5 Brain Hacks A Neuroscientist Uses On Herself

The internet is full of hacks for literally everything. The The best way to cut an avocado? There is a hack for that. want to make Packing for a weekend trip A breeze? There is also a genius trick for this. But when it comes the brain Hacks, no one understands how to harness their power better than a neuroscientist. And when your job is to learn how to achieve peak brain performance, you’re betting that you’re taking all that knowledge and implementing it in your own life. The same goes for neuroscientists Tara Swart, MD, PhD, who says she prioritizes a few brain hacks each day to reduce stress, improve her mood, and help her achieve her goals. Read on to learn what brain hacks are and how to do them.

1. Practice deep breathing

After waking up, the first thing Dr. Swart does is take 10-20 deep breaths. He focuses on releasing any muscle tension in his body, which helps shift stuck energy and helps him be more adaptive and responsive during the day to achieve his goals.

That’s because, he explains, deep breathing supports neuroplasticity, which is our brain’s ability to be flexible and learn and grow throughout life. “Neuroplasticity gives us the ability to change our brains—and therefore, reinvent our lives at any age, at any stage, or in any mindset,” she says. For example, if there is a habit you want to break or a goal you want to achieve, neuroplasticity enables us to make those changes instead of being stuck in old patterns or ways of thinking.

“Mindful breathing can, too Decrease the size of the amygdala, which promotes stress-reducing effects. The amygdala is the part of the brain that detects when you are in danger and activates the fight or flight response.“Certified Breathing Teacher Anna Lilia Better to say before + better. “When you practice diaphragmatic breathing, you Activate your parasympathetic nervous system And go into ‘rest and digest’ mode, which helps lower your blood pressure and cortisol levels.”

2. Visualize your goal

If you don’t already have a vision board, or as Dr. Swart calls them, “action boards,” take some time to create one. “An action board is a collage, made by hand or digitally, with a literal or figurative representation of what we want in life,” she says. As part of his daily practice, he uses his action board, which he keeps next to his bed, to visualize the images that already come true on the board.

It’s more than just imagining though. The key is to engage the body and feel how it feels to make those desires a reality with all your senses. “Looking at these images every day, imagining them to be true, feeling like them, and being grateful for them helps the brain notice and perceive real-world opportunities to make these goals a reality,” Dr. Swart explains

The brain does this through selective attention and value tagging. “Selective attention is literally paying attention, or noticing, things that are relevant to your growth, not just survival,” says Dr. Swart. “Value tagging is how the brain tags things in order of importance, and the visual triggers on the action board influence that and go out into the world without a clear picture of what you really want.”

3. Spend time in nature

“I walk outside in nature, or walk barefoot as often as I can, both for movement and oxygenation, but also for the incredible brain and body benefits of spending time in nature: Elevated moodLess stress, increased focus, less anxiety,” says Dr. Swart Sunlight also helps improve mood and boost energy And movement, in general, is great for mental and physical health, and you can reap many benefits from this daily practice. Bonus points if you do something hug the tree

4. Write a gratitude list

Dr. Swart lists 10 things he is grateful for every day. She recommends listing inner resources you’re grateful for, such as resilience, creativity or vulnerability, along with gratitude for the things you wish for as if they were already true. “It diverts the brain from the fear-stress hormone cortisol—love/trust—oxytocin and dopamine—allowing us to take healthy risks instead of being stuck,” she explains. If you’re new to practicing gratitude, consider using one Gratitude Journal With built-in prompts to help get those gratitude juices flowing.

5. Calm the mind

Another practice Dr. Swart incorporates into her daily routine is creating time and space to quiet her mind, which helps stimulate creativity in the brain. “I regularly spend some time just ‘being’ instead and allow my mind to wander,” she says. “Mind wandering shifts the brain out of ‘control mode’, which is task focused, into ‘default mode’, which deals with idea generation, out-of-the-box problem solving and creative thinking.”