and be more at peace with your emotions?
Then you might want to give your brain what it needs and reduce stress. Chronic stress is associated with a shrinking of your brain cells and neuronal networks. It reduces your brain functions in the frontal lobe (responsible for planning and self-control) and hippocampus (responsible for memory).
According to the neurobiologist Niki Korteweg, here are the 4 most efficient scientific ways to reduce stress and improve your brain well-being:
- Be active: it is by far the most beneficial thing you can do for your brain. When you exercise, not only you flow your whole body with oxygen, nurturing your cells and washing away toxins, but your brain release growth factor which actually strengthens neuron connections and can create new brain cells. A fast-paced walk for 45 min 3 times a week seems to already be beneficial.
- Sleep well: sleep loss is a chronic brain stressor associated with impaired cognitive function. When you sleep, your brain reorganise itself, strengthening good connections and suppressing bad ones. Sleep at least 8 hours per night.
- Eat smart: a direct connection between food and neurology is hard to establish, but it has been for example shown that people eating a Mediterranean diet (lots of vegetables and healthy fats) have a healthier brain for a longer time. This is because the nutrients it contains are essential for the brain.
- Meditate: daily meditation has been shown to have a wide range of benefits, including stress reduction, improved emotional well-being and enhanced cognitive functions. Meditate daily.
With this four activities, you can counteract the devastating effects of chronic stress on your brain.
Source: TEDx Talks (Director). (2020). How to protect your brain from stress | Niki Korteweg | TEDxAmsterdamWomen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz9eAaXRzGg
References:
- Cerebral cortex | Description, Anatomy, Function, & Disease | Britannica. (2023, May 1). https://www.britannica.com/science/cerebral-cortex
- Hippocampus | Definition, Location, Function, & Facts | Britannica. (2023, May 26). https://www.britannica.com/science/hippocampus