Neuroscientist's Guide To 10X Your Focus & Memory | Dr Sahar Yousef | FO559 Raj Shamani

If you let people have their phones out, the IQ of your employees is lower. Cuz. there was a study done when the phone. was visible to you. Scores were. significantly decreased. >> Like my attention decreased. >> Yes, Raj. It was also general fluid. intelligence. That means you're dumber. This is the scary reality of how. attention works in the brain. people who. hold their phone or put their phone out. on the table when they're talking to. people and they first meet you. You seem. less trustworthy, less capable, less.

intelligent, all of these different. things. I'm a cognitive neuroscientist. Study. how we can train the brain to be better. Every single time you switch your. attention, you pay for it in time and. you pay for it in energy. And if you. don't believe me, we can test it out. >> Grab a piece of paper. You have some. paper and a pen. Now, on the top line, I. want you to write, "I am a great. multitasker." And then on the bottom. line, I want you to write the numbers 1. through 20. I want you to go as fast as. you can. Okay? Go.

17.72. Now, turn this paper around. Draw. two more lines. You're going to do this. one more time, but the way in which you. will arrive will be very different. >> Okay? >> You're going to alternate. You're going. to go back and forth until you finish. both lines. >> Okay? >> Go. done. So you went from 17.72. to 41.35. more than double. >> Every single time you switch your. attention, there's a payment, a.

biological payment. This is what makes. the people that are ultra successful. different from everybody else. They just. choose differently. >> A lot of people think that ultra. successful people have better ideas. >> They have more ideas. >> So what should I do? How can someone. become a person who gets incredible. ideas all the time? >> Be bored and do nothing and you get. ideas. You have to let those ideas come. to you by cultivating the space for. them. >> I'm going to show you a city map. Explain me how my brain works as if it.

was a city. >> We're here to learn about getting. done and being productive. Yeah. >> How do I become this person who ends up. achieving all the goals? Yes. >> Yes. Okay. I have a small favor to ask you. I need. you to subscribe to our channel. The. more subscribers we have, the better and. bigger guests we can bring and provide. you more value through these. conversations. And the full audio. experience of this show is also. available on Spotify where you can.

follow us and listen to the new episodes. as well. We usually think about how food. affects our body, but we rarely think. about how it affects our brain. What you. eat impacts your focus, your energy, and. your ability to think clearly. That's. why the ingredients used in your food. matter so much. Urban Platter. understands this, and that's why they. make better for you products that. deliver on both taste and quality, so. you don't have to choose between the. two. Every ingredient is thoughtfully.

sourced, giving you cleaner alternatives. for your everyday meals. Because when. you eat clean, your body feels better. and your brain thinks better. To know. more about Urban Platter, check the link. in the description below. >> If. >> yeah, >> someone's watching you for the first. time. >> Yes. >> They have no clue who you are. >> Then how would you explain what do you. do and. why they should watch it? >> So I'm a cognitive neuroscientist and my. research is focused on cognitive.

neuroplasticity and also cognitive. training. So I in particular study how. we can train the brain to be better, better, faster, stronger. >> Okay? >> Which is why my lab colloquially is kind. of called the becoming superhuman lab. because that's what I study. I study how. to make superhumans. And I'm obsessed. with this topic. I have been for a very. very long time. When I learned early on. in my career that the brain is capable. of change, that it's dynamic, that we.

can we're not born with a certain brain. or it doesn't crystallize, that based on. training, based on what you think, what. you feel, what you do, the habits that. you have, your brain can completely. change and become different. Then my. question became that means that people. can be become smarter. That means that. your ability to focus can increase. That. means your memory can get better. like. you can get better at that just like any. other muscle, right? Like with fitness. And then of course now a huge part of.

what I do is really focused on minds and. machines, >> okay? >> And how they interact together. If you. ignore the fact that we are human and by. that, by the way, I mean the biological. laws that dictate how our brains and our. bodies actually work. Like the laws of. physics, right? Like if I like I always. say gravity. >> Yeah, >> there it is. Laws of physics. Nobody's. questioning the laws of gravity. Like, oh, today, never mind. It's not for me. I don't want to do that. Right? This is. how our universe works. Well, there are.

also biological laws that dictate how. our brains work best, how our bodies. work best. And my goal is for people to. learn these biological laws so that they. can work more in line with their biology. instead of against it. Right now I feel. and I say this all of the time that the. way in which we as a society, human. global society are living and working. goes against our biology. It goes.

