5 Reasons Your Brain Needs You to Stop Unnecessary Complaining Right Now

Do you complain about everything? Do you know someone who is just always in a negative frame of mind, no matter what?

Let's start out with the fact that there's necessary complaining and unnecessary complaining. In some cases, it's relative, too. That said, think of this as a way to interrupt your negative thoughts and retrain your brain when complaining has become your mainstay.

It's all about neuroscience, which is the scientific study of the nervous system's functions and disorders. Your nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system.

According to the Geral Blanchard website, the neuroscience of negativity is a destructive power your brain will soak up. This means the opposite can happen, too.

Just seeing a list of positive words for a few seconds will make a highly anxious or depressed person feel better, and people who use more positive words tend to have greater control over their emotional regulation.

According to Upspiral Life on Instagram, the more you complain or engage in negative self-talk, the more your brain automatically sees negativity first each day.

YOU TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO PRIORITIZE NEGATIVITY, SUFFERING

If you only see the negative, then you're living in a world of tunnel vision and missing opportunities because all you see are ways life is victimizing or annoying you.

Is this the default mode you want? Do you want to constantly feed your brain with complaints about everything? Do you want this to be your brain's screensaver?

YOU STRENGTHEN THE WRONG BRAIN PATHWAYS

Basically, you rewire your brain to focus on the negative before the positive.

You know those people who only seem to bitch about things all the time? There you go. Pessimistic viewpoints take over, and people like that often don't even realize it because it's just the way they think now.

Angry words and thoughts, no matter how minimal, partially shut down the logic-and-reasoning centers located in the frontal lobes.

YOU FLOOD YOURSELF WITH STRESS HORMONES

Every time you complain, your cortisol and adrenaline surge, resulting in survival mode, so to speak. Chronic complaining keeps your nervous system on high alert, soaking in negativity about the world around you.

You're rarely at peace.

YOU SHRINK YOUR BRAIN POWER

Chronic negativity shrinks your hippocampus, the part of your brain that is connected to memory, learning, and emotional resilience.

The more you complain, the less brain power you have.

YOU DISRUPT YOUR BRAIN'S COMMAND CENTER

Your prefrontal cortex is your brain's command center, involved in decision making, emotional regulation, and creativity. But when you complain and focus on the negative, you redirect blood flow to your limbic system in your brain.

That's the fight or flight center where you're reactive and less rational.

HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN: Try These Fun, Unique Ways

Venting and working through issues affecting you and leading you to complain, so to speak, is essential for your mental health as well, so know the difference.