Did you know that you can positively impact your brain functionality by swapping out some bad habits for healthy alternatives? Check out these and consider how important your brain improvement may be.

#1. Skipping Breakfast. Avoiding breakfast causes blood sugar to plummet, starving the brain of essential nutrients and causing premature brain degeneration. The brain soaks up 20% of the energy you feed your body. Breakfast wakes up your brain so if you’re not a sit-down breakfast type of person, try a smoothie. Try adding a bit of good fat to your smoothie with either some avocado or flax seed.

#2. Being a Night Owl. When we sleep our brain reactivates the things we’ve learned during the day, and repeats them thousands of times during the night. Depriving your brain of sleep reduces its ability to recall information, reducing problem-solving ability and causing memory to decline. So why not skip that afternoon coffee and indulge in a healthy nap which will recharge your brain and allow you to perform better on intellectual tasks.

#3. Social Isolation. A recent study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry found that individuals who lack social connections were 64% more likely to develop dementia. While surrounding ourselves with loving relationships can boost our brain’s cognitive abilities, hanging around individuals who are highly stressed can have the oppose effect. Try volunteering or participate in an activity that allows you to enjoy the company of others.

#4. Smoking. In addition to prematurely aging the skin, smoking cigarettes damages blood vessels in your brain. A 2012 study showed that smokers over the age of 50 had lower cognitive performance than non-smokers on tests of memory, verbal fluency and attention. Talk to your doctor about how to quit smoking. Consider swapping your regular cigarette break with a fitness break. Research shows that just 15 minutes of aerobic exercise triggers changes within the brain that defuse nicotine cravings.

#5. Sedentary Lifestyle. Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to areas of the brain critical for learning and strengthens the neurons residing in those same regions. A report by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) showed one in seven cases of Alzheimer’s could be prevented by moderate physical activity. Start going for a walk at lunch, get off the bus a couple of stops before your destination, park in the farthest spot from your building and take the stairs instead of the elevator.

As a Home Stager, I look for as many new and creative decor ideas as possible to ensure that my clients homes sell quickly and for top dollar. No matter what your profession is, I know that we can all find something helpful in these suggestions for improved brain functionality.