Take a Pause with Varun Duggirala

When faced with a long to-do list, do you tend to feel ‘lazy’? Do you find yourself constantly self-diagnosing every symptom on Google? These odd tics and more are part of Varun's conversation today with Dr Sid Warrier on all things Neuroscience. Find out how our primal brain still controls our fight or flight response and why we are all chasing only one goal: Happiness.  Dr Sid Warrier is a Neurologist and a YouTuber who talks about mental health and our brain’s inner workings in an attempt to bring conversations about Neuroscience into the mainstream.  (00:00 - 1:10) Introduction (1:10 - 2:20) Cosmix (2:20 - 5:49) Sid Warrier’s interest in neuroscience (5:50 - 8:30) How much do we know about our brain? (8:31 - 9:22) Laziness: How the mind prioritizes (9:23 - 10:58) Social feedback: Why do we care what people think? (10:59 - 11:50) Social constructs: Why were rituals created? (11:51 - 12:54) How the society is in a transition phase (12:54 - 17:24) Primitive Brain vs Evolved Brain (17:24 - 25:54) What motivates us scientifically explained (25:55 - 26:55) How does Sid deal with finding motivation (26:56 - 29:30) Sid Warrier journey into content on neuroscience (29:31- 31:40) Why should humans study science? (31:41 - 34:53) How does our brain react to being a beginner (34:54 - 36:09) Why we can’t be good at ONLY one thing (36:10 - 38:20) How does Sid take a pause (38:21 - 41:35) Sid’s relationship with food (41:36 - 45:31) How fasting affects our mind (45:31 - 47:47) Is the focus on our body numbers a problem? (47:55 - 49:43)What is the weirdest thing on the internet about neuroscience which is not true but is claimed to be (49:44 - 53:05) Why self diagnosis with Google is wrong (53:06 - 54:32) A subject that Sid would like to study today (54:33 - 55:21) Why dual degrees can be the next big thing Use VARUN to get 10% off at https://cosmix.in You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun  Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to  enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily  lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help  them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best.  Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of   truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in  their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

We all hate that person who says “I told you so” when they turn out to be right about something. But let’s admit it… We love to gloat and say the same when we are right. However, are we as ready to admit we are wrong? Tune in to hear Varun talk about the right thing to do when you are right versus when you are wrong. This one is sure to give you food for thought! Use VARUN to get 10% off at https://cosmix.in You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of  truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

