Neuroscientist🧠, psychology PhD, & former professor making psychology & neuroscience accessible to everyone. Newsletter: https://xitter.cf/t.co/B84i5xLL9l
Joined March 2024
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Dr. Patricia Schmidt 🧠 retweeted
Do you reach for your phone while waiting in line, waiting for the kettle to boil, or riding an elevator? Or know someone who does?
My new Medium article addresses the psychology behind this phenomenon: medium.com/write-a-catalyst/…
Do you reach for your phone while waiting in line, waiting for the kettle to boil, or riding an elevator? Or know someone who does?
My new Medium article addresses the psychology behind this phenomenon: medium.com/write-a-catalyst/…
Not a Medium member? Read this story for free here: medium.com/write-a-catalyst/…
Yesterday's newsletter covered how your daily steps connect to cognitive function, backed by 14 years of real-world physical activity data.
There’s a strong link between physical activity & brain health.
Subscribe so you don’t miss the next edition!
(Link in the post below)
ATP—All Things Psychology brings research from Psychology & Neuroscience straight to your inbox, with one goal: To help you leverage science to improve your life.
Subscribe here: newsletter.creatorschmidt.co…
Instead of looking for a perfect, polished health routine you cannot follow, find one you can actually implement, even if it’s not “perfect”.
Progress over perfection!
How to use your breath before a big decision:
Inhale for 2 seconds.
Exhale for 8 seconds.
Repeat a few times.
Research shows this activates your parasympathetic nervous system & makes your brain more sensitive to potential rewards.
Your breath changes your perspective.
A nap isn't your only option when you’re sleep-deprived:
New research says 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise supports your memory just as much as a 90-minute nap.
Your step count today might predict your brain function years from now.
A new study tracked 3,000+ people over 14 years to test this link.
Tomorrow’s newsletter breaks it down.
Subscribe so you don't miss it! (Link in the post below)
ATP—All Things Psychology brings research from Psychology & Neuroscience straight to your inbox, with one goal: To help you leverage science to improve your life.
Subscribe here: newsletter.creatorschmidt.co…
A 2026 study found that nose breathing (compared to mouth breathing) led to more stable brain activity patterns and stronger connectivity within & between brain regions.
Something as automatic as your breath quietly shapes your brain function.
Preliminary evidence suggests that side sleeping may be the best position to support your brain’s cleaning system (the glymphatic system).
Reminder from a neuroscientist:
Not all fear reactions are signals to stop. They're signals to pay attention.
If you want to grow rather than only survive, you must step out of your comfort zone, even if it’s scary.
Feeling stuck?
Breakthroughs often happen after walking away.
Why?
Taking breaks enhances creative problem-solving through your brain’s default mode network (DMN). Rest & mind-wandering activate your DMN, facilitating insight & creative breakthroughs.
Try:
A nap.
A walk.
A shower.
Walking away = moving forward.
The science of regret reveals:
- Young people regret what they did
- Older people regret what they didn’t do
- Regrets about something you did fade with time
- Regrets about something you didn’t do grow stronger
The lesson: It’s often better to choose action over inaction.
Start that business. Go on that trip. Take action.
“I’ll sleep less to get more done.”
That doesn’t work.
Sleep influences everything: memory, attention, decision-making, emotion regulation, appetite, and more. Plus: While asleep, your brain cleans itself to stay healthy, which could be key to preventing dementia and other problems.
Sacrificing sleep to get more done may work in the very short run, but in the end, it makes you LESS productive, not more.