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brain health Archives - Just Justice

Tag: brain health

Happy/ Mental Health /

Be Present

HEYO friends. Happy new year. I hope you are feeling refreshed and excited about what this new year may bring you. One of my goals for the new year was to write more blogs because I truly enjoy sharing about my life. Also, the idea of a new year and resolutions REALLY stresses me out. So if you’re like me, and get stressed every time a new year rolls around, don’t worry, it’s normal. It’s just a good idea to think of some areas in your life where you want to grow. Maybe you want to be better on LinkedIn, talking to your grandparents more, or even making more soups this year. It does not have to be this huge life-changing resolution. Start small ?

As I am approaching graduation at Belmont, I feel a lot of stress and anxiety mostly. There is so much pressure! So much pressure to be successful and figure your life out. If you’re not about to graduate I am sure you can relate in some way. The future can be scary!

This is normal. The first thing I keep reminding myself of is to start being present. I had a friend text me this the other day. I was ranting on and on about how I was so stressed, and I am going to get cut off and blah blah. She said, “it is so important to be present in this season of your life.”  She was so right. I think a lot of us are preparing for the future, which is good, but we also need to live in the moment and enjoy where we are right now. Some of us are in the moments when we used to dream and pray about.

I also have noticed, when I start getting anxious about life/ future plans/anything… my mind starts spiraling with a million negative thoughts. This is so bad!! We must start being positive and feeding our brains happy things. If you need to go get ice cream, call your mom, or go on a walk. DO IT. For instance, you might be getting yourself all worked up because you have so much on your plate, you have no idea how you are going to get everything done. First, recognize the difficulty or stress. Next, you must figure out how you are going to overcome this. Maybe you could wake up earlier, or ask your boss for some tips on how to achieve this goal of yours. We can do hard things friends. 

The next thing I want to implement in this new year is just being really intentional in my conversations with people. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am talking to someone and they are on their phone. & to be quite honest I am sure I’ve done this to many people. We live in a society where everything is on the screen in front of us. What would it look like if we started to implement that in our friendships? Actually listening in our conversations. I’ll be on the phone with someone while also working out or making dinner. I’m half listening, and I am telling myself I am just multitasking. LOL NO. Your friends and family deserve your full attention. 

As I was thinking about being intentional with my time, I decided to look up the definition. Intentional means that you are doing things in your life with intention and purpose (shocker) but….. in order to feel happy and fulfilled. You are actively doing things to make yourself happier. As I began to think about what I fill my days with, a lot of the time I am just doing something to please people or because I have to do something. SHOCKER!! This is not being intentional. This might come across as a little selfish to some of you, but I think that is simply okay. Some of us need to put our own needs first sometimes. Some of you are so exhausted from a 9-5, you don’t even know how to be happy because your entire day is crammed-packed. Let’s first, start out by carving out some time for ourselves. 

 

Happy/ Mental Health /

Creating A Healthier Brain

Hello friends!

Today I want to talk about something that you likely have never given much thought to before…brain health. I can almost read your brain now as you read this, “Justice, what does that even mean?” Well, I’m glad you asked! I hope to share just a little information about what that means and why it is so crucial to your overall wellness and happiness.

I recently listened to one of the best podcasts called, “How You Can Be Happier: Practical Tips & Advice” by Sadie Robertson. She speaks with leading psychiatrist Dr.Daniel Amen about this exact topic. He explains that happiness is a moral obligation. 

Our society is constantly saying, “more is better.” If we have a nicer car or more money, that will make us happier. Right? This is such a lie. I fall into this trap almost daily. Scrolling through Instagram, the devil is feeding my brain lies, “if you had a flatter stomach, a designer purse, or more money, you might be happier.” More stuff will not make you happier my friends. Why is this so hard for all of us to realize? 

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, drug and alcohol abuse are one of the leading causes of an “unhealthy brain.” As we all have come to realize substance abuse also leads to depression and anxiety. The brain is very much like our bodies, it’s what we fill and fuel it with that makes all the difference. 

Dr. Daniel Amen gave a statistic that blew my brain…no pun intended. He stated that happiness is 40% genetic, 10% situational, and 50% our control and habits. Let that sink in for just a moment. We can become happier, whether we know it or not. It all boils down to our daily routines and habits. We have more control than we often realize. As I think about the concept of happiness, there’s no denying that every human is searching for it. We are wired and designed to long for happiness in our lives. When we are not living with a purpose or to our full potential these alone can be detrimental to our brain health. Your purpose and goals, like showing God’s love to others or putting more effort into school or career are vital to living a purpose-filled life. The healthier and more positive our purpose is, often leads to a healthier brain and overall good health. 

If you feel your past defines the person you are today, my encouragement is that you have the power to change that narrative. Brain health needs to become a priority to experience the life we desire to live. This might sound silly, but write down 2-3 areas in your life that you know could use some improvement. For me, I want to be more present in my conversations with people. I find that sometimes my mind is elsewhere during conversations with people that I love. Yours might be working out more, finding more time to spend with your family, unplugging for stress triggers, or even finding a therapist. Whatever yours might be, it’s time to start creating more purpose in your life. 

I want to pause here for a quick second…I am fully aware that not everyone is in a great place emotionally and we can’t always flip a switch and we are all better or in a better place for that matter. Life can be very challenging and we are not always meant to navigate our quest for happiness alone. I want to encourage you to never feel ashamed for seeking professional help or talking with a friend. This is way too important to continue brushing your happiness under the rug. I don’t know a single soul who isn’t interested in becoming better or becoming happier, who is with me?

Comment below some ways you are going to make your brain healthier! The link to the podcast is down below.