There are two regions of the brain critical to memory formation and retrieval; the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus. The PFC, the boss of the psyche, encodes memory via the excitations of its numerous synaptic networks, while the hippocamus, often refered to as the major memory centre, consolidates memories through its short-term and long-term memory compatments. Unfortunately, chronic stress exposure, including repeated trauma, affects these two regions of the brain. Under intense stressors, the PFC loses its neuronal access to integrative memories that could have prevented a cascade of fight-or-flight responses, while the hippocampus' nervous projections shrivel and retract Continue reading
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The part of the brain that is heavily involved in survival activities is also involved in mediating appetite. This means that trauma or stress can dysregulate the neuro-physiological networks involved in the regulation of appetite, leading to maladaptation. For example, acutely stress out a lab rat and it becomes hypophagic (its appetite is surpressed). Chronically stress out the same rat (please don't try this at home?) and it becomes hyperphagic(its appetite is stimulated). Although this process is also applicable to humans, it is far from straightforward as humans are extremely complex. There are several factors that can mediate whether Continue reading
If you missed my Q&A session on mental health, you can catch up here. Continue reading
The hallmark of wellness is knowing how and when to turn off your stress response. Humans are wired for survival. Whenever you feel threatened, the survival network in your brain and body mobilises its adaptive energy to increase your chances of survival. This adaptive energy, originally designed for short-term stress responses, becomes toxic if left turned on for too long or if faced with a prolonged stressor. When you find yourself overwhelmed with negative thoughts, memories or feelings, you can manually turn off your own stress responses and gradually override the survival brain, using all your senses - sight, touch, Continue reading
Stress is a natural bodily response to a perceived threat. There are three types of stress; beneficial, tolerable and toxic. A reasonable amount of acute stress (mild and brief) can be beneficial and promote greater cognitive and immune system functions. However, toxic stress (traumatic and prolonged) are the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Depending on the severity of your negative life experiences, it is possible to leave your stress response in the 'ON' position for too long. When the nervous system starts to have trouble turning off your stress hormones, cardiovascular disease, among others, may become inevitable. Elevated levels Continue reading
The myth of perfectionism: perfectionism is a mirage and illusion of the mind that is neither required nor necessary in the equation of happiness and success. A relentless pursuit of perfection is proof of a battered mind that longs to escape past traumatic experiences caused by just being IMPERFECT human. To be human is to be perfectly imperfect without self-shaming, self-hating or self-rejecting. To fulfil our ultimate potentials in life, we must embrace our imperfection and celebrate little progresses along the way, while seeing inevitable setbacks and adversities as stepping stones to more incremental progresses. In this 60-second clip, I Continue reading
Motivation is a function of focus and courage. In other words, what you focus on most of the time determines your courage or your discouragement, your motivation or your demotivation. In difficult times, you can use the power of focus to increase your motivational energy by redirecting your attention to something positive, encouraging and uplifting, notwithstanding your ongoing negative life experiences . Interestingly, the key neurotransmitters for your motivation and happiness, dopamine and serotonin, can be up-regulated through your tenacity to focus your mind towards sources of inspiration and compassion in the midst of adversity. In this 60-second clip, I Continue reading
The gut is not just a vital organ for digestion, it is also your second brain, or even your first brain depending on the theory that you base your argument on. However, what is less controversial about the gut, thanks to decades of scientific evidence, is that it has its own nervous system that is different from the central and periphery nervous system. This means that your gut thinks, feels, talks and even generate its own complex movements (obviously). Over 80% of the communication between the cranial brain (head brain) and the gut brain is bottom-up (from the gut to Continue reading
One of the best gifts that you can give to your brain is persistent goal-setting and goal-oriented actions.The human brain is goal-driven. Without a compelling goal for the brain to gravitate towards, its versatility and genius gradually become redundant. Goals are to the brain what good food is to the body. The longevity of your brain neurones depends on their effective usage. In this 60 seconds clip, I share how you can strengthen your brain by becoming a passionate goal--setter and goal-achiever. Continue reading
Your significance lies in your uniqueness, and not in your commonalities with others. We all have something that sets us apart from others. This is your uniqueness that should be identified, developed and deployed to serve humanity. In this 60 seconds video, I share the 4 Cs of happiness, progress and significance. Continue reading