8 Habits That Are Quietly Sabotaging Your Brain Health
We asked psychologists, physicians, and neuroscientists to explain the surprising habits that might be harming your brain and share alternatives to help you boost mental clarity, focus, and long-term cognitive function. Whether you're seeking improved concentration or just want to feel more mentally balanced, these lifestyle changes will help you support your brain health.
Related: 7 Foods to Help Keep Your Brain Healthy and Sharp, According to Nutrition Experts
Multitasking
Experts have learned that your memory doesn't work as well when you are unable to focus on any one thing. 'Multitasking might feel like you're getting a lot done, but it actually slows you down and drains your brain,' says Sanam Hafeez, PhD, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind. 'Every time you switch from one task to another, your mind has to reset, and that shift takes energy. Instead of being more efficient, you're burning through mental resources and making mistakes along the way.'
To make a real difference, Hafeez suggests trying something like the Pomodoro technique, working for around 25 minutes on one task, then taking a short break. This focus, then intentional reset, gives your brain the time it needs to truly process what you're doing, keeping you more focused and productive in the long run.
Sacrificing Sleep
Sleeping for fewer than seven hours a night has been consistently linked to early cognitive decline, so getting enough rest should be a non-negotiable. 'Sleep clears toxins, consolidates memory, and restores brain function. And it's not just about hours,' says Sarah Bullard, PhD, clinical neuropsychologist and director of psychology at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.
'Conditions like sleep apnea, which disrupt oxygen flow during sleep, are strongly associated with vascular damage and increased dementia risk," she adds. "If you snore loudly, wake up groggy, or feel drained despite 'sleeping,' it's worth getting evaluated.'
Additionally, Will Haas, MD, MBA, a board-certified integrative medicine physician and founder of VYVE Wellness, says most people don't realize how damaging chronic low-level sleep deprivation can be. 'Over time, that sleep debt reduces the brain's ability to clear metabolic waste like beta-amyloid, which has been linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease,' he says.
Related: Good Sleep Hygiene Promotes Better Physical and Mental Health—Here's How to Improve Yours
Constantly Skipping Breakfast
If you're one of the many people who skip breakfast, that time savings can mess with your brain's energy supply. 'After a night of sleep, your body has essentially been fasting for hours, and your brain needs fuel to get going,' says Hafeez. 'Skipping breakfast can lead to poor concentration, irritability, and a lack of motivation as the day progresses.'
Instead of skipping it, Hafeez says to have something light but rich in protein and fiber such a smoothie or eggs with veggies. A solid breakfast helps keep blood sugar levels stable, so you stay sharp and focused throughout the morning.
Mindless Scrolling Before Bed
Mindless scrolling anytime can be detrimental to brain health, but it is especially problematic before bed. According to Jamey Maniscalco, PhD, neuroscientist and founder of Manifest Wellness, scrolling reduces our typical sleep duration due to heightened stress hormone release (i.e., cortisol) and melatonin suppression. As mentioned, sleeping well is especially important for maintaining optimal brain health.
'During both deep sleep (non-REM) and REM sleep, the brain takes information from the previous day and stabilizes it into long-term memory,' says Maniscalco. 'This process helps reinforce learning new information, problem-solving, and skill development.'
So what to do instead of scrolling? Maniscalco suggests creating a 30-minute screen-free wind-down window before bed. 'Dim the lights (use lamps instead of overhead lights if possible), and swap scrolling for calming activities like light stretching, journaling, breath work, a calm conversation with your partner, or gratitude reflections,' he says. 'Even 10 minutes of pre-sleep quiet time can help signal the brain to shift into a rest-and-repair mode that encourages efficient, longer-duration sleep.'
Overdoing To-Do Lists
Believe it or not, overloading your to-do list can flood your working memory, which is not great for your brain. 'When people list everything they 'should' or 'could' do in a day without clear prioritization, they often feel more stressed, not less,' says Maniscalco. 'Research shows we can only hold about three to five meaningful items in working memory at any given time. Once we go beyond that, we overwhelm the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for planning, focus, and decision-making.'
