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The brain is arguably the most delicate organ of the human body. It is the only organ fully encased by your skull, and it does not react well to physical impacts. And there are numerous other ways that the brain is vulnerable.  

The brain doesn't react well to lack of stimulation or overstimulation. The brain needs to be exercised but not pushed too hard. The brain is subject to ruin by ingesting street drugs and some pharmaceuticals. There are street drugs that you could try one time, and you are permanently hooked. There are pharmaceuticals that have bad, irreversible effects on the brain. 

If the environment is hostile, overstimulating or under-stimulating, it will affect brain structure, since the brain is trying to adapt. Human evolution lags technological advancement and other changes, to where people are not adapted to numerous modern-day environments. 

Inpatient psychiatric wards, in modern times, are not great places to get well. There is a lot of overcrowding there is a great deal of noise and commotion, there are agitated patients (who may sometimes be violent), and the supervision by staff may be rough, unkind and forceful at times. 

For the brain to be well, environment matters.  

If we are in a position of choice concerning how we spend our time and how we do things, there are measures we can take that will help our brains be better than otherwise.  

We should not overexert the brain, yet we should not let it go unused. Learning the signs of overexertion of the brain, and getting to know more in general about your brain, will help.  

I used to get an inexplicable cough, one that I could not attribute to congestion, when I pushed it too hard. More recently, I've simply fallen asleep in my chair when my brain has had enough. Sometimes this would happen after the exertion on the brain of writing good copy.  

Writing good fiction is about the most brain-intensive activity I can do. In some instances, I'll know before I even start that my mental energy level isn't up for it. At other times, I have plenty of mental power, and I will go ahead with it for a while.  

"Pushing yourself" used to be recommended by someone I know. That person is not mentally ill and did not understand some people's difficulties. "Pushing it" is fine some of the time, but you should understand that in some instances you are doing yourself a disfavor. It doesn't always work to push yourself beyond, or far beyond, your comfort zone.  

There are numerous reasons why we should be gentle with ourselves, and this is not limited to brain health. 

The operating system of the mind is vulnerable also. This "operating system" could be thought of as your "personality," only it is more than that. Part of the "operating system" of the mind is the internal dialog.  

When we share space with negative or combative people, some of that may rub off. When someone speaks to us, the words are absorbed by the brain, and we are affected.  

If we take care of ourselves, if we choose to be kind to ourselves, it will have a good effect on how we deal with others. If we push it too hard, we could become accident prone, or we could be otherwise self-sabotaging.  

Those whose work ethic is obsessive and who are determined to be materially "successful" no matter what, will tend to be rough with other people when they feel they can get away with it. This comes back to haunt them in the form of a continuous battle against various foes. If no one wants to fight, the obsessively successful person will formulate a fight against someone--whoever is the most convenient.  

It is necessary to make an effort at life. If we fail to make an effort to make our lives work, this default will allow other people to determine our destinies. However, excessive effort to the point where you are pushing yourself beyond reasonable limits can cause injury. Sometimes the injury isn't visible, such as when the brain is excessively strained due to overexertion. At other times, excessive effort brings up opposition.  

Effort can be uncomfortable, but we should make an effort. Too much effort may bring about warning signs that we can learn to recognize. Sometimes the answer isn't in trying harder--in some instances, it is time to back off.