against the laws of biology and we can. feel it. People have brain fog. They're. exhausted. They're burning out. They're. not reaching their goals. Everybody I. always talk to says, "Oh, I'm busy all. of the time. I'm working non-stop. I'm. busy busy busy busy." And it's like, "Do. you actually meet your goals. consistently?" Oh, no. I'm busy all of the time. I'm like, how. could that be possible? >> But then do you see the difference. between people who are achieving their. goals all the time versus people who are. not? >> Yes. >> And is it the all the difference is in.

the brain and the biological laws. they're following. >> The most important word you just said. was following. We all have very similar brains. >> The laws are the same. Physics is. physics no matter where you go. The. difference between me and let's say like. an Elon Musk is for the laws of physics. is I'm not sending rockets into space, >> right? >> It's about am I learning the laws and am. I leveraging the laws and my big push to. every person in the world is you have to.

learn the laws of your brain and your. body so that you can follow them and. leverage them meaning actually get more. done. That's the concept of becoming. superhuman is if you can learn those. laws then you can do amazing things with. this brain and body that other people. often times they ignore those laws. They're exhausted again they're burned. out. They're working all of the time but. they're working inefficiently. >> These are the issues you know they say.

they have these dreams and they have. these goals but they find it difficult. to actually do those things. But the so. the difference is between the people who. consistently meet their goals is if. they're following the actual laws of. like it's it's like almost like a a. cheat sheet. It's like a blueprint for. how to live well. >> So you're telling me if I follow my. biological laws. >> Mhm. which is how like let's say if my. brain is supposed to function in a.

certain way and I follow those laws. >> then my likelihood of achieving my goals. increases. than normal people like other people do. not follow. >> but also I will say you're like I don't. buy it. >> okay yeah. >> well you have to remember the a lot of. biological laws the laws I'm hopefully. we're going to talk about. >> uh that I'm obsessed with are also laws. around what's the science behind. motivation, >> what's the science behind goal.

achievement, >> what's the science behind focus, what's. the science behind distraction. management, energy management, you. realize you can have all these amazing. goals in life, but if you mess up on. those things, you're not going to meet. those goals. Imagine like an Olympic. athlete, right? Somebody wants to go to. the Olympics, but they say, "I'm not. focused on my training.". >> Okay? I am not doing a good job managing. my energy. Okay. Um I'm not motivated. >> Yeah. >> I'm motivated for 3 weeks and then I.

give up. >> Do you think they're going to go to the. Olympics? No. That means you have to. figure out, you have to hack the science. of motivation. You have to hack the. science of focus. You have to hack the. science of managing your time, your. energy, all of these things in order to. meet any goals, whatever your goals are. You know, you could have any goals in. the whole world. But yeah, that's these. are what I mean by the laws of biology. I don't mean like take a blood test. necessarily. I mean learn how does the. brain motivate like what is dopamine.

really for example, right? How does it. really work? Because the people that say. like oh I want to whatever I don't know. get fit. I want to raise a certain. amount of money. I want to start a. company. I want to do these things. That's great. But what's the first step? And do you lose hope after 3 weeks, 3. months, 3 years? >> True. with we'll come to biological loss. but for. >> for simple average human being okay. super human could mean a billionaire who. looks like he's killing it in life.

>> right so you have also trained a lot of. people from lot of these large companies. you've worked with people from Nvidia. Google you teach a lot of people you. research about ultra achievers all of. these things you do right so you have. you've You've dealt with a lot of people. who look like superhumans from the. outside. What is one fundamental difference. between a brain of, let's say, a. billionaire and a broke person? >> I've worked with some pretty amazing.

people that have achieved. amazing things. >> Truly superhuman things. And I'm always. the most curious about people that. achieve great things that come from. nothing. If you started at zero and you achieved. something close to 100, that's. interesting. That's worth studying, right? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> And I've been very lucky, you know, being especially in Silicon, I've had. access to a lot of some of these amazing.

people because of the work that I do. Um, it also helps that the lab is called. Becoming Superhum, and everybody wants. to be superhuman. So, it's it's a it's. it's it's popular for for a few. different reasons, but some of these. amazing people that I've met, I'll tell. you something that is wildly different. from a lot of folks that I see who. struggle. And that is belief. Belief about how the world works. Belief. about.

who it is that they are. These people, these the the billionaire's brain, they. don't think there are limits. They really don't. These people don't. think there are any obstacles in their. way. When something looks like a brick wall. to the average person, that person sees a door. They know that they can open and create. doors anywhere. They believe it. Truly,

they believe it. And this is the. fascinating thing again going back to. those biological laws. The power of belief is so strong in the. human brain when you believe something. And these are again the stories that we. tell ourselves. Who am I? How powerful. am I? What am I capable of? It's like. imagine you're a character in a movie. These people like really I don't know. Have you heard of the phrase main. character energy?