Maniscalco says this kind of cognitive overload leads to mental clutter, increased anxiety, and reduced intellectual performance. 'Over time, constantly operating in this overstimulated, unfocused state can take a toll on executive function, attention regulation, and even emotional regulation,' he adds.
Instead, Maniscalco recommends trying the '3 Priorities Rule.' At the start of the day, identify the three most important or meaningful tasks to complete (or make progress towards). 'These become your anchors. Everything else becomes optional, delegated, or deferred,' he says. 'This small, powerful shift helps the brain operate with more clarity and intention.'
Ignoring Social Connections
It's way too easy as you age to get busy with work or get caught up in personal projects, letting most of your relationships take a back seat. But isolating can really mess with your brain.
'Connecting with people, even just talking to a friend or family member, gives your mind the kind of stimulation it needs to stay healthy,' says Hafeez. 'Without those interactions, your brain can start feeling sluggish and disconnected. You'll notice how much more present and clear-headed you feel when you make that time for others.'
Overlooking LDL Cholesterol
Having elevated LDL cholesterol is usually linked to poor heart health, but it's one of the biggest long-term risks to your brain health, too. One review in The Lancet identified it as a major risk factor for cognitive decline due to its impact on vascular health and brain volume loss.
For Bullard, the big takeaway is that LDL cholesterol needs to be addressed in midlife in order to protect long-term brain health as you age. 'If your LDL is over 70 mg/dL (or worse, over 100), it's time to take action,' says Bullard. 'Some physicians advocate for keeping it under 70. Your annual physical is the best opportunity to bring this up.'
Related: 10 Nutritious Foods for Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Not Moving Enough
Spending too much time sitting can shrink the brain's memory center, according to a 2018 study published in PLOS ONE. The ultimate brain-boosting intervention is cardiovascular exercise, according to Bullard. 'Nothing else delivers the same cognitive return,' she says. 'It reduces inflammation, supports weight control, manages blood pressure and blood sugar, and increases blood flow to the brain.'
Make movement part of your routine even when time is limited. Bullard recommends walking meetings, a walking pad by your desk (not just a standing desk), wearing a weighted vest while walking the dog, or brief and consistent workouts, which all add up over time. 'Making movement non-negotiable will pay off now and in the future,' she says.
Related: 13 Unexpected Health Benefits of Walking and How to Make a Habit of It
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Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Newsweek
Alzheimer's: Scientists Discover What Sparks Disease
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lithium deficiency in the brain could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease—and a new potential target for treatment. Ten years in the making, this is the finding of researchers at Harvard Medical School who have revealed how lithium plays an essential role in brain function and may provide resistance against brain aging and Alzheimer's. Lithium is a chemical element, currently used as medicine to treat mood disorders like mania and bipolar disorder. "Most people associate lithium with psychiatric treatment. Our study shows, for the first time, that naturally occurring lithium plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health during aging—even at concentrations far below those used in clinical psychiatry," study authors Bruce Yankner and Liviu Aron told Newsweek. The findings are based on a series of experiments in mice and on analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from individuals in various stages of cognitive health. Lithium carbonate tablet bottles on shelf. Lithium carbonate tablet bottles on shelf. Getty Images "We found that lithium is uniquely depleted in the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment—a precursor to Alzheimer's. This makes lithium deficiency one of the earliest biochemical signs of the disease, possibly years before clinical symptoms appear," the duo explained. "We also saw that higher endogenous lithium levels were associated with preserved cognitive function even in individuals without Alzheimer's. So, this isn't just about preventing disease—it's about supporting healthy brain aging in general. The new revelation helps to explain why some people with Alzheimer's-like abnormalities in the brain don't go on to develop the disease. While genetic and environmental factors play a role, scientists also haven't been able to suggest why some people with the same risk factors might develop it and others don't—until now. The scientists unearthed that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer's. In