Put your mind at ease with these no-nonsense tips.
Emily McDonald, an Arizona-based neuroscientist and mindset coach, is sharing how she protects her brain by avoiding three things: rumination, negative self-talk, and the movement of judgment.
1. Gossip and drama
At the top of McDonald’s list of actions that negatively affect our brain function are gossip and drama.
She explains: “Being involved in gossip and drama reduces our ability to focus and think logically by increasing activity in the amygdala…the emotional part of the brain.”
“The amygdala and prefrontal cortex are very connected, so being negative reduces activity in the logical brain,” McDonald continued in her minute-long TikTok, which was posted earlier this month.
Evolutionarily speaking, gossiping, cliquey, exclusionary, and generally cruel behaviors helped our ancestors survive, but according to McDonald, at this stage of the game, the same games hinder our ability to process logically and connect meaningfully.
2. Negative self-talk and criticism
McDonald explains that repeating negative stories prompts the brain to look for what is wrong rather than right. “It also increases stress and anxiety and reduces our performance and ability to achieve our goals,” she said.
As McDonald asserts, all that negative self-talk has an ugly ripple effect “the more you criticize yourself, the more you criticize others.”
She argues that by practicing self-forgiveness, you will improve your functioning and reduce anxiety. You’ll also be less inclined to engage in the aforementioned brain-destroying pursuits of interpersonal drama and mindless gossip.
3. Doomsrolling in your downtime
In her list of recommendations, McDonald denounces the habit of checking social networks at every opportunity in line, at red lights, during a break at work.
She explains that dooming your downtime “decreases focus and productivity by overtaxing and tiring the brain. You’re also decreasing your ability to be creative, because time, silence, and boredom are essential to allow the mind to wander.”
A recent survey found that at the end of their lives, almost a third (31%) of Americans prefer to leave their mark through creativity, even for traits such as intelligence (20%), wealth (14%) or effort humanitarian (10). %).
In this sense, stopping your movement can be the key to a creative legacy.
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Image Source : nypost.com