>> Yeah. They have main character energy for. real. Truly. And but everybody can have. main character energy. You should be the. main character of your life. >> Everybody should be. And I say that not. just be to be like romantic cuz it's fun. because this is how you can train the. brain. If you convince yourself, I'm. going to make it. This is going to be my. life. This is going to be the door that. I'm going to open. This is going to. happen for me. And I know it's going to. happen because it's possible because.

people like me have done. You know it. It's it's not you don't have the victim. mindset. You don't have the oh these are these. obstacles in my way that oh I have. nothing blah blah blah. All these other. people they have this help they have. that's going to keep you stuck. So many. amazing examples of people again Olympic. athletes people that have just crushed. it physically that didn't start out fit. at all but they make it happen through. training. I think it's the same thing. with mindset. All you have to do is So,

here's here's my recommendation because. I I do this for a living. This is what I. do. I I help people train their brains. Every single time inside of your mind, your brain starts telling you that. story. I'm a victim. I come from nothing. Look. at my background. I'm not going to make. it. You have to tell your brain to shut. up. Zip it. Be like, "Uh-uh. Don't do. that." And then you have I call that by. the way that's called redirection. redirection. It's attentional. redirection in the brain. So if your.

attention is somewhere like oh I'm a. victim. Oh I'm the oh it's not going to. work out. Oh what if I fail? Oh. redirect. You say uh I'm not going to. move my attention. I'm moving my. attention. I'm redirecting it back to. what's the story you want. And you then you repeat it. And you got. to get obsessive about this. Like every. day you repeat the story, who am I? What's possible? One of my favorite. quotes is anything is possible because.

nothing is real. All of this is. man-made. All of this is made up. We can. make anything happen. But then if someone was never believed. in themselves ever, they've never. thought that they can ever become. better, achieve their goals, have a. dreamy life, become financially free, billionaire, millionaire, whatever, etc., etc., right? If someone never. believed, how can someone build a main. character energy?

>> Write the story down. Take a piece of paper and you don't have. to believe it in the beginning. Just trust me. Get a piece of paper and. a pen and write out. Even if in the. beginning you have to say this is this. would be believed and this would be. written by a version of me that doesn't. exist. that does believe in themselves and they. are successful and they're amazing.

Write from that person's perspective. >> What do you write? Like you take a piece. of paper and what do you write? >> You can write well it depends on the. your goals. It depends on your vision. So for example I might say I can I can. come up with any scientific question. related to the things that I am obsessed. with and I will find the resources. I. will find the people. I will find the. funding. I will find the doors. I will. make the doors open so that I can figure.

out what those answers are because I'm. obsessed with finding out those answers. And I'm going to keep telling myself. that. And when you do that, by the way, let me tell you the science of how this. works. What's going to happen if you. write that down, whatever story, but. because it depends on the person, right? Your story is going to be different than. mine. There's a network in the brain, okay? It's a neural network, >> okay? >> Which is a pattern of electrical. activation. So a neural network is a. collection of different brain areas that. in unison like an orchestra activate.

together. So they're they're they're. connected electrically and they activate. together. Okay, we have many different. neural networks in the brain, but an. important one is called the DMN or the. default mode network. >> Okay, >> now the DMN is the brain's storyteller. >> Interesting. M this is the brain's. narrator autobiographical narration who. am I what's my identity what am I what. are the stories and you know when people.

talk about trauma when people talk about. bag all this it's stories and I you. collect these stories like in a bag and. you're carrying it around like baggage. so you got to ask yourself which stories. am I still carrying and are they serving. me and when I say serving me like are. they actually helping you achieve your. goals are they making you happier? Are. they making you healthier? Are they. giving you an opportunity to live the. life that you want? Because if they're. not, get rid of that story. Rip that. story up. And you have to write your own.

story. Make up a new story. And then. that DMN every single time, every day, you review the story. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're going to get every guest you. want, you know, whatever it may be. You're going to review the story over. and over and over again. And guess. what's going to happen? that DMN, the. default mode network, the pattern of. electrical activation that it has, it. will influence other brain areas that. are related to your attention. Now, we're talking about exciting. executive function because that your.

