Did you know that today is Epilepsy Awareness Day? I just found out, and in my research on the topic I find out some interesting information about the brain which I didn’t know.

Epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures. Epilepsy can be a result of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury, such as a trauma or stroke.

None of the following causes epilepsy, but because we tend to take our brains for granted, I want to share with you the 9 habits that most of us do sometimes, which can damage our brains if we do them too much.

1. Staying in the dark too much
2. Consuming too much negative news
3. Blasting headphones
4. Social Isolation
5. Too much screentime
6. Consuming too much sugar
7. Skipping breakfast
8. You’re barely moving
9. Poor sleeping habit

FUN FACT: Purple is the color used for Epilepsy Day! Funny coincidence because if you haven’t noticed, this blog site uses my favorite color (which is purple) pretty much all over. But why was purple chosen to represent Epilepsy Awareness? One approach in treating seizures is to relax the brain and nervous system. And lavender (a.k.a. the other purple), both the color and the plant, are said to have this effect — the plant has even been proven to act as a central nervous system relaxant and anticonvulsant.

It’s important to be aware of these habits because damaged brain tissue makes you more susceptible to developing neurological diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month by the way) that stem from cognitive decline. And because life is so precious, and you no doubt want to go out swinging, avoid doing these 9 habits too much and too often.

Are there any habits that aren’t on this list? If so, leave comment below!

For more details on all 9 of these, watch this comprehensive video from Psych2Go: