The extended state on the chair, the compulsive check of the phone in the morning and the lack of organization are just a few of the seemingly innocent habits that can lead to deterioration of cognitive functions and decrease productivity. According to studies, these daily behaviors can cause memory loss, cognitive decline and even serious neurological diseases.
“The good news is that it can be easy to change,” said Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, director of the research unit in genetics and aging at the General Massachusetts Hospital, Affiliate Harvard.
Here are the nine habits you should consider and try to change them.
1. The extended state on the chair
Adults spend, on average, over six hours a day, and this seemingly trivial habit directly influences the health of the brain. A study published in 2018, in Plos One magazine, revealed that the extended state is associated with changes in a brain area with a role in memory processing.
The researchers used MRI investigations to examine the medial temporal lobe (MTL), the brain region responsible for the formation of new memories, in people between the ages of 45 and 75.
After comparing the images obtained with the average number of hours per day when the participants were sitting, the study authors found that those who spent the most time on the chair had thinner MTL regions, a possible indicator of cognitive decline and dementia.
To prevent these effects, neurologist Rudolph Tanzi recommends setting a stopwatch to remind, every 15-30 minutes, get up from the chair and move.
There is no need for intense exercises, a short walk around the house, a few knee flexions or floats supported by the kitchen countertop can be enough to support brain health.
2. Lack of physical exercises
Regular physical activity increases the neurotrophic factor derived from the brain, a protein that improves memory and supports the formation of new synapses.
In the absence of movement, cerebral metabolism changes. The blood flow decreases in certain cortical regions, especially in the hippocampus, an area involved in memory formation.
As physical activity is less and lower, this area can be atrophy, which leads to measurable decreases in cognitive performance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, the equivalent of 21 minutes a day. Alert walking It is one of the most accessible forms of movement that meets these criteria.
The effort involved is relatively low, but the benefits are multiple and include: improving executive function, delaying brain aging and reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
3. Insufficient sleep
When the duration of sleep falls under seven hours per night, changes in the working memory, concentration capacity and speed with which the information is processed, according to a study published in 2018, in Sleep magazine.
Quality sleep is an active stage for the brain: during the night, the information learned during the day is organized, new connections are established between brain regions and the activity of the systems involved in attention, self -regulation and logical thinking is regulated.
Also during sleep there are metabolic cleaning processes, through which proteins such as beta-amyloid are eliminated, associated with Alzheimer's disease.
When sleep is frequently interrupted or too short, these mechanisms work slower or incomplete, gradually leading to cognitive damage.
“Forcing yourself to go to bed an hour earlier than usual. This will help reduce the tendency to stay up late at night and give the brain and body extra time to get enough sleep,” recommends neurologist Rudolph Tanzi.
4. Chaotic diet
Ultra-processive preparations, fries, high quality sugar and fat products can be attractive to taste, but increase inflammation in the body.
At the brain level, chronic inflammation is associated with memory disorders, mood changes, confusion episodes and an increased risk of depression. In the long term, it leads to the onset of degenerative neurological disorders.
A food model that supports brain health is Mediterranean diet. This includes vegetables and fruits in the most natural condition, legumes such as beans and lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fatty fish and extra virgin olive oil.
The combination of these foods supports anti -inflammatory processes and provides the nutrients needed for the efficient functioning of the brain, while contributing to the protection of neural networks with aging.
5. Constant verification of notifications on your phone or laptop
One of the worst habits is checking the smartphone in the morning, immediately after waking up. The sudden transition from the internal rhythm of the morning to external digital stimuli affects the ability to concentrate for the rest of the day.
The same thing happens when unnecessary tabs are left open in the browser or when notifications remain active: each unreadable message or unfinished load creates what psychologists call the “Zeigarnik effect,” a mental loop that persists. The need to close it becomes a constant source of psychological tension difficult to ignore.
According to studies, after each interruption or change of activity, the brain takes on average 25 minutes to return to the state of initial concentration.
This phenomenon is known as attention residue, when part of the attention remains blocked in what has just been interrupted, affecting the mental clarity in the case of the next pregnancy.
6. chronic stress
Chronic stress affects the functioning of the brain and can lead, over time, to structural changes.
The cortisol, the hormone released during stress reactions, interferes with the activity of neurons and causes thinning of the prefrontal cortex, an area involved in memory, learning and regulating behavior.
Occasional stress episodes are part of the adaptation to the environment, but when the state of tension becomes constant, the nervous system is overloaded. The result is a gradual decrease in mental clarity, attention and processing capacity.
To prevent chronic stress accumulation you can try relaxation techniques such as yoga and breathing exercises.
7. Lack of socialization and natural light
The lack of regular social interaction increases the risk of depression and can accelerate cognitive decline, being associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
A study published in 2021, in The Journals of Gerontology showed that less socially active people lose faster from the volume of gray substance, the cerebral layer processing the information.
Also, the long time spent in closed spaces limits exposure to sunlight, leading to vitamin D deficiencies.
The lack of natural light disrupts the rhythm of sleep-wake, affects the level of serotonin and favors seasonal affective disorders, depressive episodes and disposition fluctuations.
Only 15 minutes of sunlight are needed daily to improve the mood and protect the mind.
8. Deficit organization and multitasking
The lack of a criterion for prioritizing the tasks makes time and energy wasted on activities that do not bring any real progress.
As Peter Drucker observed, management theorist and one of the most influential specialists in the efficient work organization: “There is nothing more useless than doing what should not be done at all.”
A practical way to avoid this trap is to use the Eisenhower matrix, a simple prioritization tool.
The activities are divided into four categories: important and urgent (which must be made immediately), important but non -urgent (which are worth planned), urgent but not important (which can be delegated) and neither important nor urgent (which can be eliminated).
Only by raising awareness this differentiation can be worked really efficiently, without consuming all the energy on unnecessary details.
Another counterproductive habit is to try to remember lists of tasks, meetings, terms, ideas or response messages. The brain does not work well as storage space.
A constant background voltage is created, which decreases the ability to concentrate and increase the risk of forgetting or making mistakes. It is best to make your lists and write down to paper or in an application all the important information.
Multitasking, although often perceived as a sign of efficiency, actually reduces the quality of attention. The rapid passage from one pregnancy to another is tired of the brain and consumes resources such as glucose, leading to decreased motivation and efficiency.
9. Procrastination
Repeated postponement of important things is one of the most common traps in everyday activity. Although it may seem like a simple custom of the moment, procrastination undermines long -term goals and creates a false sense of comfort. In fact, it is the direct consequence of other dysfunctional behaviors: lack of prioritization, multitasking, mental fatigue, constant distractions or poor organization.
To get out of this circle, a simple question can be helpful, asked when the postponement is installed: “What consequences will, concrete, avoid this task?” Not in a vague or general sense, but applied: what they lose, what is blocked, what is complicated if they remain in place.
Procrastination does not disappear by will, but by organization. The order, the predictable rhythm, the notation of the tasks and the separation of the important TASKs reduce the need to postpone.