beliefs, your stories. You asked me. about the billionaire's brain and I told. you the number one trait they have. that's different is they have crazy. beliefs. Crazy beliefs. They don't see limits. anything is possible and anything they. they're capable of anything. and if you believe that that DMN and. those beliefs will impact. different brain areas that are related. to what you see what you pay attention.

to and what you notice have you heard of. like priming. >> yeah it's. >> explain me let's say explain everybody. okay what priming is. >> it this is the science behind priming. >> that if you can have information teed up. so that you review that story. That's. why I said like it's not enough just to. write it down one time and put it in. your journal and put it away. No, no, no, no. You're working on this is. training. You got to hit the gym every. single day. Be like, "Uh-uh. This is. what's going to happen. This is what I'm. going to do. This is my goals. This is. how I'm going to get there. This is the.

plan. This is the plan." You keep. writing every day. You keep reviewing. and keep writing. What's going to end up. happening is you're going to notice. opportunities. The opportunities are everywhere. The possibilities are all right in front. of us, but people don't see them. You. will only see what the brain is primed. to see. You will see what it is that you. truly your beliefs and the data behind. your beliefs are priming you to attend.

to in the world. So when you do that, all of a sudden so many success stories, I know you've heard these two. People. will say, "Oh, and then I met this. person randomly." magic right. >> they opened the door I had oh one. conversation it just idea came to me I. then all random things they start. talking about. >> it's it's not that random you can make. you can increase the likelihood the. statistical likelihood of these things. that feel random.

>> if you reset your DMN. >> if you reset your DMN that's a beautiful. way to put it re literally design use. your DMN to design your beliefs about. yourself design your DMN so that you can. choose what are the stories I'm telling. myself about myself what's possible and. what I'm going to accomplish and who I. am and that is going to influence your. behavior. because the brain is going to it's. designed this way this is what I mean by. biological laws. >> this is everybody's brain yours mine.

everybody's our brains are designed. they're designed to look for data that. confirms your beliefs. >> Yeah, true. It happens with all the negative. things as well. >> Bingo. Bingo. Which is why I'm like, if. it's not helping you, get it out of. there. Throw it away. Get it out. Like, you don't need it. >> Because people are like, "Oh, I'm a.

victim. Everybody blah blah blah. Everybody hates me. I don't get what I. want." And guess what? They always see. they're always complaining, right? >> Yeah. this happened, then this other thing. happened. No, no, no. What's happening. is your beliefs because that's how the. brain works. That's a biological law. The brain is going to find and look for. data to confirm its own beliefs. So, choose your beliefs, design your. beliefs. >> Yeah, this this is so fascinating. It. happens with me all the time, right? >> I I have an irrational belief when it.

comes to my work. And even if I'm. sitting on a random. afternoon, I start spotting. opportunities out of thin air and they. end up becoming opportunities worth. millions of dollars and I end up just. getting them. And I'm like this like 5. days ago this was not even the real. thing. And at the same time I always. play a victim card that because of my. life, because of my schedule, because of. work, I'm I never I I'm never able to.

sleep properly, you know, I'm not this. guy who'll ever be able to get sleep, etc., etc. Every little thing just. confirms that belief and I always just. find out new reasons why I can't sleep. And like just two different aspects, same person business, work-wise, opportunities just keep getting them. Healthwise, I just keep falling, falling, falling. >> And I just keep confirming the even if I. have like 10 hours to sleep, I end up.

confirming some belief and be like, "Oh, why didn't I sleep that day?" Because, you know, this happened and that. happened and just. >> it happens. >> There's excuses in my head. >> Yeah. >> But but I love this. Okay. You said main. character energy. Okay. If someone's. watching this and we have to make this. make main character energy exercise sort. of stuff. >> Okay. >> Okay. Okay. >> So what would you want me to write in. this story? So let's say I today I.

decide that from right now. >> I'm going to have the main character. energy in my life. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And I am going to write take a piece of. paper and write my story. >> Yeah. What should I have in this story? Identity, goal, what all did you you. just threw a bunch of words. Let's make. it simplest. Let's make it simpler for. people to have like a template to start. doing it right now. >> Beautiful. >> First begin with what we call identity. based beliefs.

