Intro
In this episode of “The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett,” Steven interviews Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist, leadership coach, and author. They discuss various topics related to the brain-body connection, stress, bonding, neuroplasticity, and personal growth. Dr. Swart shares valuable insights and practical tips for optimizing brain function and improving overall well-being.
Main Takeaways
Optimizing Brain Function
- Visualizing yourself doing something can increase muscle mass by 13%.
- Doing intense activities can improve the highest functions of the brain.
- A good diet, hydration, sleep, and managing stress are important for the brain-body connection.
- Physical exercise can help sweat excess cortisol out of the body.
- Journaling or speaking out loud to a therapist or trusted friend can help get rid of negative thoughts associated with stress.
- Sleep is crucial for laying down memories, processing emotions, and regenerating cells in the body.
- Co-sleeping in groups is how we evolved and is fundamental to our survival.
- Wearing an HRV monitor with a gel pad on your chest measures heart rate variability and can show whether you’re recouping resilience or stressed.
- Learning new things and challenging the brain can lead to global benefits in brain function.
- Changing habits takes time and effort, but can lead to a stronger and healthier sense of self.
Bonding and Social Contagion
- Meeting people at a similar psychological level can lead to social contagion.
- Eye contact with the right eye to the baby’s left eye is the most bonding eye contact that you can have with someone.
- Physical interaction like a handshake, hug, or kiss on the cheek encourages bonding.
- Putting the other hand over the top of someone’s hand during a handshake creates a sense of warmth and trust.
- Eye contact and physical interaction create higher levels of the bonding hormone oxytocin, making someone more likely to lower their guard, trust the person, and take a healthy risk.
- Laughing together also increases oxytocin levels.
- Vulnerability and going through emotional experiences can also increase bonding and oxytocin levels.
- Women who live or work closely together can synchronize their menstrual cycles.
- Sex steroid hormones like estrogen and progesterone leak out of our sweat and can affect other women’s menstrual cycles.
Stress and its Impact
- Stress hormone, cortisol, can leak out of our sweat and impact those around us.
- Stress can cause inflammation in the body, leading to health problems like heart attacks.
- Stress is subjective and can vary from person to person.
- There is an adaptive response to stress that can be healthy, but chronic stress is harmful.
- Stress can be contagious and affect those around us.
- Cortisol is the main stress hormone and impacts others based on hierarchy in an organization.
- Cortisol can lead to fat storage around the abdomen as a survival mechanism in times of low food availability.
- Managing stress and reducing cortisol levels can improve overall health and wellbeing.
Neuroplasticity and Personal Growth
- Neuroplasticity allows for creating associations between safety and certain stimuli.
- Learning a new language or musical instrument can lead to benefits in brain function such as regulating emotions, solving complex problems, thinking flexibly, and overriding biases.
- Creating the right conditions in the body, such as regular sleep and hydration, can help with neuroplasticity.
- Changing habits requires raised awareness, spotting patterns, and deliberate practice.
- Trauma can create well-established pathways in the brain that make habit changes harder.
- Brain plasticity allows for change even after trauma.
- Manifestation is supported by cognitive science, which is the combination of psychology and neuroscience.
- Visualization and expressing gratitude can help shift the brain from a fear state to a trusted state, opening the gateway to change.
- Neurodiversity refers to anything that doesn’t fall into the category of a typical brain.
- Overcoming deep-seated beliefs can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Summary
Optimizing Brain Function and Managing Stress
Dr. Tara Swart emphasizes the importance of visualizing desired outcomes, engaging in intense activities, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and managing stress for optimal brain function. Physical exercise, journaling, and adequate sleep play crucial roles in reducing stress and improving overall well-being. Co-sleeping and physical touch foster bonding and release oxytocin, while managing stress and reducing cortisol levels can prevent health problems.
Bonding, Social Contagion, and Menstrual Synchronization
Eye contact, physical interaction, and shared emotional experiences contribute to bonding and the release of oxytocin. Women who live or work closely together can synchronize their menstrual cycles due to the impact of sex steroid hormones. These findings shed light on the importance of human connection and the potential influence individuals have on each other’s physiological processes.
Neuroplasticity and Personal Growth
Neuroplasticity allows for the creation of new neural pathways and changing habits. Learning new skills, creating the right conditions in the body, and challenging oneself contribute to neuroplasticity. Overcoming deep-seated beliefs and practicing manifestation based on cognitive science can lead to personal growth and a more fulfilling life.
Conclusion
Dr. Tara Swart’s insights highlight the intricate connection between the brain and body, emphasizing the importance of self-care, human connection, and personal growth. By understanding and harnessing neuroplasticity, individuals can optimize brain function, manage stress, foster bonding, and achieve personal goals. The podcast episode provides valuable knowledge and practical strategies for listeners to enhance their well-being and reach their full potential.
