Join Dr Judson Brewer, expert in mindfulness and overcoming anxiety, as he discusses the transformative potential of mindfulness in unraveling anxiety, breaking destructive habits, and reassigning the reward value of behaviors. Explore the impact of mindfulness on brain function, the challenge of awareness in today's distracted world, and effective techniques for habit change. Discover Judson Brewer's personal journey to becoming a mindfulness expert and his strategy for managing anxiety. Learn valuable insights into distinguishing anxiety from depression and replacing bad habits with good. Don't miss this eye-opening conversation!
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Quick takeaways
Being present and aware can help break destructive habits and foster healthier patterns of thinking.
Awareness and paying attention to the rewards and consequences of our behaviors can lead to behavior change.
Reassigning the value of behavior involves reassessing the rewards or consequences associated with it and developing healthier habits through awareness and disenchantment.
Deep dives
The Power of Blood Work and Inside Tracker
Regular blood work can provide valuable insights into our health, allowing us to monitor our cardiometabolic and hormonal health. Services like Inside Tracker make the blood work process convenient by offering phlebotomists who can come to your location for the blood draw. Inside Tracker's app provides easy access to lab results and offers evidence-based lifestyle recommendations based on the test results. Their recommendations align with health and wellness information shared in the podcast episode and other reliable sources.
A Meal for Optimizing Plant-Based Diets
While a plant-based diet is beneficial for long-term health, supplements can help ensure optimal nutrient intake. The Essential 8 multivitamin and the optimal omega plus from A Meal are two recommended products. The Essential 8 contains crucial nutrients that plant-based eaters may be lacking, while the optimal omega plus provides a direct source of DHA and EPA omega-3s from algae. This supplement is equivalent to eating fatty fish multiple times a week, as recommended by nutrition guidelines globally.
Anxiety and Mindfulness
Anxiety is a common experience that can occur regardless of one's health, wealth, or personal/social life. The cause of anxiety is often unclear, and dwelling on the past or trying to identify the cause is unproductive. Instead, focusing on the present moment and being aware of anxiety itself can be more helpful. The podcast episode highlights the insights of Professor Judson Brewer, an expert in psychiatry, neuroscience, and mindfulness. The conversation explores the link between paying attention and curbing anxiety, suggesting that being present and aware can help break destructive habits and foster healthier patterns of thinking.
Rewiring the Brain and Changing Habits
To develop new habits and break destructive ones, it is essential to focus on rewiring the old brain, the part that drives habits. While willpower may not be an effective strategy, awareness and paying attention to the rewards and consequences of our behaviors can lead to behavior change. By bringing attention to the experience of habits, we can reassess the reward value and develop a more accurate perception of the habit's impact. This process of rewiring the brain involves cultivating awareness and changing the way we feel about habits, ultimately leading to more conscious and intentional choices.
Reassigning the Value of Behavior Through Attention
Reassigning the value of behavior involves paying attention to how we feel after engaging in certain actions. By becoming purposefully honest and aware of our experiences, we can reassess the value we attach to those actions. This process of reassignment is not about convincing ourselves that certain behaviors are bad, but rather recognizing the true rewards or consequences associated with them. Through awareness and disenchantment with the behavior, we can create a shift in our mindset and develop healthier habits.
Mapping Habits and Cultivating Awareness
Developing awareness of our habits starts with mapping them out. By identifying triggers, behaviors, and results, we can gain insight into the repetitive patterns that shape our lives. Focusing on triggers alone is insufficient, as it's the reinforcement mechanisms that hold the power. Understanding the reward value of behaviors is crucial, as it allows us to reevaluate the benefits we derive from them. With heightened awareness, we can make conscious choices and explore alternative behaviors that offer greater rewards and fulfillment in the long run.
Episode #285. Explore anxiety's nuances, why destructive habits form, and the transformative potential of mindfulness in this conversation with Dr Jud Brewer. Willpower isn't always the key – learn why with Dr Jud in this eye-opening episode.
Specifically, we discuss:
Intro (00:00)
Judson Brewer's Personal Journey: From Novice to Mindfulness Expert (02:27)
Defining Mindfulness: How It Relates to and Enhances Meditation Practices (09:51)
The Impact of Mindfulness on Brain Function and Habit Transformation (14:45)
The Challenge of Awareness in Today's Distracted World (20:29)
Unravelling Anxiety: Insights into Reward-Based Learning (23:28)
Distinguishing Anxiety from Depression: A Mindful Approach (33:03)
Exploring the Human Brain: The Old Versus the New (41:12)
How Can We Change Habits? (45:31)
How Can You Cultivate Awareness? (56:51)
Judson Brewer's Strategy for Managing Anxiety (1:05:17)
Effective Techniques for Breaking Unhealthy Habits (1:06:09)
Willpower's Role in Overcoming Negative Behaviours (1:10:48)
Replacing Bad Habits with Good (1:16:05)
Addressing Anxiety's Root Causes Through Habit Change (1:18:28)
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Enjoy, friends.
Simon
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