mice, meanwhile, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology (disease or abnormality) and memory decline. They also found reduced lithium levels stemmed from binding to amyloid plaques (misfolded proteins found between nerve cells found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's) and impaired uptake in the brain. One pair of boxes shows fewer green amyloid clusters on the left and more on the right. Another pair of boxes shows a dim arc of purple and red tau on the left and a... One pair of boxes shows fewer green amyloid clusters on the left and more on the right. Another pair of boxes shows a dim arc of purple and red tau on the left and a brighter arc on the right. More Yankner Lab In their final set of experiments, they found a new lithium compound that avoids "capture" by amyloid plaques restored memory in mice. "In people that start experiencing memory loss, the so-called mild cognitive impairment, lithium gets trapped by amyloid plaques—reducing its availability just when it's most needed to protect against inflammation and neurodegeneration," Yankner and Aron explained. "This creates a self-perpetuating feedback loop of worsening pathology and accelerating disease progression and memory loss." This all ties together decades-long observations in patients and provides a new theory of the disease and strategy for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment, according to the researchers. Recently developed treatments that target amyloid beta (a key component of the amyloid plaques) typically don't reverse memory loss and only modestly reduce the rate of decline. "The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach," said Yankner in a statement. Researchers had previously found lithium to be the only metal that had markedly different levels across people with and without Alzheimer's at different stages. But Yankner added in a statement, "Lithium turns out to be like other nutrients we get from the environment, such as iron and vitamin C. "It's the first time anyone's shown that lithium exists at a natural level that's biologically meaningful without giving it as a drug." Previous population studies have shown that higher lithium levels in the environment, including in drinking water, tracked with lower rates of dementia. Woman hugging her elderly mother. Woman hugging her elderly mother. PIKSEL/Getty Images Yankner's team demonstrated in mice that lithium depletion isn't just linked to Alzheimer's, it actually helps drive it. This raises hope that one day lithium could be used to treat the disease in its entirety rather than focusing on a single factor like amyloid beta or tau (another Alzheimer's-associated protein), Yankner said. Crucially, the researchers discovered that as amyloid beta begins to form deposits in the early stages of dementia in both humans and mouse models, it binds to lithium, reducing lithium's function in the brain. The reduced levels of lithium affect all major brain cell types and, in mice, lead to changes similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease, including memory loss. Treating mice with the most potent amyloid-evading compound, called lithium orotate, reversed Alzheimer's pathology, prevented brain cell damage and restored memory. While the findings need to be confirmed in humans through clinical trials, they suggest that measuring lithium levels could help screen for early Alzheimer's. They also highlight the importance of testing amyloid-evading lithium compounds for treatment or prevention. While other lithium compounds are already used to treat bipolar disorder and clinical depression, they are given at much higher concentrations that can be toxic to some people, the researchers flag. Yankner's team discovered lithium orotate is effective at one-thousandth that dose— enough to mimic the natural level of lithium in the brain. Mice treated for nearly their entire adult lives showed no evidence of toxicity, the study found. If further studies confirm these findings, the researchers say lithium screening through routine blood tests may one day offer a way to identify individuals at risk for Alzheimer's who would benefit from treatment to prevent or delay disease onset. "Our study adds to growing evidence that Alzheimer's may be preventable—with something as simple as keeping brain lithium at healthy levels as we age," said Yankner and Aron. "Clinical trials [on humans] could test the impact of low-dose supplementation on cognitive health and dementia risk." Before lithium is proved to be safe and effective in protecting against neurodegeneration in humans, Yankner emphasized that people should not take lithium compounds on their own. Do you have a health story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about Alzheimer's? Let us know via health@ Reference Aron, L., Ngian, Z. K., Qiu, C., Choi, J., Liang, M., Drake, D. M., Hamplova, S. E., Lacey, E. K., Roche, P., Yuan, M., Hazaveh, S. S., Lee, E. A., Bennett, D. A., & Yankner, B. A. (2025). Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Nature.
