Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep, to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep, to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
The most effective way to protect yourself from COVID-19
While not strictly aligned with brain health or mental wellbeing, I chose to write a blog this week, wearing my medical practitioner hat, about how we can best protect ourselves from the risk of COVID-19 If there’s one place that brings out the germophobe in me, it...
Mental Health: Why It Matters and How to Stay Mentally Well
With depression now the leading cause of disability globally (according to the WHO), affecting over 350 million people worldwide, and with anxiety as its frequent partner, affecting 260 million people worldwide, something has to change.
How to stop your smartphone from driving you crazy
How much time do you think you spend interacting with your phone each day?
When my iPhone Screen Time Function started telling me my average daily screen time was over three hours, I didn’t believe it. Surely not and why did I feel so guilty?
That three hours a day equates to 21 hours a week, 90 hours a month, one thousand, and ninety-five hours a year or 45 days of my life that I won’t get back. Eeek.
Don’t Ignore Me
Your brain is a social organ. We crave connection because it provides safety which is why we form tribes – of family, friends and work colleagues. Safety is your brain’s primary organising principle. When you feel safe, you know it’s OK to relax. You feel in a more positive mood; you’re happier, you’re more collaborative and empathetic to others. It keeps stress levels down, so you’re more open-minded, curious to explore new things, more willing to take a punt because you’re less afraid of failing. You get more done.
Without that security blanket of safety, you’re out in the cold operating in survival mode, seeking to escape or find another group where you do get a sense of belonging.
How Coffee Benefits Our Body, Mind and Brain
Given our global love affair with coffee, are there any benefits from enjoying our caffeine?
The short answer is yes. There is even some suggestion that coffee works as a cognitive enhancer.
How Social Connection Helps Us Think Better
Humans thrive together. Hardwired to connect, we do our best when working with others, especially those we consider like us, sharing common beliefs and values. So how does our social connection help us to think better?