How to protect your brain from stress | Niki Korteweg | TEDxAmsterdamWomen

Chronic stress is devastating for your brain. It ruins your memory, your attention and concentration and your emotional resilience. The brain areas that help execute these functions literally deteriorate.

Luckily, brain science has revealed many ways to prevent or counteract this. In her talk Niki Korteweg shares the four most important things you can do to keep your brain healthy and working at its very best.

[huzefahamid]

My notes:

1. If memory and focus aren’t working how you want them to, it can be stress related.

2. Stress affects two areas of the brain: the frontal lobe (the area for working memory, keeping emotions under control, goal setting, making plans, prioritizing what to do first, next, etc.) and the hippocampus, which is the core of our memory.

3. High-stress hormones shrink the cells in the frontal lobe and hippocampus.

4. The best thing you do for your brain is to be physically active. When we’re working out, it’s not just good because our heart starts pumping and we get oxygen to our brain, but while we are physically active, our brain makes growth factor that stimulates the outgrowth of the branches in brain cells. They re-establish contact with each other, maybe even new cells are formed.

5. It doesn’t have to be a marathon. Research shows that people who do a brisk 45-minute walk 3 times per week gave a bigger hippocampus than people who only do stretching exercises.

6. Sleeping well is the second very important thing you can do. Sleep loss is a chronic stressor. Even after one night of poor sleep results in poorer concentration, memory and irritability. During sleep, our brain reorganizes itself: good connections are strengthened, and bad connections are removed. Sleep washes the brain clean of waste products. We need that for a good working brain.

7. Your brain needs good building blocks, i.e. food. It’s hard to pinpoint which vitamins or minerals are good for your brain, but for a whole eating pattern, it’s clear that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have a brain for a longer time with better memory and concentration.

8. A Mediterranean diet is large amounts of fruits & vegetables, fish which provide omega-3 fatty acids (we cannot make them ourselves), other proteins and grains, and healthy fats (olive and nuts—in some studies, these seem to be the two secret ingredients that keep your brain healthy for a long time). Red wine is not good for your brain!

9. Meditating is the fourth thing you can do for your brain. Increased scientific research shows that daily meditation can benefit your focus and attention. In a basic way, meditation trains your attention and emotional control. You can start with five minutes a day and see how it goes. You can try it, for example, five minutes daily when you wake up or before bed.

10. These four adjustments can counteract the devastating effects of chronic stress and make your brain resilient to it.

11. Nilki built these areas into her routine after getting burned out through work. She feels her brain works well again, maybe even better than ever. And she now knows it’s perfectly fine to work hard and long hours as long as she takes good care of her brain.

12. Be good to your brain. It’s the crown of who you are. Treat her like a queen!

[persisbincy]

1. Exercise
2. Sleep well
3. Eat well
4. Meditate

[JDsMotivationHealthChannel]

“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose.”
—Maureen Killoran

[privatedeal]

Just what I needed, at the peak of anxiety/stress, lack of sleep and happiness - I started to crumble. I couldn’t remember a single thing, dealt with palpitations and constant attacks only to realise that I had low vitd levels, chronic stress, no exercise, lack of real sleep, excess caffeine and wasn’t being kind to my body. I literally burned out. Now I work out 4 hours a week, eat as well as I can, sleep around 10-11pm and take vitD supplements.

Trust me, if you’re feeling bad, say enough is enough and make the required changes. Your brain matters. ❤

[elenbalyan]

From my own experience social support network is another very important factor. It is important to keep in touch with friends and family as they can provide emotional support and prevent feelings of loneliness during periods of stress.

[muskanbalchandani]

I just noticed that whatever the lady was saying it was translated in sign language for or deaf people.
Hats off to you people for such an initiative as it makes deaf people feel more included

[Selfmasterytalks]

Physical activity and meditation certainly helps to get rid of stress. You have covered and described this topic very well also there are two things i will like to add; listening to soothing music and writing journal also helps immensely to deal with stress 😊

[satyamARAS]

Breathing and waking at morning and sleeping early (3-4 hours after, as soon as sun goes down), avoid or listen less or unnesscary information via social media, media, or t.v or tic tok, or people, have only one day cheat day to eat junk or cold dead food, ALWAYS eat warm and cook fresh - eat food not stored one, water water in morning, you gut is good your mind is good .

[sleepsmartsmashstress]

Five types of activity help in successful stress smashing and inactivity of each type supplements stress score.
1. Physicocardiorespiratory activity.
2. Food preparation and household chore activity.
3. Cognitive - literary activity.
4. Sociosexual recreational sleep promoting activity
5. Volunteering (gratitude-generosity) activity

[Yellowgravitymedia]

1) Move your body it can be just walking 3-4 times a week, just for 45 min each time.
2) sleeping well
3) eating healthy ( fruits and vegetable )
4) Meditation

These are the main 4 tips in this video ❤ thank me later

[sanne]

1. Excercise. Brisk walk 45 minutes 3x per week
2. Sleep enough. Min 8 hours. If you have a short night make an effort to go to bed in time/ a little bit earlier the next day.
3. Eat healthy. Mediterranean diet: lots of vedgetables and fruits, little fish for omega 3, olive oil and nuts
4. Meditate every day. ( Length not specified)

[chillout_vibes_music]

I truly appreciate your contribution of these extraordinary videos

[worshiplibrary]

My husband was abused physically and had cancer as a child, when i met him he stuttered so bad he could barely state his name. Today he speaks clearly, is cancer free, and a great father to both our children. The victory belongs to Jesus!!

[amirjamili]

everybody seems to know what are the ways to empower the brain, The challenge is how passionate we can be to pursue them freely.

[Callum]

Much respect for doing this, takes a lot of mental strength 🙏

[brashmikris]

Congratulations! You deserve all the happiness in the world 🌍

[livingstoneoteng]

A good remembrancer of a talk... Facts that people know quite well these days, but, her concise and summarised redelivery of them markets the goods under fresh new repackaging.

Well-done, Ma'am! 👏

[jrobcentral]

Exercise, sleep, eat, and meditate. I will do this for all of the upcoming week and see how I do.

[kapilkumar-clxn]

Really, made my day, thanks TED TALKS.

[jyothigopalan]

I loved the statement..Take care of your brain.She is the crown .🙂