Boston Globe
10 hours ago
- Boston Globe
New hope for Alzheimer's: Groundbreaking Harvard study finds lithium reverses brain aging
The research suggests a new approach to preventing and treating the mind-robbing disease. Advertisement 'It seems to somehow turn back the clock,' said the team's senior author, Dr. The findings come amid a rising tide of Alzheimer's and growing urgency to pinpoint an effective treatment for the For years, researchers believed the buildup of sticky clumps of protein, known as amyloid plaques, fueled the devastating cascade of brain degeneration in Alzheimer's. But Advertisement Yankner now believes that may be a lithium deficiency. Dr. Bruce Yankner sat in his office at Harvard Medical School next to a photograph of a brain with Alzheimers on Monday, Aug. 4. Heather Diehl/For The Boston Globe Lithium has long been used to treat mental health conditions, particularly bi-polar disorder. But the form of lithium typically used for such treatments, lithium carbonate, is different than the one used by the Yankner team, which employed lithium orotate . His team studied brain tissue donated from about 400 people post mortem, as well as blood samples and a battery of memory tests performed yearly before their death. The participants ranged from cognitively healthy at the time of their death to having full-blown Alzheimer's. The scientists found higher levels of lithium in cognitively healthy people. But as amyloid began forming in the early stages of dementia, in both humans and in mice, the amyloid bound to the lithium, restraining it and reducing its availability to surrounding brain cells. That depleted the lithium even in parts of the brain that were amyloid free, essentially reducing lithium's protective function. To test whether lithium depletion was driving the disease or simply a byproduct of it, they fed healthy mice a lithium-restricted diet, draining their lithium levels. This appeared to accelerate their brain aging process, creating inflammation and reducing the ability of nerve cells to communicate. That spurred memory loss in the mice, as measured by their diminished performance in several laboratory memory tests. The researchers then fed a restricted-lithium diet to mice that were genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's-like amyloid plaques and abnormal tangles of another protein, called tau, and witnessed a dramatic acceleration of the disease. Advertisement These images show what happens to the brains of Alzheimer's mice when they are placed on a lithium deficient diet. It shows that lithium deficiency markedly increases the number of amyloid plaques and the number of tangle-like structures in the brain, resembling advanced Alzheimer's disease in humans. Yankner Lab But they were able to reverse the disease-related damage and restore memory function, even in older mice with advanced disease, by returning lithium to their diet. (Lithium orotate, the compound the scientists used, can evade capture by Alzheimer's amyloid plaques). These images show that treatment of the Alzheimer mice with a very low dose of lithium orotate almost completely abolishes both the plaques and the tangle-like structures. Yankner Lab Other scientists not involved in the research said the findings create a new approach to designing medications to treat and prevent Alzheimer's. 'This study is looking at it from a novel angle,' said 'I didn't expect that the lithium level [in our body] would be this critical,' she said. 'I just hadn't thought about it this way.' The amount of lithium in medications used for mental health conditions is very high and can be toxic to elderly patients. But the amount of lithium used by Yankner's team was one-thousandth the level, essentially mimicking the amount naturally found in the brain. Indeed, mice fed tiny amounts throughout their adult life showed no signs of toxicity. Earlier research has suggested a link between sustained intake of lithium and lower levels of dementia. Notably, Advertisement 'When we're thinking about the therapeutics of a replacement, if you're lowering something, you just have to replace it back to the natural levels,' he said. 