Studies show that sitting too much can raise your risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. “A single bout of exercise has an immediate effect on brain health”, said Charles Hillman, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northeastern who helped to create the new guidelines by analyzing 10 years of scientific literature on physical activity and brain health. “Every time you’re active, you feel better, think better and sleep better”.
When you don’t sleep properly your brain becomes stressed and unable to cope with emotions as well. The occasional negative thought can be seen as perfectly normal behavior. Problems arise when your occasional negative thought turns repetitive. You may be at an increased risk of mental health issues, like depression or anxiety, if you are constantly or even compulsively lingering on thoughts that are distressing and negative. Negative or poor thoughts can directly affect your sleep and lack of sleep can impair the parts of your brain that control cognitive abilities and behavior. Medical science shows us that an individual who is sleep deprived will show reduced metabolism and blood flow to multiple areas of the brain. That means your brain is not getting essential reboot it needs every night to help you function at your best level. These reductions in metabolism and blood flow have also been linked to difficulty in focusing, lack of concentration, problem paying attention, irritability, learning difficulties and risky behavior. No wonder you might have difficulty getting past negative thoughts.
Now think back on how you feel after a good night’s sleep. A quality sleep allows your brain the time to solidify your memories and what you’ve learned during the day. Sleep also allows your brain the time to remove waste products from your brain cells so you can think well and not feel foggy the next day.
How to calm negative thoughts
Prioritize your sleep by ensuring at least 8 hours a night, engage in calming activities such as bubble baths, light walking and yoga. Another idea to try is to think about what you are grateful for, which in turn can lead to a wave of peace itself.
Anchal Kapoor