The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Moment 180: Neuroscientist's Top 5 WORST Habits That Are Destroying Your Brain: Wendy Suzuki

Sep 20, 2024

Wendy Suzuki, a renowned neuroscientist and professor, discusses the habits that could be wrecking our brains. She highlights obvious culprits like poor sleep and a processed diet but also warns about the subtler dangers of social media addiction. Excessive social media usage can lead to increased anxiety and depression, particularly among younger generations, harming authentic social connections. Wendy emphasizes the need for mindfulness and suggests practical solutions, like a phone detox, to enhance joy and creativity.

10:24

Episode guests

Wendy Suzuki

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Quick takeaways

Poor lifestyle choices like inadequate sleep, processed diets, and alcohol consumption significantly harm cognitive functions and brain health.

Excessive social media use leads to increased depression and anxiety among young individuals, negatively impacting their mental well-being and social connections.

Deep dives

Impact of Alcohol and Processed Diets on Brain Health

Long-term alcohol consumption is detrimental to brain health, as it disrupts sleep patterns, leading to shallow sleep that fails to rejuvenate the brain adequately. While some may use alcohol to fall asleep faster, evidence suggests that it ultimately harms the quality of sleep, which is crucial for cognitive functions. Additionally, consuming a diet rich in processed foods can further exacerbate these negative effects, as these foods lack the nutrients necessary for optimal brain function. Collectively, these lifestyle choices contribute to a decline in brain health and cognitive abilities over time.

Nurture Your Brain Through Sleep and Moderation

00:55

Embrace Solitude for True Creativity

01:58

Intro

2min

The Detrimental Effects of Social Media on Mental Health

2min

The Dangers of Social Media Addiction on Brain Health

2min

Confronting Phone Addiction: The Impact on Joy and Creativity

4min

In this moment, professor and neuroscientist, Wendy Suzuki outlines how to destroy your brain.

Many of the ways to wreck your brain health are obvious, such as poor sleep, smoking, eating a processed diet and no exercise. However, some brain damaging habit are more subtle, including not learning and using social media.

Wendy says that the increased use of social media is a massive concern for how it will impact the younger generation. This is because their brains aren’t getting the benefits of real social connection and can suffer from increases in depression and anxiety, leading to the release of stress hormones which damage the brains cells and connections.

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Wendy: https://www.wendysuzuki.com/wendy

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