What have you done consciously this week both to reduce stress and have a healthier brain? We all aspire to live more at peace but life often gets in the way. However, it is easy to forget that stress affects the health of your brain for good or bad, depending on how you handle your life and thoughts. Are you living up to your full potential? Or are you allowing life’s challenges to overcome you? Well, you can live in more peace and harmony. We discuss these issues in detail in our book (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress So It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.) available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For more information about the authors, book, and other information on stress, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.
However, for the present discussion, I am indebted to Dr. Jennifer Jones, Ph.D., a psychologist, for summarizing five daily habits that you can incorporate into your routine, starting today:
1. Sleep to reduce stress.
When you sleep, you process stress and trauma. So, one of the simplest and most effective things you can do is to get your full seven to nine hours of sleep every day.
2. Rise with the sun.
Circadian rhythm is the “master clock” in your brain that synchronizes all your body’s clocks. Abnormal circadian rhythm is associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, sleep disorders, hormone dysregulation, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder. Clearly, none of these conditions are good for life management. So, arise with the sun. If you are a parent, this habit will come naturally as most kids naturally wake with the sun and are happy to be your alarm clock.
3. Take fish oil.
Fish oil has positive benefits on brain health. It assists with memory and heart health. Make it a part of your daily routine.
4. Be mindful and tap into quiet time.
Meditation taps into your subconscious mind (just below consciousness) and has innumerable neurological benefits. You can engage in helping breathing, often called 4-2-4-2. Inhale for four seconds, hold for two, exhale for four seconds, hold for two before repeating. It’s one of the easiest breathing exercises I know. You also can focus on the breathing and less on daily cares and concerns. With breathing, meditation and mindfulness techniques, you can train your mind for a happier, healthier, more enjoyable life.
5. Make yourself uncomfortable.
Your brain needs novelty to grow. How do you know when you’re doing something that’s “new enough”? When it feels uncomfortable, awkward, weird, strange or it scares you. By doing things daily that are out of your comfort zone, you allow your brain to develop new branches of neurons (also called dendritic pathways). The brain is capable of regenerating, thought impossible a generation ago. Make your best use of it.
So, there are many ways to enhance your brain functioning and reduce your vulnerability to a stressful reaction to life’s challenges. I wish you well on your journey to a healthy, harmonious life.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For more information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com