When you’re your best version, the light inside you shines at its brightest. In her book Atlas of the Heart, Brene Brown describes it as having a candle within us that represents our light. This light is what makes us who we are. When it shines brightly, we shine. How do we keep that light shining? And how do we make sure we protect and nurture that light in others? Varun talks about the importance of the light and how not to be a candle-blower who takes the light out of other people’s lives.  Use VARUN to get 10% off at Cosmix You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun    Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to    enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily    lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will  help   them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at  their  best.  Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of     truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in    their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Are you envious of confident people? Well, it might help you to know that they’re not always as confident as they appear to be. Here’s what you can do to be more like them: simply pretend to be your most confident self! You may be a lamb wearing a lion’s clothing but gradually you will grow into them. Not convinced? Tune in to find out how this formula worked for renowned stand-up comedian Dave Chapelle. Use VARUN to get 10% off at Cosmix You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun    Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable    its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to   learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help  them find   motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their  best. Varun  also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting   people to   give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and  everything  in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Building strong, healthy relationships that last is no easy feat. Oftentimes, for reasons unknown, you may find yourself in relationships that do not work out. Whether you’re someone who tends to overshare, or someone who struggles to open up, the “15% Rule”  may help you approach your relationships in a more systematic way. Tune in to learn what the rule actually means and how you can apply it in your own life!  Fair warning: This is not a foolproof formula but it may be a more objective way to view your relationships and figure out the issues.  Use VARUN to get 10% off at Cosmix You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun   Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable   its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to  learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find   motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun  also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting  people to   give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything  in-between.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Circumstances in life sometimes feel never-ending but they are in reality just finite events. The non-permanence of our state can often be seen as a curse, but truly is a blessing in disguise. You’ve heard the term ‘This too shall pass’ but have you ever thought about it as a tool to create a shift in your mindset? Varun shares how Tom Hank’s roundtable interview helped him understand this powerful quote better! You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun  Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable  its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find  motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting  people to  give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Do you often call yourself an ‘overthinker’? Do you feel an overwhelming sense of unease every time you need to do something that is outside your comfort zone? In today’s episode, Varun talks to Meredith Arthur, author of ‘Get Out of My Head: Inspiration for Overthinkers in an Anxious World’ about anxiety and overthinking. As two awkward people themselves, they talk about ways to embrace one’s awkwardness & deal with negativity. Meredith Arthur is also a content lead at Pinterest and runs a website called ‘Beautiful Voyager’ – a safe space for overthinkers and perfectionists. Time Stamps (00:00 - 2:05) Introduction (2:05 - 7:29) How Meredith started writing her book (7:30 - 12:35) Meredith’s journey with anxiety and over thinking (12:36 - 16:12) Concept of “waves” in Meredith's book (16:13 - 17:18) How can “dose of levity” reduce overthinking (Will need to explain dose of levity) (17:18 - 25:20) Coping mechanisms for feeling awkward (25:20 - 25:44) Feeling Safe & being beginners (25:44 - 26:41) Varun’s first podcast episode recording disaster (26:42 - 30:47) Problem of overthinking before beginning (30:47 - 35:12) Blue Dot & Red Dot Energy (36:57 - 38:58) Affirmations on being messages to yourself (38:58 - 39:42) Twitter is about deflection and overthinking (39:43 - 44:16) Best way to start journaling/writing (44:17 - 46:00) Weighing action & inaction while making decisions (46:02 - 48:50) What are Cognitive Distortions? (48:51 - 51:25) How Varun wrote his first book in 8 months (51:26 - 1:02:48) List of Cognitive Distortions (1:02:49 - 1:04:25) Conclusion You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun   Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable   its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to   learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help  them find  motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their  best. Varun  also occasionally taps into the minds of truly  interesting   people to  give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and  everything  in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Haven’t we all seen ‘NO REGRETS’ stickers and tattoos? People embracing their decisions without regrets is most definitely a freeing thought. The world proudly displays its no regrets mantra, but what if there exists a side to regret many fail to see? Varun found an interesting perspective in Daniel.H.Pink’s book ‘The Power of Regret’ that may help you relook at the concept of regret and find something to learn from it. You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun  Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable  its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to  learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find  motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun  also occasionally taps into the minds of truly  interesting  people to  give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything  in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

Do you want to change something about yourself or learn something new, but can’t seem to establish a disciplined routine? Ask yourself, why do you want to change, or improve that thing? What is your motivating factor? Who are you doing it for? Is it truly something you want, or are you doing it just to impress other people? If the motivating cause isn’t strong enough, then it may be difficult to get the desired effect in the long term. Tune in to find out why you need to take a pause and introspect a bit before you set out to do something. You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to learn tools, embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation, build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly  interesting  people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message

As much as we might hate them, it’s the challenges we face that help us grow. But most of the time we wait for life to throw us challenges. Instead, we should pick challenges that push our own boundaries. That’s when we will truly thrive and realise our full potential. How do you go about this? Listen to Le15 founder Pooja Dhingra talk about how she takes up a new challenge every year. Catch the full podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5KLFwiGuyoJGCcrhZXaYHT?si=YZUZCf7xSNe87n3Dop0nlg Watch a longer version of this clip here: https://youtu.be/d2140cnm44s You can Order Varun’s book “Everything is out of syllabus: An instruction manual for life & work “ at https://amzn.to/335QKow   Follow Varun across social media platforms @VarunDuggi https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/  https://www.youtube.com/c/VarunDuggi https://twitter.com/varunduggi   And for a weekly download of mind musings and recommendations subscribe to his newsletter “Unschooled with Varun Duggirlala” at https://varunduggi.substack.com About the show “Take a pause with Varun Duggirala” ( previously “The Varun Duggi show”) is a thrice a week podcast that’s meant to enable its listeners to take a pause amidst the chaos of their daily lives to     learn tools,    embrace ideas and soak in concepts that will help them find motivation,build the right mindset and perform at their best. Varun also occasionally taps into the minds of truly interesting people to give listeners a learn from and use in their work, life and everything in-between. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/take-a-pause-varun-duggi/message