![\"\"](\"https:\/\/datingloving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-towfiqu-barbhuiya-3440682-11354240-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n01 Often, we mistakenly believe that “resting” means doing nothing. The most common way we relax is by lying on the couch and scrolling through social media or watching short videos. We wait for content we’re interested in to be fed to us by algorithms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this “shutdown and maintenance” approach does not adequately rest the brain. As early as 2014, research showed that, though highly information-dense, passive content like short videos has an extremely low cognitive load. Prolonged exposure to this type of information environment weakens the functionality of the attention system (Katsuki & Constantinidis, 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, what rejuvenates the brain is immersive focus, or “flow,” as described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we engage in activities that require concentrated attention, involve complex systems, are challenging, and have clear goals, our brains enter a state of heightened focus and pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, mental labor, such as learning languages, playing instruments, or programming, may be the best form of rest for the brain. These activities cultivate interest and a sense of accomplishment, and help us break free from passively receiving information and shift toward actively constructing knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research indicates that such intrinsically motivated learning behaviors develop the executive function system of the brain, located in the prefrontal cortex. This system is responsible for planning, attention control, and emotional regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These functions determine whether we can resist “brain atrophy” and maintain brain vitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 02 Many people have not considered that smartphones have reduced the range of our touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today’s smartphones are increasingly slim and lightweight, allowing us to browse endless information with just one finger. This extremely simplified operation has disconnected the body from other senses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sense of touch is the earliest developed and most fundamental sensory channel in humans. It is an important component of human perception and directly participates in spatial awareness, memory, and emotional regulation. The richer and more complex the tactile activities, the greater the stimulation of the brain. These are aspects that cannot be replaced by swiping a screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the rise of “paperless” practices, students still use advanced tablets with capacitive pens to take traditional handwritten notes. This is because handwritten notes enhance learners’ understanding and memory of content more effectively than typing does. Handwriting activates multiple brain regions related to language, movement, and stress regulation\u20143.2 times more than typing (Mueller, 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, during leisure time, engage in activities that activate the sense of touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Write in a diary or copy excerpts from books using a pen and paper instead of typing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Engage in activities that require both hands, such as assembling models, creating collages, or knitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Read physical books or magazines and flip pages instead of swiping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Bake, cook, or repurpose items like milk tea cups or takeout bags into useful items. Opt to make things instead of buying them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an era flooded with visual information, returning to tactile experiences is a way to balance and regulate the brain’s perceptual functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 03 As we all know, quitting internet addiction is extremely difficult. This is because we have developed behavioral inertia, making picking up a smartphone and opening TikTok more automatic and swift than shaking it to open Pinduoduo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cAtomic Habits,\u201d James Clear proposes that the formation of any habit depends on four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. To break a habit, you can approach it from these same four angles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans are visual creatures, and red dots, vibrations, and sound effects are “cues” that increase the likelihood of a behavior. To eliminate these cues, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Disable notifications for most apps, especially social media, short video, and shopping apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Enable \u201cdo not disturb\u201d mode during specific times, such as after work from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Do not log into social media on your work computer to physically separate work and entertainment devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Use a minimalist mode to reduce visual stimuli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If people were carrying basic feature phones, there would be no need to actively avoid them. To reduce your phone’s appeal, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Uninstall redundant entertainment apps to avoid switching to another app after feeling fatigued from watching videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Place work apps or uninteresting software on the home screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Pre-select preferred content to avoid wasting time by constantly switching and refreshing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With our phones always by our side, we can instantly satisfy our impulses. To make it harder to react impulsively, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Use a phone lock box or app. Start with 30 minutes and gradually increase the lock time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Watch movies and TV shows on larger screens, such as projectors or TVs, to reduce the need for constant interaction and improve focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Keep your phone in a distant room or a drawer where it\u2019s difficult to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Habits form because they offer pleasurable rewards. To reverse this effect and break bad habits, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Once you recognize addictive patterns, attach negative consequences to the behavior. For example, when you instinctively open a short video app, immediately imagine that three hours have passed and you\u2019ve gained nothing. Today, I\u2019ve wasted my time again! After prolonged, deliberate practice, your brain will associate this thought with picking up your phone, evoking the image of a lifeless fish and making it easier to break your phone addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Design rewards for positive behaviors. For instance, after consistently reading deeply before bed for a week, treat yourself to a small item you like. (Please avoid using “watching videos” as a reward for “not watching videos.”