>> Okay. >> Okay. Identity based beliefs. >> Now, I actually think we should totally. do this on you related to your sleep. >> Wow. Okay. >> Cuz you brought it up yourself, right? You said, "Okay, you've got some beliefs. in there that sleep is hard for you.". >> Yeah. >> Is not easy, but it's totally not. helping you. I'm sure. >> Not at all. >> Okay. So, let's get rid of it. Let's. make a new belief. You write a new one. >> So, what you're going to want to do, so. the identity based beliefs, the the way. that they work is that you need to write.

a belief that you have that Raj has. about sleep that's based on your values. So, I'll give you a few examples just to. like. >> get you inspired. You might write, "I. prioritize my health because I know how. important it is for my performance and. my business." You might just write that. sentence down. Do you believe that? >> Yeah. >> Totally right. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Absolutely. So, you might write.

something like that down. >> Then you're going to stack the next one. You're going to say, "I know the data on. sleep and health.". Do you feel like that's true? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Have you had some sleep experts on the. pod? >> Still, it has not helped me. A lot of. people have benefited from it, not me. >> Okay. >> We can bond about this. I'm not an easy. sleeper either. We should talk about. your sleep. Seriously. Um, >> so first is identity. Second is data.

Second is well I should say identity and. then you're you're still mixing your. identity with facts that you know. Yeah, pretty much your data because we're. going to try to bridge all of these. together, >> right? >> What else do you believe about sleep? What is it that you know for sure about. sleep? >> It's going to make me better. >> It's going to make you even better. So would you maybe could I even push. this a little further and say. I could be a smarter,

better looking and happier version of. self if I slept a little bit more. >> Yeah, I'll ask better questions if I'm. I'll be more focused. Yeah, there are so many things that I'll. I'll achieve by just sleeping better. >> Yeah. So you might you'd write all of. these things down and then you would. start writing bringing it all together. into an identity based belief and even. though it's not true yet you would say. something like I make sure that I wind.

down for bed. >> that's. >> at an early enough time to make sure I. at least get 6 to 7 hours a night. You write what the you essentially. you're designing the habit. >> like this is the part I don't believe. >> I know you don't believe it now but you. have to write it down and this is the. process of fake it till you make it. right. >> got it. >> yeah you got to like you got to be like. yep I do that. >> okay. >> because why because you prioritize your.

health and your performance. >> you know. >> so it's like first was identity second. was data third is what better will. happen after this and fourth is new. habit. >> Yeah. And this is where you bring in I. would say still even one full sentence. all together. I'll give you an example. actually from one of my um MBA students, one of my business students. >> I'm the type of person Oh, now we're. talking about what kind of person are.

you versus what kind of person is. >> someone else, >> your competitor. M m. >> I'm the type of person who makes sure. that I sleep at least 6 to 7 hours a. night because I know what an edge it's. going to give me in my business. You're just going to write that down and. you're like, "Oh, I don't do that every. night." That's okay. You're But do you. believe you can get there? >> Yeah. >> And do you believe it's true all the. other things you've written? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Once you've done this work and.

you've written down that identity, I'm. the type of person who does this, >> then we start going into something that. we call implementation intentions. And. this is from research from Peter. Gwitzer. Now, implementation intentions. are essentially situation action plans. For those who do computer science, it's. like an old school if then statement. >> Yeah. Okay. >> If this then that. If then, when is. probably a more apt way to describe it. Okay. >> So, a situation action plan would be.

like this. When my alarm goes off every night at 11. p.m., I begin my designed routine. I start my. windown music playlist, you know, then I. make my herbal tea. I do this. I start. doing my physical therapy, you know, whatever it may be. You you go through. your routine. The difference between I'm going to try.

to go to bed earlier or I have this new. routine, I'm just going to do it before. bed. The difference here is an implementation. intention. describes. in. crazy detail. what does it look like. when you do the thing you describe like. a movie. I want to see you in your. house, Raj. Like at and it's like 11:00. p.m. the alarm goes off and you're like,

uh, where are you? What is it? What does. it look like? What are you wearing? Where in the house are you? What are you. doing? Phone's in your hand. >> It's truly describe it in detail. I'll. give you another example of the. difference between having an. implementation intention versus having a. goal. Because a goal is. >> wake random. >> Yeah. It's it's like a prayer, you know. It's like that's cute. It's nice, but. there's no plan, right? There's no way. to make it to execute the thing, right?

We got to have a plan. So, >> uh, let's say I've heard a lot of people. say, "I'm going to try to go to sleep. earlier. I want to try to get more. sleep.". >> Adorable. How are you going to do that? Right. We actually have to get serious. about what this looks like. >> Yeah. So usually for people unless your. body is waking you up super you know. usually we have what we have to do is. >> go to bed earlier not uh keep sleeping. the other way. >> Yeah. >> So the question becomes what kind of. implementation intention can you design.

that's going to get you to do that. So. you don't say I'm going to try to get to. bed earlier. It's not going to work. So. you describe the situation when this. happens then I will do this when then. >> okay so when 11 let's say when whenever. my alarm goes around 11 p.m. this is. what I'm going to do. That's exactly. what you you want me to design.

