TOP LEFT: THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE
- exercise affords us the ability to take control of our actions and ultimately make better choices
- such as which foods to eat, when to shut off the television at night, when to get outside and where to focus our attention
- exercise reduces inflammation, reduces insulin resistance, and at moderate well-balanced levels helps keep cortisol in check
- exercise helps with weight control, strengthening our muscles and bones, reduces the risk of disease, increases self-confidence, and improves our outlook on life
more exercise = better decision making = better executive function
TOP MIDDLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE
- think of a moment when you stood before a gushing waterfall or watched a rainbow grow stronger in its coloring. Didn’t it make you feel calm and connected rather than anxious and disconnected?
- the awe that comes from nature reminds us of our relatively insignificant place in the universe, allowing us to focus on others without disproportionately over-valuing our self-worth.
- these potent benefits are important in a world that fosters narcissism and materialism
MIDDLE LEFT: THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING HEALTHY
- the American diet is a central cause of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and dementia
- gut bacteria helps us produce serotonin and most of the body’s supply of serotonin- around 90% of it can be found in the lining of the stomach and intestines
- foods can enhance or reduce inflammation
- foods can enhance or reduce our bodies ability to detoxify and create important antioxidants
- food choices influence the structure and functioning of our brains
- food choices can either help us remain grounded or cause us to become fearful, threatened, and impulsive
poor food choices = raised blood sugar, more weight, high cortisol, increased inflammation, impulsivity, higher amygdala activity
BOTTOM MIDDLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUN
- when sun rays hit your skin you make vitamin D
- directly tied to the brains ability to synthesize serotonin
- simply increasing vitamin D levels, either by getting out in the sunshine or by taking a vitamin D supplement may well improve mood
BOTTOM MIDDLE: THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE
- our connection to nature is critical and plays a huge part in combating disconnection syndrome
- nature influences our ability to experience balance, thoughtfulness, and compassion
- nature de-stresses us, lowers inflammation, improves focusing abilities, and increases empathic behavior
- nature activates the relaxation-promoting parasympathetic nervous system
BOTTOM MIDDLE: REGULATING SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE
- Excessive social media use may well be simultaneously damaging our ability to authentically interact with others.
- Digital interactions may be adversely changing our brains
- Your reward circuit is being manipulated every time someone interacts with your posts
- your reward system is being hacked right in front of you
- you are the one being played
- Does scrolling through a photo feed make you feel self-conscious, envious, inadequate, or inferior?
- Does it add to your knowledge?
- Better you as a person?
- Make you feel more content and optimistic?
- Or is it just a distraction?
MIDDLE RIGHT: SLEEP DEPRIVATION
- With out sleep, the ability to adequately regulate and express emotions is compromised at both a brain and behavioral level
- = getting more impulsive, unnecessarily annoyed, or angry
- If we want to face the world with the best chance of success and especially if we hope to break free from emotional instability of disconnection syndrome, better sleep must be part of the plan
- Sleep may influence how much we eat, what we eat, and how fast our metabolism runs.
- Sleep influences how large or small we become, how well we can fight off infections, how creative and insightful we can be, how easily we cope with stress, how quickly we process information and learn new things, and how we can organize and store memories
- Sleep deprivation increases the risk of all the following:
- excess weight and obesity
- insulin resistance
- metabolic syndrome
- diabetes
- memory loss
- confusion
- brain-fog
- dementia
- alzheimers disease
- lowered immune function
- cardiovascular events
- heart attacks
- cancer
- low libido
- sexual dysfunction
- low mood
- depression
- susceptibility to infection
- impulsivity
- addiction
- disconnection syndrome
- shortened life expectancy
poor sleep=poor food choices=over weight/obesity
BOTTOM RIGHT: IMPULSIVE BUYING
- What we see on the computer screen is engineered to take something from us, extracting our data, attention, and money
- We’re constantly exposed to salacious and hyperbolic web links called clickbait
- We have been brain-washed into believing that the way to lasting happiness is to double down on the very things that are making us miserable
- online shopping
- faster shipping
- cash-back/rewards for purchases
- excessive credit card usage
- buying unnecessary material goods
- Once you know how to push people’s buttons, you can play them like a piano
BOTTOM MIDDLE: CAUSES OF STRESS
QUICK FIXES, INSTANT GRATIFICATION, DOPAMINE BURST = CHRONIC USE OF SHORT TERM FIXES = CHRONIC ILLNESS, CHRONIC STRESS, CHRONIC INFLAMMATION