Transcription
Skincare. We commit ourselves to treatments, expensive products, and 10-step daily routines to ensure our skin stays bouncy, glowy, and youthful. But what about our brains? The thing that runs your entire life. Are we giving it the same level of care? So, here's how you can make your overstimulated mind as fresh and glowy as your skin.
First, let me introduce you to the star of the show, the incredible brain. [cheering] >> Hey, where did my brain go? Our brains can fill the spark of joy when you eat or even smell a delicious meal. Help you learn a completely new skill. Allow you to fall in love and form dear connections with others. Create art, music, and ideas that have never existed before. Your brain is quietly working in the background, taking care of every breath and every heartbeat. Things we never have to remind ourselves to do. It's like your brain is gently saying, "I've got this. You just focus on living."
From the outside, the brain might just seem like a pink blob. But the human brain is composed of an estimated 86 billion neurons. That's almost as many stars as there are in the entire Milky Way galaxy. And several hundred million research projects still failed to fully map the structure of the brain. That very expensive brain is in your head right now. But despite knowing this, our brains are facing an existential [music] crisis. In fact, Brain became Oxford's word of the year in 2024. The more we take care of our brains, the better it can take care of us. We need to become our brain's best friend.
Number one, kill [music] the ants in your brain. Ants are automatic negative thoughts. One ant seems harmless, but once it infests through the process of overthinking, it gets quite horrifying. There are so many different types of ants such as the fortune-telling ants that predict the worst-case scenario without any real evidence or the always thinking ants using words like always, never, or everyone. So, what can you do? First, find that [music] thought and write it down. By writing down the thought, you create distance from it, which makes it easier to respond objectively rather than emotionally. Next, take that thought to trial and ask yourself, is it 100% true? What is the evidence against it? Who would I be without this thought? By questioning the thought, you're physically loosening the neural bonds of that negative habit. The antidote is to [music] replace the lie with a simple truth. You're trying to lay a brand-new neural track. And finally, whenever that ant seems to resurface, speak that new truth over your life and then do an action to reinforce it.
Imagine your brain is a car, a $100 million car. These types of car require high-quality fuel to ensure they run smoothly and to their optimal potential. If you opt for cheaper fuel, it will damage the engine of the car. That is the same with our brains. Our brain is only 2% of our body weight yet consumes about 20% of oxygen and calories. Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen came up with a concept called the love test where you only eat things that love you back by supporting your health. Here's a list that I made based on the Food for the Brain [music] Foundation. You can download this PDF in the description link below. And no, you don't need to cut out those croissants. But when given the choice, support local businesses who put their time and care into their food rather than choosing ultra-processed food.
Because our ancestors walked up to 12 miles a day, human brains are designed to function optimally while in motion. When we exercise, it boosts BDNF, often referred to as miracle growth because it supports the growth of new neurons and protects existing brain cells. In fact, the author of the book Brain Rules by John Medina says the most wasted time in a day is the hour after aerobic exercise. Ideally, we should wipe ourselves down, making sure we're not stinky, and make the most out of this increased brain function by going to learn something. Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman suggests these three forms of exercise in your weekly schedule. I also want to add in their coordination sports like racket sports because it helps your brain to be engaged and increase walking throughout the day.
>> Some of the great minds in history are known to include walking into their daily routine. Einstein will walk a mile and a half journey to Princeton University and back. Darwin went for three 45-minute walks every day. And Tchaikovsky became so obsessed with his daily walk, he superstitiously timed them to precisely 2 hours a day.
One thing that stayed with me from high school, and it's been like 8 years since then, is when my history teacher told us that the brain is like a balloon that can shrink in size temporarily if you don't drink enough water. A dehydrated brain works even harder to achieve the same amount of work as a normal brain. Even a 1 to 2% decrease in hydration levels can impair concentration, mood, and memory. In fact, pause this video and have a drink of water right now. We'll be waiting.
And speaking of shrinking things, research has also found that poor oral health, like gum disease or tooth loss, is linked to changes in the brain, including shrinkage in areas responsible for thinking and memory. So get your teeth checked up and make sure you floss every day.
Bruce Lee once said, "Don't speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke. Your body doesn't know the difference." The brain doesn't judge the truth of your thoughts. Your brain strengthens the thoughts that you practice most. And over time, those repeated thoughts don't just stay as thoughts. They start to shape how you see your reality, even if those beliefs are limiting. Similarly, Dr. Daniel Amen encourages people to have a positive bias. Negative thoughts tend to get more attention than positive ones. This is because our brains were evolved to pay attention to things that could go wrong, which was designed to keep us safe from danger. So, start your day by saying, "Today is going to be a great day." Because your brain pays attention to what you expect and starts to look for evidence to match it. >> Today is the best day.
