Optimize Your Brain With Science-Based Tools

Achieving plasticity is the first step in optimizing your brain, not the end goal
Leverage periods of natural wakefulness and sleepiness anchored to core biology
The goal is to have energy and focus to pursue and energy and focus to suppress action – not flow state
For learning while alert, the ideal background is quiet or silent
For learning while sleepy or tired: the best scenario is some background noise to trigger autonomic arousal
Eating shifts us toward state of calm; fasting shifts us toward a state of alertness
Creativity has two parts: (1) creative discovery mode – more random, facilitated by relaxed and sleepy states; (2) linear implementation mode – facilitated by alertness
Some tips for more wakefulness everyday: get sunlight exposure first thing in the morning, delay caffeine intake for two hours to give endogenous hormones a chance, drink water upon waking, exercise within the first three hours of waking

Plasticity is not the goal, it’s the capacity for our nervous system to change
Achieving plasticity is the first step in optimizing your brain, not the end goal
We want to figure out how to access plasticity and direct it towards goals and changes

Short-term plasticity: any shift you want to achieve in the moment or day but not looking to hold on to forever (e.g., use coffee to become more alert when you need to wake up early for a flight)
Medium-term plasticity: “the undergraduate premed phenomenon” – memorizing for an exam; you don’t want something to be embedded in memory too long but need it for a specified period of time, then discard it
Long-term plasticity: speaking a new language, recalling a new skill without much effort

Neuroplasticity rides on the foundation of autonomic arousal 24-hour cycles
Trigger for plasticity and learning occurs during high focus, high alertness states (not sleep)
Rewiring and connections happen during non-sleep deep rest and deep sleep
We cannot access plasticity and rewire our brain if we’re not sleeping well
We have natural, hard-wired sleep and wake cycles that are not the same across all people
We may consider shifting to an early to bed, early to rise bedtime if we wake up in the middle of the night frequently, or in the early hours and have difficulty sleeping again
We have light-detecting cells in our eyes, that’s why we tend to wake up with sunlight and bright light even if we don’t feel fully rested
If you view light in the morning, connections between the circadian clock and adrenals that trigger cortisol is optimized and helps you wake up
If you have caffeine right when you wake up, there’s a mechanism that induces a mid-morning crash because endogenous mechanisms for suppressing adenosine are blocked

(1) Get sunlight exposure first thing in the morning
(2) Delay caffeine intake for the first two hours in the day
(3) Drink water upon waking
(4) Early morning exercise (within 3 hours of waking) will increase bias toward action throughout the day
(5) Fasted and low carb states lend themselves to alertness
Note: fasting increases alertness but if you are so hungry you are constantly thinking about food, it’s not good for learning
(6) Non-sleep deep rest protocol (30-90 minutes) in the afternoon when you hit a wall
(7) Minimize bright light exposure 10pm-4am

People tend to feel ready to tackle tough tasks around mid-morning but the peak of alertness varies by person
Rule of thumb for background noise: identify the source of lack of focus
If we need to quiet autonomic arousal, silence is best for learning
If you are feeling groggy, background noise (music, coffee shop, etc.) could help facilitate action
In alert states, you are biased toward action and bias toward suppressing non-action
In clear, calm, focused state, we’re ready to tackle difficult tasks
The goal is to have energy and focus to pursue the necessary steps and energy and focus to suppress any distractions
Eating shifts us toward a state of calm; fasting shifts us toward a state of alertness

The peak of wakefulness and suppression of sleep signal actually happens late in the day
Many people experience a blip of wakefulness late in the evening, towards bedtime
The late peak in alertness and activity can last about 45-60 minutes
People often confuse this bout with insomnia or inability to sleep
Use this peak for mundane tasks – preparing for the next day, cleaning, etc. – instead of worrying that you aren’t tired and won’t sleep which can set off a vicious cycle

Circuit related to basal ganglia
Forebrain involved in rational thought, planning, action
The forebrain is always trying to decide what do I do, how do I do it
Basal ganglia has one set of connections to the cortex to facilitate action (“go”)
“No go” pathway suppresses action and involves dopamine binding to D2 receptors

Creativity is taking existing elements and rearranging them in novel ways
Two parts to creativity: (1) creative discovery mode; (2) linear implementation mode
Creative discovery mode is more random and facilitated by relaxed, almost sleepy states
Linear implementation mode is accessible in alert stages
Using substances to access creativity can be good for creative discovery mode but not translating that into linear implementation mode
Many people are good at accessing one of the creativity states but not the other

Psychedelics were thought to unleash sensory processing and make it less filtered
In principle, psychedelics do allow different areas of the brain to communicate more broadly than they would otherwise
Psychedelics can be hazardous if not working with a certified practitioner
Psychedelics are not good for children
Psychedelics may open the user to creative discovery mode but not linear implementation mode
There may be roles for psychedelics in a clinical context under the guidance of psychiatrist

The brain has associated networks that are typically suppressed and can be released, but it’s challenging to optimize
If you can be linear in the way you visualize, it can be powerful
Many people are challenged to have linear focus while visualizing so it’s not leveraged properly

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