The brain is constantly atrophy, according to science

Do you have the habit of complaining frequently about different things? If so, it may be time to think about that behavior because it could be damaging your brain. A new study by Stanford University points out that the brain constantly complains. In the long term, this behavior can deteriorate mental health and intellectual abilities.

The investigation mentions that complaints are prosecuted by the brain as a danger situation. So, if we constantly expose ourselves to these, the sensation is prolonged, which starts a series of biological mechanisms. In this article, you can learn more details regarding this interesting study.

Content

• Complaints and their relationship with health
• Stanford's study
• 30 minutes of complaints can be harmful to your brain
  • References

Complaints and their relationship with health

In general, it is understood that a complaint a feeling of displeasure that is experienced by a situation or person. For example, if we go to a restaurant and the waiters ignore us, they are rude and bring us cold food, we would surely feel disgust. To that sense of annoyance we could call it a complaint and it is common for people to express these complaints with others.

We could also say that complaining is a common behavior in human societies. Complaints can range from simple things such as service in a store to more complex issues such as social dynamics. All at some point in our lives we have complained about something small or big. In fact, exposing our disgust is a cathartic act that allows us to free ourselves from those emotions.

However, there are people who have the habit of complaining constantly about almost everything. When we have a conversation with someone like that, he could give us the impression that he does not enjoy anything in his life. All we hear are things like "bothers me ...", "I don't like ...", "I really hate when ...". Even in a very pleasant situation, they are likely to find a problem that according to them ruins the whole experience.

Following this line, a work done at Stanford University explains that complaining constantly atrophy the brain. In fact, not only who complain can suffer deterioration, but also those exposed to the complaints of others. The consequences of complaints about the brain are not limited to cognitive abilities, but also to emotional health.

Stanford's study

To get to the previous conclusion, a team of Stanford researchers used magnetic resonance images. Its objective was to verify the relationship between stressful experiences, stress hormones and hippocampus size reduction.

Recall that stress is a physiological reaction of our body that is activated in situations that the brain perceives as dangerous or threatening. For example, if we are in front of a wild and aggressive animal, our brain will perceive the danger and prepare the body to respond. In this case, a series of substances are released in our body that help us flee or fight the threat. The best known of these hormones is cortisol, also called "stress hormone".

Within situations like these, it is possible to affirm that stress is natural and necessary for the body to face the demands of the environment. The problem occurs when this stress response becomes a frequent situation for any reason. This is precisely the reason why the brain is constantly complaining according to researchers.

In this sense, the brain perceives complaints as a problematic situation and, therefore, stressful. As a consequence, hormones are released to deal with stress in our body continuously.

In addition, dr. Travis Bradberry, author of How Comlaining Rewires Your Brain for Negityity He explains that frequent complaints reconfigure the brain. According to the expert, the brain fits in order to anticipate future complaints more quickly. In other words, complaining becomes the "normal" behavior of a person because their brain adapts to these.

30 minutes of complaints can be harmful to your brain

One of the most interesting findings in the study is that it was shown that it is not necessary to complain all day to be harmed. Actually, just 30 minutes of exposure to complaints during the day to have an impact on our brain.

However, scientific evidence not only points out that complaining constantly atrophy the brain, also points to the benefits of doing the opposite. An investigation by Emmons and McCullough published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explains that having an attitude gratitude improves well -being. According to the study, those who express gratitude often experience more positive emotions than others.

From the above, we could say that, not only just stop complaining to increase our well -being, but also build a positive attitude. That does not mean that in the future we cannot experience or express any type of dislike. However, we must be careful that our whole life revolves around to elaborate and communicate complaints about anything.

Just as we can experience and express our complaints about something, we should also take the time to feel and communicate gratitude. In doing so, we will reduce stress levels and have more pleasant and positive sensations and emotions. This is not only beneficial for cognitive functions, so it is for general emotional health.

Finally, it is important to mention that complaining constantly atrophies the brain and can change the way others perceive you. If we have this habit, others might think that we are very negative people and avoid spending time with us. In the long run, this can generate feelings of loneliness and sadness that worsen the situation.

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References

• Bradberry, t. (2017). How Comlaining Rewires Your Brain for Negityity.
• Enmons, r. TO., & McCullough, M. AND. (2003). Counting Blessings versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.