Meditation has been dated back to over 5,000 years ago. When you meditate, the gray matter which is linked to focus, learning, and emotional control, increases in size, while the amygdala, your stress, fear, and anxiety center shrinks. A published study conducted at Google and RO in which employees used a meditation app for eight weeks reported a 46% reduction in depression and a 31% reduction in anxiety. [music] And that meditation app was Headspace.
Recently I have been really busy and as much as I love my jam-packed day, sometimes it gets too overwhelming and [music] I find that I'm stressed out. And in those moments, I reach for my phone and scroll away sometimes for hours. So instead, I've been choosing to use those pockets of time to be more mindful and meditate, which is where Headspace has been a big [music] help between big tasks throughout the day or even before meeting a friend sitting in the car. I like to do quick [music] meditations like they're taking a break meditation on Headspace to reset.
>> Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Just enjoying that feeling. Body pressing down. Just having nothing to do for a few minutes. >> I really appreciate that. that it's guided because sometimes it's hard to get into that still state by yourself, especially when your thoughts are trying to grab your attention. And I like that they give you options as to how much time you want to spend meditating. Some days 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or even longer. Even though it's a short amount of time, afterwards, I feel really relaxed and clear-minded, ready to lock in 100% for my next task or be fully present in my conversations. In fact, research shows 5 minutes of Headspace a day reduces stress and 3 days of Headspace is proven to increase focus. If you want to learn how to meditate or show your brain some love, you can try Headspace completely free for 60 days using my link in the description or by scanning the QR code on the screen. That's two full months of access [music] compared to the two-day trial on their website. It's completely free, so why not give it a try and see firsthand yourself [music] the effects of meditation.
Number seven, limit short-form consumption. You know what the top three scariest things are in this world? First, being buried alive. Second, drowning. Third, taking the iPad off a six-year-old child. >> [screaming] >> Constant screen use overloads your dopamine system with quick rewards. And those rewards aren't predictable, meaning you'll never know when you'll hit that jackpot piece of content, making it the modern-day addiction. Over time, the brain adapts by becoming less sensitive, meaning it takes more stimulation just to feel the same amount of satisfaction. It's like a glucose spike. You eat highly sugary food, it spikes you up, and then you feel a crash afterwards, meaning you'll see more glucose-spiking foods just to counteract that. Instead, try to get dopamine for more meaningful things such as cold exposures or even cleaning your room.
Next, our attention spans are not shrinking. It's becoming fragmented. Every time you scroll or multitask, you're actually paying a price called switch cost. Your prefrontal cortex, aka your brain CEO, has to manually deactivate one set of rules and load the context for another, leaving us mentally exhausted. Multitasking can feel productive. That quick stitching gives your brain a little bit of dopamine. But this trains your brain to crave constant stimulation and weakens your ability to focus. Focus on one thing uninterrupted for even 20 minutes and it can dramatically improve your performance and a more lasting sense of satisfaction.
Your brain is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger its connections become. But when it isn't regularly challenged, those connections can gradually weaken. There are so many fun things you can do to make your brain strong, like reading, learning how to make sourdough. In fact, I've got it right here with me. This is my sourdough starter. Or if sourdough is not your thing, you could always try a new spot.
Our ancestors living in constant danger, not knowing when the next lion will jump out and eat them, still made time to sleep because they knew without it survival wasn't possible. While awake, our neurons are constantly firing. Neural signals in the brain travel at a speed of 268 mph, and the brain generates enough electrical current to power a 25W bulb. Sleep is when your brain cleans and repairs itself. Neurons regain sensitivity and damaged cells are repaired.
The brain is biologically wired for connection. In fact, there's a whole book written called Why Brains Need Friends. Scientists have found that people with strong social ties are less likely to experience cognitive decline than people who spend most of their time alone. Some fun brain-supporting activities you could do with your friends include going to the sauna together. You could spend some time meditating together before or after long conversations or do physical activity together like your hot girl or hot guy walk, specifically in nature.
And you shouldn't get stressed about [music] doing these brain-care routines perfectly. Start small and trust that every small choice is literally rewiring your brain because the way you treat your brain today is the way it will learn to treat your life tomorrow. And remember, you can try Headspace entirely free for 60 days by using my link in the description box below or scanning the QR code on screen. It's a great way to start your brain-care journey coming out of this video. I'll see you guys in the next one. God bless you guys. You got this.