Mental Health: Importance of Brain Health: Why Does It Matter?

There's a universal recognition around the importance of brain health. It's the ability of the brain to carry out all cognitive functions, such as the capacity to learn, judge, utilize language, and remember.

The brain is a complex organ with at least three levels of functioning that impact every element of our everyday life: maintaining cognitive, mental, and emotional processes, proper behavior and social cognition; and interpreting sensory information and controlling movement.

From what has been researched and what we know today, the brain is a powerful machine that helps us in perform all our daily life functions. Brain and mental health are closely linked, and the importance of brain health can't be understood without knowing this connection.

Social isolation and sadness are recognized risk factors for the emergence of neurological illnesses. However, mood disorders frequently involve neurocognitive impairment.

Importance of Brain Health

As we get older and start to worry about memory issues and cognitive loss, our interest in the importance of brain health tends to increase. However, brain health is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life at every age, having an impact on learning, interpersonal interactions, career, and sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction.

Numerous studies have shown a connection between aspects of brain health and a longer lifetime, demonstrating how the cornerstone of general health is the brain. For instance, one study found that those with faster information processing abilities had quicker reaction times and lived longer.

Problems with balance, coordination, and mobility (and the falls and injuries that follow when coordination and motor function deteriorates) frequently have a neurological origin. Researchers have shown that enhancing brain health can even result in gains in coordination and balance. Living longer and being healthier aren't the only benefits of recognizing the importance of brain health.

Additionally, happiness is also a factor. All of us yearn for a life that feels brimming with possibilities, vitality, social connection, and happiness. You can live your best life in every way by taking advantage of the cognitive benefits of a healthy brain. That includes improved memory, higher levels of creativity, improved problem-solving skills, and clearer thinking, as well as the emotional benefits of a healthy brain, such as improved self-awareness and emotional regulation.

What Makes the Brain Healthy?

Recognizing the importance of brain health is easy and the factors that can support it are readily available.

The health of the brain is significantly influenced by lifestyle, which includes what you eat and drink, how well you sleep, how much you exercise, and how you engage your brain. Here are some tips for keeping your brain healthy:

1) Engagement

Engage your brain as much as you can. (Image via Pexels/Ds Stories)

Maintaining mental and social stimulation improves brain function by stimulating the growth of new brain cells and neural connections. Try picking up a new skill, ideally in a group.

That could entail learning a new team sport, enrolling in a painting workshop, or signing up for dance lessons. Not only will you improve your mental health but also your mood while lessening loneliness and social isolation (feeling socially isolated is a risk factor for poor brain health).

2) Sleep

Quality of sleep is crucial for brain health. Humans sleep for about a third of the day, and sleep is essential for maintaining health.

The immune system, brain, and several other bodily systems need to be on sleep to function properly. Sleep helps you stay alert, concentrated, and capable of making deliberate decisions.

While different age groups require varying amounts of sleep, six to seven hours per night is generally advised. The brain has time to eliminate metabolic waste and improve memory when you get regular, restorative sleep.

3) Environment

The environment can also have an impact on the brain. Toxins in the environment include those found in food, water, and air.

All these poisons can cause neurological problems like stroke, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Repetitive or severe head trauma is another category of environmental risk. Head injuries, whether caused by an accident or in severe sports, create an unsafe environment for brain cells.

4) Focus on Your Heart

Heart health emphasizes the importance of brain health. (Image via Pexels/Nadezhda Moryak)

The importance of brain health can be understood by taking heart health into consideration.

Brain damage and cell death can result from poor blood flow and restricted blood flow to the brain. To take better care of your heart, you need to take better care of your brain and make sure it receives all the oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood it needs for optimum performance.

Follow these tips to do so:

Consume heart-healthy foods. Diets like the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, and plant-based diets have been shown in studies to improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk of stroke (both vegan and vegetarian).
If you have high blood pressure, learn how to control it. High blood pressure is significantly linked with poor brain health, which increases the chances of cognitive impairment in the future.
Cut back on any substances (smoking or alcohol).

Takeaway

The brain has an impact on every part of life, including focus, performance, sleep, energy, attitude, and lifespan. We often take it for granted and forget to take care of it. Like any muscle in the body, though, even the brain needs love, care, and attention. Recognizing the importance of brain health should be a part of our everyday life.

Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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