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 04 One of the key manifestations of “brain rot” is the weakening of our connections with others and with reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the human brain’s default mode network (DMN) is more active during social interactions than when receiving information. This suggests that we naturally think and grow better through interaction with others than through prolonged isolation in front of a screen (Lieberman, 2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, to benefit our brains, we should adopt more offline entertainment methods. For example, you could agree with friends that whoever checks their phone first buys the next round. You could also try one of the many hands-on courses available each week or take a 20-minute walk in the park to help your brain regain its vitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, the short video environment has a far greater detrimental effect on children’s patience and attention than on adults because ages 6\u201312 are a critical period for the development of the brain’s multisensory integration abilities. However, children lack the ability to independently choose healthier behaviors, so adult modeling is particularly important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of scolding children for using their phones, take them outside to explore nature, observe plants and animals, or do crafts. Even simple bedtime stories or animated TV shows are preferable to short videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 05 During deep non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, one of the greatest neural collaborative performances known to date occurs. During this time, cerebrospinal fluid flows through the brain like waves, removing metabolic waste (including substances associated with Alzheimer’s disease) that has accumulated during the day. (Walker, 2007).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Short videos and social media are highly stimulating content. Combined with the blue light emitted by smartphone screens, they delay sleep onset and reduce the likelihood of entering deep sleep. This is why you still feel physically exhausted, mentally scattered, and visually blurred the next day after falling asleep while scrolling on your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a comfortable sleep environment is crucial for brain health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Avoid blue light, and do not bring your phone to bed one hour before sleep. Draw a clear line between “using the brain” and “repairing the brain.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Keep the bedroom cool, dimly lit, and quiet. Choose skin-friendly bedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Engage in activities that help your body rest, such as light yoga, foot soaks, or meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sleep is the foundation of all brain repair activities. Therefore, to combat “brain decay,” it is necessary not only to reduce information intake and focus attention, but also to restore the brain’s self-repair capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 06 In his podcast, American nutritionist Andrew Huberman mentioned that exercise’s effects on the brain are not “indirectly helpful” but “directly activating.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research shows that people who exercise regularly produce more myelin. Myelin is a lipid layer that enhances the speed and efficiency of neural signal transmission. Myelin surrounds neural pathways, making them smoother and faster. This enables us to react more quickly, remember more clearly, and maintain emotional stability when faced with challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, exercise can trigger neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons in the brain. This process is commonly observed in infants’ and young children’s brain activity, but adults can also stimulate their brains through moderate exercise. This enhances their learning ability and emotional resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neurologist Tara Swart proposes that exercise that triggers neurogenesis must meet the following conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Moderate intensity. Choose gentle aerobic exercise and avoid excessive heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u25a8 Intermittent. Exercise three times a week or exercise one week and rest the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the alternation between exercise and rest, the brain naturally releases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), one of the most critical factors promoting neural plasticity. Eating deep-sea fish and dark green vegetables also aids in repairing brain neural structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Final Thoughts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the internet age, it’s unrealistic to expect to maintain brain health by abstaining from electronic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digital content can provide relaxation and comfort at times. Combating “brain decay” isn’t about opposing entertainment; it’s about offering more ways to connect with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, the human brain is a precise and magnificent product of evolution that needs to be explored and nurtured. We cannot escape the digital world, but we can learn to live more mindfully within it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the era of short videos, here are six methods to save your “rotten” brain.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[23],"class_list":["post-258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-default","tag-short-videos"],"yoast_head":"\n
True relaxation isn’t shutting down.
but immersive focus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/datingloving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-mikoto-3367850-1024x789.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Restoring the Sense of Touch
This primal sensory channel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/datingloving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/side-view-family-eating-together-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Breaking the “Smartphone Addiction” Habit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/datingloving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-d-ng-thanh-tu-2922122-12443680-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Return to Offline Life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/datingloving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-polina-kovaleva-6541082-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Sleep is the most powerful
brain repair activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/datingloving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/woman-doing-her-workout-home-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Exercise as a Brain Supplement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n