Brain damaging habit 8 of 10: Lack of Social Interaction

Our brain functions best when we have opportunities to socialize with others. The lack of social contact can lead to depression, feelings of loneliness, and even affect our ability to remember things. Children who don’t get enough social contact with their parents and peers are more likely to develop psycho-social problems. In adults, a lack of social integration can also lead to forming bad habits such as drinking and drug abuse.
People who rarely talk may end up suffering from mild brain damage. This is because the brain cells tend to become dormant, making it shrink in size. On the other hand, indulging in intellectual talk stretches the brain, strengthening it in the process. This is essential as far as brain development and growth is concerned. Thinking is like exercise to our bodies. The deeper the thoughts, the more the brain ‘muscles’ are exercised and the better your brain develops.
Maintain a good circle of friends and don’t shy away from social gatherings/ functions. Whatever you do, keep your brain active.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ON TRAVELLING FROM CHIPATA TO CHADIZA

This is a first for me....on a hot and sunny afternoon like today, I never knew that a taxi could accomodate 7 people. Three people in front, with one having the gearbox in between his legs. We at the back are jam-packed between the doors, bedraggled by our own 'armpit grease' on a long winding dusty gravel road. But the master says "Occupy till I come."
Read more

TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED

Image
What is it about Friday that makes us all tired? Or makes me tired? It was 1:30 pm by my watch and had only been in theatre for slightly over 4 hours. I was helping the anaesthetist pack the instruments after our last scheduled case when the attending surgeon came in. Seemed like our day wasn’t done yet. The anaesthetist too was tired but he gets paid anyway and I don’t. Am a student though and need to maximise every opportunity to learn too… I had the option of leaving and going to have lunch and rest (am human too) or staying back to learn some more..…this never ending internal conflict, this duel loyalty idea, at times just takes a toll. The patient was a 5-day old female neonate born with an imperforate anus-simply, the bottom end was closed. Sadly, this malformation doesn’t usually occur in isolation but is associated with heart, urinary, tracheal and oesophageal defects among others. Quickly, my thoughts were drawn to think of the little’s girl’s future outlook. Here I was in...
Read more

WHERE IN LIES YOUR HOPE FOR TOMORROW?

Image
Sometime ago whilst on the hospital ward, I was challenged by woman whose son was due for surgery later that night. The 17 year old boy had a massive tumour on his right arm that was roughly the dimensions of a 5 litre container. She asked me to ponder on a series of questions for which I had no immediate answers. “If indeed God is after our own good, why has He chosen me amongst all the women to have a child who has this misfortune? What future does He have planned for my son because he hasn’t been able to go to school all his life? Why does evil seem to be selective on whom it befalls?” I cant remember my exact responses but one thing was true. This was a woman in distress. Sadly, I went out to look for her on the ward the following day but never found her. This later reminded me of an experiment. The Norwegian Field Rat (mbeba yaku Norway) is known for its endurance. The University of California Berkeley once conducted an experiment to determine how long the rat could endure. The...
Read more