Fix This Habit to Help Your Brain Reach Its Peak

You may want to rethink how much you complain.

We all have really crappy days where we need to lose some steam and vent. This can be good in small doses, but have you ever noticed a switch in your thinking after you complain? Too much complaining can, unfortunately, do more harm than good to your brain.

Research has shown that, like any habit, our brains start to rewire when we complain constantly. Repetitive complaining, more specifically complaints about small things rather than big things, can rewire your brain to seek out negativity. This ends up also rewiring your brain to see the bad in everything even if the reality is the opposite.

What could be worse?

Complaining actually can damage your brain. Research studies have shown that constantly complaining has the effect of shrinking the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for cognitive function, memory, and problem-solving. This is a serious issue because it contributes to the decline of overall quality of life. It also can lead to the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The damage doesn’t stop there. Complaining also triggers stress and forces our body into a fight-or-flight mode. All of that extra stress can have an influence on your immune system, blood pressure, and blood sugar. This also makes you more likely to develop a chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes.

Just like other bad habits, complaining is just another one you need to break. In the video above, Psych2Go further illustrates how to become aware of the negative effects. Once we know, we can reverse the damage.

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