Change Your BRAIN, Change Your LIFE! These Hacks Will Improve Your BRAIN | Dr. Daniel Amen (Replay) | Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu

Intro

In this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, Dr. Daniel Amen discusses the power of changing your brain to improve your life. He emphasizes the importance of identifying and taming the “dragons” from the past that affect our emotional brain and provides strategies for balancing the prefrontal cortex. Dr. Amen also shares techniques like EMDR and Havening for processing trauma and improving brain health. Additionally, he highlights the connection between gut health and mental well-being and offers insights on how to make informed decisions about food and products.

Main Takeaways

Improving Brain Health

• Better brain leads to better decisions, relationships, money, and life
• The brain is always listening to past experiences, food, marketers, and what you say about your past
• The idea of dragons from the past that still affect the emotional brain
• Identifying the dragons and their impact on relationships, including pandemic-related dragons
• The downsides and upsides of the dragons and how they affect one’s life
• Balancing the prefrontal cortex to avoid pathological behaviors
• The prefrontal cortex as the break in the brain that needs to be balanced
• The prefrontal cortex acts as a break in the brain that needs to be balanced with the emotional brain
• Balance is necessary between passion, purpose, and reason, and the prefrontal cortex’s ability to put the brakes on
• Trauma can cause wounded dragons, which can manifest in anxiety, sadness, and trauma

Overcoming Cognitive Distortions

• Recognizing and disconnecting from trauma is essential, but it can be a tall order
• The anxious dragon and the responsible dragon are the most common dragons people have, according to KnowYourDragon.com quiz
• Social media is driving an epidemic of negative thinking
• The fear of death dragon is common, but people can come to grips with death through exercises like writing down 10 good things about dying
• Identifying your dragon and practicing accurate thinking through journaling can help overcome cognitive distortions
• The 5 questions for accurate thinking: Is it true? Is it absolutely true with 100% certainty? How do I feel when I believe it? Who would I be without this thought? Flip it around to the opposite and give examples
• Accurately identifying one’s abilities and self-worth can be a struggle, but practicing accurate thinking can help overcome negative self-talk.

Techniques for Brain Health

• EMDR is a powerful technique for desensitization and reprocessing of trauma
• Bilateral hemispheres stimulation techniques like EMDR and Havening can profoundly shift the brain
• Havening technique can help process traumatic events by providing bilateral stimulation on both sides of the body
• The technique involves rubbing your hands, face, or shoulders while thinking of the trauma
• It can be done by oneself or with the help of someone else, and more information can be found at havening.org
• The Anthros chair is a unique and comfortable office chair that can improve posture and reduce pain
• Meditation works by optimizing the pleasure of each part of the breath, which helps to ground the mind in the present moment and prevent it from wandering to stressful thoughts.
• Bilateral hemisphere stimulation is critical in disrupting the pattern of runaway thoughts and reducing the intensity of traumatic memories.
• EMDR therapy can have biological effects on the brain by calming down the limbic or emotional brain activity in PTSD patients.

Brain-Healthy Habits

• Highly processed, pesticide-sprayed, high glycemic, low fiber, food-like substances stored in plastic containers can poison your gut and your brain.
• There’s a linear correlation between weight and decreased brain activity and blood flow.
• Being intentional is key to changing bad habits and improving brain health
• Reading labels of food and products is important to make informed decisions
• Ask yourself if something is good or bad for your brain before consuming it
• Improving brain health can lead to improved mood, focus, and decision-making
• Mental illness should be reframed as brain health
• The gut and brain are connected, and what we eat can affect our mental health
• Elimination diets can be beneficial for improving mental health
• Marijuana can have negative effects on brain activity and accelerate aging

Summary

Improving Brain Health

Dr. Daniel Amen emphasizes the importance of improving brain health for better decision-making, relationships, and overall life. He explains how past experiences, food, marketers, and self-talk can influence the brain. By identifying and taming the “dragons” from the past, individuals can address emotional triggers and improve their relationships. Balancing the prefrontal cortex, also known as the brain’s break, is crucial to avoid pathological behaviors. Trauma can manifest as wounded dragons, leading to anxiety, sadness, and trauma-related symptoms.

Overcoming Cognitive Distortions

Dr. Amen highlights the prevalence of cognitive distortions and negative thinking driven by social media. He introduces the concept of dragons, such as the anxious dragon and the responsible dragon, which can be identified through self-assessment quizzes. To overcome cognitive distortions, practicing accurate thinking through journaling and challenging negative thoughts with the 5 questions for accurate thinking is recommended. Accurately identifying one’s abilities and self-worth can be challenging but essential for overcoming negative self-talk.

Techniques for Brain Health

Dr. Amen introduces powerful techniques for improving brain health, such as EMDR and Havening. EMDR is effective for desensitizing and reprocessing trauma, while bilateral hemispheres stimulation techniques like Havening can significantly shift the brain. Havening involves bilateral stimulation on the body while recalling traumatic events. The Anthros chair is recommended for improving posture and reducing pain. Meditation is also highlighted as a technique for grounding the mind in the present moment and preventing stressful thoughts.

Brain-Healthy Habits

Dr. Amen emphasizes the importance of brain-healthy habits, including avoiding highly processed, pesticide-sprayed, and low-fiber foods stored in plastic containers. Reading labels and making informed decisions about food and products is crucial. Intentionally assessing whether something is good or bad for the brain before consuming it is recommended. Improving brain health can lead to improved mood, focus, and decision-making. The gut-brain connection is highlighted, and elimination diets are suggested for improving mental health. Negative effects of marijuana on brain activity and aging are also mentioned.

Conclusion

Dr. Daniel Amen provides valuable insights on improving brain health to enhance various aspects of life. By identifying and taming the dragons from the past, practicing accurate thinking, and utilizing techniques like EMDR and Havening, individuals can overcome cognitive distortions and process trauma effectively. Implementing brain-healthy habits, such as making informed food choices and avoiding harmful substances, can lead to improved mental well-being. Dr. Amen’s approach to brain health offers a powerful framework for personal growth and happiness.