'That seems a lot safer than introducing something that our body is not used to, or doesn't already need in order to function. ' 'That's a really good rationale for pursuing it,' he said. A number of factors are linked through research to a higher risk of Alzheimer's and dementia including advanced age, family history, and genetics, as well as several modifiable factors such as diet, smoking, hypertension and diabetes. Liviu Aron, first author of the study that links lithium deficiency to Alzheimer's disease, looked at samples of human and mouse brains in the Harvard lab on Aug. 4. Heather Diehl/For The Boston Globe Many foods already touted for their health benefits naturally contain higher amounts of lithium — But Kaeberlein and other researchers said the real test of the Harvard team's findings would be a large clinical trial in people, with half of the participants receiving small doses of lithium orotate and the others a sham substance, to compare the findings. Kaeberlein said the safety track record of this form of lithium, which showed no toxicity in animals, may help speed trials in people. Advertisement The Harvard findings 'line up with a lot of earlier work, both in the brain and in normal aging,' Kaeberlein said. And he added something rarely heard from scientists when discussing cutting-edge research and a potential medication that may fundamentally change the course of a dreaded disease. This work, he said, 'feeds my optimism that this will lead to potential therapeutics.' But one obstacle to advancing the research is the freeze on Kay Lazar can be reached at
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
These 7 ‘Nice Girl' Behaviors Could Actually Be Hurting You, According to Psychologists
These 7 'Nice Girl' Behaviors Could Actually Be Hurting You, According to Psychologists originally appeared on Parade. Being a nice person obviously seems like a good thing. Empathy and kindness are great personality traits. But there's a point where being nice can go too far and enter people-pleasing territory—and that can actually do more harm than good. For women in particular, this has been referred to as "nice girl" syndrome or "good girl" syndrome. To better understand why "nice " behavior can actually be harmful to the person exhibiting it, Parade consulted with three licensed Rhonda Reinholtz is a licensed psychologist providing counseling and therapy services in Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Sanam Hafeez is a neuropsychologist anddirector of Comprehend the Mind. And Dr. Adrianna Holness is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Worth and Wellness Psychology. The three of them weigh in on these so-called "nice girl" behaviors and the damage they may Reinholtz acknowledges that some men may exhibit people-pleasing behaviors as well, but she says that "societal conditioning to be 'nice'" is especially strong for girls and women. And as Dr. Hafeez notes: Girls, from a young age, are often "rewarded for being 'easygoing' or 'well-behaved'... [and for] keeping the peace." And while the reinforcement of that behavior often begins when a woman is young, it also can continue all her life. As Dr. Holness puts it: "Those tropes are played out in classrooms: The good girl is studious and quiet; the workplace: The good girl is helpful and agreeable; in sports: The good girl is athletic and a team player, but never too aggressive; and in our home lives: The good girl selflessly takes care of her family before meeting her own needs."Even though societal norms have set much of this system up, there are still ways to break out of What Is 'Nice Girl Syndrome'? Dr. Holness thinks that "Nice Girl Syndrome" is really just a way of "describing a lot of the symptoms of high-functioning anxiety." "The pull of anxiety leads the so-called 'good girl' to fear disappointing others, to get stuck in a pattern of what she 'should' or 'shouldn't' be doing and to constantly try to conform to what others need her to do—or who they need her to be," she much of this comes at her own 7 'Nice Girl' Behaviors That Could Actually Be Hurting You, According to Psychologists 1. Being the go-to person "Oftentimes, when we stay really busy, we can push off our own anxiety because we're focused intently on something else," Dr. Holness says. She adds that this is why many people pleasers want to be everyone's "go-to person—the person who is available to meet others' needs."The problem with being so reliable for others is that it can quickly become overwhelming. As Dr. Hafeez says, these women could start to "feel unseen or unappreciated, even though they're doing so much." 2. Prioritizing others at your own expense People-pleasing isn't just about being nice; it's often about being nice in a way that ends up being mean to yourself. Dr. Holness says it can lead to minimizing your own needs or, worse, not even knowing what those needs Reinholtz describes this prioritization of others as "going out of one's way to meet someone's request regardless of whether it fits at all with one's own plans, schedule, needs or feelings."She adds that it perpetuates this societal idea that women are "expected to accommodate others at their own expense," thereby reducing the woman's own "autonomy and self-determination." 