>> Yes. >> And like I'm on the right side of the. bed. I have my laptop on. and I'm doing. this like all of this and like I'll shut. this down. I'll be doing like stuff like. that like that minute detail. >> Yes. >> Okay. And then. >> once you visualize it and you've written. it down, then you begin the habit, you. attempt to actually do the habit and you. tr and here are some other tips here. Make it as easy and small as possible. >> As easy and small as possible. For.

example, a lot of people benefit from. going to bed earlier just by brushing. their teeth earlier. >> Interesting. >> That's it. You could just say, "Listen, I'm I don't know when I'm going to go to. sleep, but I told myself I have to brush. my teeth at 11:00.". Once you brush your teeth, that means. you're probably not going to eat or. drink anything anymore. >> Now you have at least the kitchen is cut. off. You just start cutting everything. off. You're like, "And then I'm going to. get in my pajamas." Okay, now we're even. one step closer. You just have to figure.

out what behaviors that you want to. design out. Commit to it. Make it as small as. possible, but really make the when part, the if part, the beginning, the. situation should be as clear as humanly. possible. Truly clear. People really. skip this step. They say things like, um, I'll give you an example of when. people want to stop doing something. because it's possible your viewers want. to cut a habit. >> Yeah. >> Stop smoking. stop eating sweets, whatever it may be.

>> Start binging on their reels overnight. >> Tricky one, but yeah, totally. Totally. You could say, "When I have a craving. for another piece of chocolate, when I. have a craving for a cigarette, then I. will do this instead.". >> And I'll tell you, this is a version of. an implementation intention for a. negative behavior, meaning a behavior. you want to cut. >> Okay? >> Not a positive behavior. and a behavior. you want to add. Say add like positive.

and negative or add a behavior or remove. a behavior. >> Removing a behavior is insanely. difficult. Super super difficult. >> Way more than adding. >> Yes. >> Why? Why cutting off an habit is more. difficult than making a new habit? >> Do you have a whiteboard? >> Yeah. >> All right. All right. >> Okay. So. we were talking about neural networks. before, right? So neural networks again. are patterns of electrical activation.

So let's say for example, >> you have. some pattern of electrical activation. here in the brain. And let's say this. represents your craving for something. you don't want to crave anymore. >> Yeah. Watching reals, let's like binge. watching random stuff. Yeah. >> Oh wow. Binge watching. Okay. So. >> mindless scrolling, whatever you want to. call Yeah, >> great. I'll even draw a little phone, you know. Okay, there you go. All right. So, this is this is the craving for it, though.

>> Okay. >> This is not the behavior. This is the. craving. So if this dot here represents. the the actual craving for it, what that. let's say ends up getting connected to. is a set of patterns of electrical. activation here that represents the. complex behavior that ends up being you. grab the phone and you start scrolling. >> Okay. >> Okay. So it starts with a craving. The. craving is not by the way usually to. binge watch. Usually the craving is.

something else. Usually, and this is. where we can get a little more emotional. here, it's a feeling. >> Okay. What do you mean by that? >> Well, let's let's. >> The craving is not for binge watching. >> Well, that ends up becoming the behavior. for you to satisfy a craving. The. craving you think is actually for binge. watching, but it's it's a craving to. binge watch in order to satisfy some. feeling. That's usually what's. happening. like something I'm missing.

>> Something you're missing or something. that you want to disassociate from, numb. from. usually. Usually. the feeling that people have is. overwhelm, stress, let's say. >> Okay, >> if you're overwhelmed, you're stressed. out, you're tired, you lack motivation, >> right? M. >> you're looking to solve for these.

feelings. >> and your brain has decided a nice thing. to do if you have these feelings. You're. like, I don't nobody wants to feel this. by the way, right? These are bad. feelings. >> So if you have these feelings, your. brain goes, let's get out of this. How. do I solve this? >> There's a few different things you can. do. But let's say you accidentally. develop this addiction, this habit. >> Because by the way, >> the word habit is a common one. We're.

all interested in habits. >> Yeah. >> It's pretty much the same thing as. addiction. >> It's the same thing. People hear the. word addiction and they think it's like. scary, like it's some moral, >> you know. >> Yeah. It's a bad thing. >> It's a bad thing. What about when people. are addicted to exercise or addicted to. feeling healthy or addicted to being. kind, right? Cuz you can you've I've met.

people who definitely are addicted to. those things. >> and I know you probably have met lots of. these kinds of people because these are. the people you collect. People addicted. to their own success. >> Absolutely. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, it's not a bad thing. Addiction just means habit. That's it. >> Okay. >> So, we can demystify, dethrone, you. know, uh uh these words really. They're. coupled together. They're the same. thing. They're the same thing.

