The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast CNLP 769 | How AI Is Damaging Your Mind and Brain: Dr. Caroline Leaf on How to Battle Stress, Burnout, and Anxiety
23 snips
Nov 25, 2025 Dr. Caroline Leaf, a clinical neuroscientist and author known for her expertise in mind management, discusses the critical distinction between the mind and the brain. She addresses the rising burnout due to poor mind management and shares the importance of metacognition in combating stress. Leaf introduces the 63-second rule for habit formation and the NeuroCycle, a five-step formula for rethinking crises. She also warns about the dangers of AI as a cognitive crutch, advocating for mindful engagement with technology to enhance, rather than hinder, our thinking.
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Mind Directs; Brain Responds
- She distinguishes mind from brain: mind creates and directs while brain/body transduce and store information.
- This framing reframes mental health issues as signals needing processing, not just biological disease.
Use A One‑Minute Mind Check
- Catch the moment by asking four quick questions to move into metacognition within about a minute.
- Use this to calm physiology, reflect briefly, and stop reactive behavior before it cascades.
Four Questions To Stop Reactive Loops
- Ask four simple questions: What am I feeling, where in my body, what will I do, and how is my perspective?
- Phrase answers as short sentences to shift into the parent/mindful state.
