Neuroplasticity - What's the Biggest Barrier to Change?

Barry O’Reilly is pleased to welcome Dr. Erik Reis to this episode of the Unlearn Podcast. Erik is a Co-Founder of Health and Wellness at Nobody Studios and has spent the last 10 years of his career helping individuals maximize their bodies, brains, and business through neuroscience and behavioral psychology. “He believes the brain is limitless,” Barry remarks, “which is why his efforts at Nobody Studios are focused on maximizing human potential and improving access to global healthcare.” In today’s show, Erik and Barry talk about the power of the brain, and how to maximize your human potential.     Maximize Your Brain “Every single one of us has the capacity to change and to improve and to adapt, and become more efficient at whatever task it is,” Erik tells listeners. He stresses that your daily actions, habits, and choices manifest in long-term outcomes. This is exciting because it means that we can achieve big goals by taking small steps every day. “I think that the brain is the final frontier. I'm thoroughly convinced that it is one of the only frontiers that we can truly try and pursue and master at some point,” Erik says.   Update Your Brain’s Software You can change your brain simply by changing your habits, Erik points out. Given the same stimulus, people make different choices based on their perceptions. As such, Erik sees it as his mission to help people change their brain, or “update their software”. This is a requirement to reach your fullest potential in life and in business, he says. One simple step anyone can take to ‘update their software’ is movement and exercise: “Movement will always be the language of the brain,” Erik says.   Small Steps, Big Impact There’s no one magic pill; rather, maximizing your potential is a matter of small actions taken consistently. Instead, keep an open mind - be open to differing opinions, perspectives, and experiences. The brain is not binary, so our mindset shouldn’t be either. He and Barry discuss the importance of diet and relationships in living a fulfilling life. What you put into your body directly affects your brain’s health. Additionally, humans are social beings, so people who have strong relationships enjoy a better quality of life.   Prevention and Habit Stacking Barry comments on the value of prehab, taking corrective action once you see a problem to prevent having to do rehab later on. Erik agrees and states that prevention is a key focus of his practice. It’s not the first cigarette or cheeseburger that kills you, he says; it’s the 1000th. Start with one small habit, and keep stacking new ones. “That's the beauty of the brain,” Erik says, “you were just laying down new neural networks, and you were just facilitating long term potential health and growth of those pathways, to now where you have just become a different person; and that's what people are striving for all around the world!”    The Infinite Game Nobody Studios’ goal is to help entrepreneurs build companies that impact the people they serve. Changing one person’s life could have exponential outcomes, Erik and Barry agree. That’s why Erik’s role at Nobody Studios is so important and bigger than himself, he says. He wants his legacy to be the people he helped change their brain and ultimately their lives. Barry asks him to advise listeners who want to change their lives about where to start. Start where you are, Erik responds. Form good foundational habits, and be willing to change your bad habits. “Take the plunge and get after it and don't be scared to ask for help,” he tells listeners. “One thing that I've realized throughout my life is the more help that I've asked for, the more help that I've gotten. More importantly too, the faster I've been able to accomplish things that I wanted to accomplish in my life.”   For full show notes, visit BarryOReilly.com   Resources Dr. Erik Reis on LinkedIn Nobody Studios