>> So, what is a habit? What is also an. addiction? It's also the same thing as. just a behavior. that you do over and over. I would just say that you do a lot, right? So what ends up happening is you. have a feeling there is some brain. state, some cognitive or emotional brain. state and then what ends up happening is. you want to move away from that feeling. If it's a if it's a bad feeling like. this, right? You want to move away from. it. Your your brain wants to help you.

solve it. It doesn't want to let you sit. in that in that bad feeling. >> So whatever it is that you did, let's. say you did binge watching one time when. you felt that way. You're like, "Let me. distract myself, you know, >> go somewhere else. We don't need to. think that. We don't need to feel that.". So then you start binge watching and. what's going to happen in the beginning? In the beginning you're distracted, right? So it feels good. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So what you ended up doing is you. ended up doing the actual binge. watching. So you scrolled and then what. happens uh uh at the at the very end.

Let's say now you're done scrolling and. you put the phone away. This is a bit of a trick question. because let's say you were overwhelmed. about a work deadline. >> and then you started binge watching for. >> 45 minutes. >> in the evening instead of working on the. thing that's overwhelming you. So then. you did the binge watching and then. afterwards you put the phone down. Did. you deal with the thing that you were. actually stressed about? >> No, I get guilty. >> Yeah. So now you have this, you have the. overwhelm and you have shame.

>> Yeah. So the person is super sad now. We're. we're just super sad. So now that you. have overwhelm and shame, you know. that's even worse than before. No. >> Yeah. >> So guess what I want to do again? >> Watch again. >> Go around the circle again. So okay, let's say you've done this one night. But come on, let's be honest. I've done. this even like at least 100 times. Do. you know what I mean? >> Here's the answer to your your original. question. Every single time you do this,

you go through this path. Every time you. traverse this road and you do it again. and again and again, do you see what's. happening here? We're making it darker. No, >> we're making it maybe even bigger, >> stronger, deeper. This neural network. starts to become like a tree trunk, like. the roots of a tree. That is how a behavior. If you do it one. time, that's fine. You do it 100 times,

1,000 times, a million times, that's a behavior that you do a lot, that's the same thing as addiction. It's. the same thing as a habit. It's all the. same. So habits, addictions, and. behaviors that you do a lot are just. really entrenched and strong. associations between a feeling, a. craving, and a behavior. >> So how do we break this? >> One, tip number one, don't wait for it.

to get so strong. You know, ideally, >> what if it's so strong already? >> Okay, let's assume it's strong. >> because there I'm sure there must be. hundreds of bad behaviors which are. strong in my head. Obviously hundreds of. good behaviors as well. >> Yes. >> But the bad behaviors, let's talk about. them. Let's get rid of them first. >> Okay. Step one, awareness. You have to understand and see the loop. for yourself. You cannot. change something that you do not. understand that you don't have data on.

>> Right? You have to understand a system. if you want to change the system. So you. need knowledge. >> Okay? >> Self-nowledge in this case. So you need. to be aware. You need to be able to see. your own behavior as it's happening. That means you actually have to answer. the question, what's the feeling? So. step one is you got to identify the. emotions and the feelings that cause you. to go down the loop in the first place. >> How do I identify this? Because I don't. know if I'm if I'm falling into this.

trap. >> of feeling. like I I want to crave something. That. craving can be dessert at midnight. It. can be binge watching. It can be. just doing all sorts of bad habits. Some. for some people it can be alcohol, smoking weed, uh smoking, you know, like. a cigarette. >> Mhm. >> For some a lot of young people it can be. porn like all of these behaviors are. stem from feeling, right? >> Yes. >> But we don't know why are they.

occurring. >> Yeah. Like it it can be overwhelm, it. can be stress, it can be anxiety, it can. be tired, it can be all it can be just. pure shame or maybe lack of ability to. turn around my life or the feeling like. a victim. >> How do I find out which one is it? >> You have to have what's called a. cognitive pause. So that means when you before you go. grab the chocolate at midnight, before. you grab the phone and maybe you've. already grabbed it, by the way, you just.

you've grabbed the phone, >> you've opened up Instagram, whatever it. is that your app of choice, you know, >> you grabbed it, you opened it, and you. just were about to start scrolling and. you go, >> you have to start to build the. awareness. You go, hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm not saying you can't have. it. By the way, in the beginning, we. just want to know why. >> So you go, okay, hold on. What am I feeling right now? What is it that Why do I want to go and. binge watch right now? >> I'm just exhausted. Like just.

