The crazy thing about habits is that it usually takes a long time for us to feel their impact on us.
This is good news for you if you’re building good habits. But what if you’re unknowingly doing things that can cause harm to you in the future?
1. Excessive multitasking
When you multitask, you perform two or more tasks at the same time without giving your brain enough time to rest between them.
The gist of the problem here is that multitasking requires an individual’s attention span to be very short for this process to work efficiently.
For example, if you were reading an article while answering emails, you would not be able to read the article for long before being interrupted by an email notification.
The effects of multitasking on the brain can sometimes be very serious and can lead to reduced performance due to exhaustion or poor concentration levels, among other things — such as poor memory retention and impaired cognitive function.
Studies show that multitasking can lead to reduced performance and impaired memory retention. “We found that during multitasking, people are simultaneously dividing their attention between multiple tasks. In this condition, they show reduced levels of performance and impaired memory retention,” the researchers explained.
2. Habitual complaining
When someone is constantly complaining about their life, they are actually hurting their brain. It not only creates a negative outlook on life but also has a negative impact on their health.
Here’s why:
The brain is an intricate organ that takes in information and interprets it. When we complain, our brains can take in the negativity and make us feel worse about ourselves.
This can be caused by the release of chemicals that make us feel worse when we complain. The chemicals can cause the brain to secrete stress hormones which can lead to heart disease and depression.
3. Focusing on the negative
The human mind can process information in different ways. It is often difficult for the brain to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t when it comes to our thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, etc.
Sure, negativity is a natural state of mind that we all experience, but it can be toxic if not managed. It affects our brain by triggering the release of stress hormones.
When we feel threatened, our body releases stress hormones to prepare for a fight-or-flight response. This causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which makes us more alert and focused on the situation at hand.
The body responds to this heightened state of awareness with anxiety and worry. The worry can lead to increased stress levels and negative emotions such as anger or sadness. It’s a loop that spirals downwards.
4. Lack Of Sleep
Lack of sleep has been linked with memory loss and mood swings. It also affects the brain’s ability to think and process information.
The effects of lack of sleep on the brain are not fully understood but it is known that it can cause cognitive deterioration in health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and depression.
The simple point here is that the human brain needs rest to function properly. The brain works best when it has enough sleep and when it gets enough exercise, which leads to better focus and concentration.
5. Eating processed food and sugar
Processed foods contain a lot of sugar, which is why they’re so addictive. They spike your blood sugar, which can make you feel good for a little while, but eventually, the high wears off and you’re left with low energy and an empty feeling.
On the other hand, the brain needs glucose to function properly. When it doesn’t have enough glucose, it starts to crave more sugar because it’s used as an energy source. This can lead to a vicious cycle of eating more processed food and sugar that affects the brain negatively.
This is a common problem for many people. When we don’t have enough sugar in our system, our brain gets tricked into thinking it needs more sugar to function properly. So, people often reach for sugary snacks like chocolate or sweets.
Processed food can lead to many health problems, but one of the most prominent is obesity. A study found that processed food consumption in children was associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes as adults.
Sugar is a major factor in obesity and diabetes because it increases the levels of insulin in our blood and creates fat cells.
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