Watch the video: neuroscientist – you shouldn’t do this in the morning to protect your brain.
Get your brain going in the morning? Neuroscientist Emily McDonald has tips for this.
The 24-year-old from the US state of Arizona regularly shares tips on her Instagram account for a healthy morning routine or how those affected can cope with anxiety.
More than 44,000 followers are interested in McDonald’s advice, which has a master’s and bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and describes itself as a “mindset coach”.
In her latest video, she explains the three things she avoids to protect her brain.
“Number one is to go on my phone, when I wake up in the morning.”
3 things I don’t do as a neuroscientist to protect my brain.
Number one is to use my phone as soon as I wake up.”
She explains why: Our brain waves move from a twilight state to a more awake state in the morning. Picking up your phone straight in the morning skips some transitions and leaves you more stressed and distracted during the day. And it messes with dopamine, according to McDonald. As a result, people would check their phones more often to reward themselves.
“Number two is negative self-talk. What you say to yourself matters and the more you put that into your brain, the more it gets wired in.”
“Number two is negative self-talk. What you say to yourself matters, and the more you build that into your brain, the more ingrained it becomes.”
Conversely, positive affirmations are important to set your goals for the day.
“Number three is eat highly processed foods.”
“Number three is to eat highly processed foods.”
According to McDonald, there are many studies showing that food has an impact on the brain, and particularly processed foods contribute to brain aging/cognitive decline. So she keeps her hands off it.