3. Downplaying your own ideas and accomplishments Dr. Holness says that "fear of failure" or "chronic self-doubt" are common for those with people-pleasing tendencies. And, as Dr. Hafeez notes, this lack of self-confidence can show up through "downplaying" their own accomplishments, ideas and needs. She warns that, over time, this can lead to "resentment and a loss of self."Related: 4. Avoiding disagreements and confrontation Dr. Hafeez says it's common for people-pleasers to feel "uncomfortable setting boundaries" or worry that they'll be portrayed as "selfish or mean if they speak up." As a result, they can often be overly non-confrontational to their own detriment."It's the internal pressure to always be agreeable," she shares. "They'll say yes when they'd rather say no... to avoid conflict or disapproval." She warns that this type of behavior can erode "natural assertiveness."One sneaky sign of this behavior, according to Dr. Holness, is re-reading your texts or emails several times. "Written communication can be incredibly hard for folks with high-functioning anxiety," she says. "That inner good girl wants to make sure that she is properly understood, non-confrontational, polite and not criticized."Related: 5. Going along with others' negative actions If a people pleaser does disagree with someone, they often won't speak up or show it. Dr. Reinholtz says this can appear as "smiling, laughing or otherwise going along with comments or actions that are actually hurtful or in conflict with one's own beliefs or values." And Dr. Hafeez mentions avoiding eye contact, being quiet in group settings and "laughing at jokes they don't find funny" as other possible trying to be "nice," you're essentially "suppressing your true self" and "making yourself small," says Dr. Holness. 6. Explaining yourself On the off chance that you do set a boundary, Dr. Reinholtz says you don't need to delve deeply into why. "People too often feel they owe an explanation if they can't do what someone has asked," she says. "The more detail you add, the more you are inviting someone to offer solutions to the reason you stated instead of accepting that you are declining."She adds, "You do not owe anyone a justification for choosing how to spend your own time and energy." 7. Being overly-apologetic Another common sign of people-pleasing is frequently saying that you're sorry, even if something isn't your fault, says Dr. Hafeez. It's just another way this sort of "nice girl" behavior can hurt your confidence, Dr. Hafeez says. "Underneath it is a belief that being liked... depends on keeping everyone else happy," she How To Break Free From 'Nice Girl' Behaviors That Ultimately Hurt You If you do currently display any of the behaviors above, that doesn't mean you always have to operate that way. Though it may feel uncomfortable or difficult, you can break free from always being a "nice girl."Start small by saying no to a minor request or allowing yourself to disagree about something, Dr. Hafeez suggests. She says "the goal isn't to [be] harsh," but rather to be more honest. You might "be surprised how much people respect you" when you do set clearer limits, she Reinholtz knows it can be difficult to start turning people down, so she suggests buying yourself time by saying "maybe" instead of immediately agreeing."Get in the habit of always answering requests with, 'I'll check my schedule and get back to you,'" she says. "Or, 'I hope I can! I'll let you know as soon as I can check the family calendar.' Or, 'Hmmm, I'm not sure the timing works for me. But I'll let you know tomorrow.'"Essentially, she says you want to give a response that doesn't instantly commit you to something. That way, you can take the time to decide if it's something you truly want to Dr. Holness explains that she recommends therapy as "the perfect place to start addressing the underlying impact of high-functioning anxiety.""You're a human with needs, and it's OK to ask for help," she Next:Sources: Dr. Rhonda Reinholtz is a licensed psychologist providing counseling and therapy services in Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Sanam Hafeez is a neuropsychologist anddirector of Comprehend the Mind. Find her on Instagram @drsanamhafeez. Dr. Adrianna Holness is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Worth and Wellness Psychology. These 7 'Nice Girl' Behaviors Could Actually Be Hurting You, According to Psychologists first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
