229: Dr. Adam Gazzaley: How To Stay Focused In the Digital Age Of Distraction

Have you ever entered a room and forgot what you went in there for? Or opened your refrigerator and forgot what you needed? In today's episode with Dr. Adam Gazzaley we explore the science behind why this happens and how you can take cognitive control of your brain to improve your attention, working memory, goal management and productivity as he discusses his book: The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World. Listen now for more! Brief Bio:

Dr. Adam Gazzaley obtained an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, completed Neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and postdoctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at University of California, Berkeley. He is now Professor in Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco and the Founder / Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center engaged in technology creation and scientific research. He designs and develops novel brain assessment and optimization tools to impact education, wellness, and medicine practices.

His research and perspectives have been consistently profiled in high-impact media, such as The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Discover, Wired, PBS, NPR, CNN and NBC Nightly News. He wrote and hosted the nationally televised PBS special "The Distracted Mind with Dr. Adam Gazzaley", and co-authored with Dr. Larry Rosen the MIT Press book: "The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World". Dr. Gazzaley has received many awards and honors, most recently the 2015 Society for Neuroscience – Science Educator Award.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why self-help is not enough (09:57)
• How our brains can stop us from achieving our goals (14:08)
• Understanding working memory (16:30)
• 5 ways to reduce social media distractions and be more productive (25:30)
• The truth behind technology and its effect on the brain (31:43)
• 5 Pillars of brain health (37:41)
• The benefits of stepping outside your comfort zone (50:06)
• Why it is okay to be bored (54:25)
• How to be less dependent on your smartphone (58:37)

Resources:

The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World

MIT Press

Connect with Adam:

Website

Twitter

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Until next time!

Ted