>> Okay, so you're you're tired. >> I would still ask you go deeper. Why are you exhausted? And then I'd. force you I if I were in the room with. you, I would say, well, Raj, if you're. exhausted, shouldn't you go do something. else like rest? Right. Or gain more energy. Do something. that gives you energy. >> Like, right. If you're tired, if it. depends. If it's right before bed, then. if you're tired, yeah, that's right. Go.

to bed. >> Sleep. >> So then you go to sleep, right? We go, we help you with the sleep thing. >> But if you're tired in the middle of the. day, you're like halfway in the middle. of the day and you're like, I'm just. exhausted and I need a break. >> Yeah. >> This is not a break. There was, by the. way, a paper published in Nature. >> What is it? the world's like premier. science journal 2024 that actually. measured the effectiveness of different. kinds of breaks. >> Okay. >> One option was no break at all. You do. no break. Raj, keep working. Tired. So.

what? >> Keep going. Hustle. Come on. You're. young. You got it. Let's go. >> The next option was you take a break uh. and you look outside or you go take a. walk outside in nature. >> Okay. So you're exposed to something. natural. Okay. The next break was. scrolling. >> Yeah. >> Can you imagine. what the results were? >> It showed that scrolling is pretty much. the same as not taking a break. So.

instead of actually letting this brain. rest and make energy for you, because. again this is all chemistry up in here. This is like again biological laws. You. need to learn that if this system is. tired in and listen I'm a high. performance like I'm all about. productivity and performance. So if. let's say for example treat yourself. like an Olympic athlete. >> If an athlete is telling you I'm. exhausted right then you say okay okay. get off the field go sit and rest drink.

some water get a snack you know we tell. them to like stretch you know get ready. Why? Because I need you to go back out. there and keep training. >> Yeah. If they say I'm tired, like let me. open Tik Tok. That's we already know. We. science has already shown that that's. not a break. It doesn't replenish and. increase your energy. Right? >> So going back to this, I would you would. say, "Oh, I'm tired." I would actually. want you to sit down and really dig into. the feeling more. You know, are you. really is it just tired? What's really.

going on? And like I then you need a. replacement behavior. So in this. previous example, you were doing the. scrolling. It's this is what I meant by negative. behavior, right? If you want to cut. something off, you cannot just say, "Oh, next time I'm exhausted, I will not. binge watch. >> This is impossible. Good luck. It won't. happen. >> It won't happen. You're going to do it. because look at this. Look at how deep. this network was. It's not your choice. It's going to happen automatically. You.

don't have a choice. Raj is not driving. this car. It's automatically just driving it on. >> It's automatically driving it. So, you. need to aggressively, that's what I. meant, a cognitive pause. You need to. aggressively start. Number one, you need. to start where it starts, which is the. feeling. It starts here. >> The feeling, the brain state, the. cognitive state, the craving. Why do you. do the behavior in the first place? We. have to cut it off there and make you. pause and then say, "Okay, we're going.

to do something else." So that ends up. being this feeling, right? That was our. first step here. >> So instead of going towards the the. actual binge watching, we're going to do. something else. >> So let's say instead, what's a healthy. behavior that you wish you did more of, too? >> Let's say breath work. >> I mean, yeah, that would be nice. I love. it. Yeah, sure. So, you're going to do. breath work. Great. Okay. >> Like just 1 minute. >> 1 minute is amazing. >> 60 seconds. Close your eyes. That's it. You don't have to do anything else. You.

just. >> that's it. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> That's going to be the new replacement. behavior. Now, here's what I would tell. you if you're really addicted. If after. 60 seconds of closing your eyes, you. still want to scroll, go for it. Makes. it a lot easier. No. >> Yeah. >> But what you're doing when you do that, by the way, is let's say the closing. your eyes, this is the feeling that. started. This is the new behavior. Close. your eyes. >> Mhm. >> Right. I draw a little eye for you here.

>> Okay. So, you close your eyes. This is. the new behavior. Instead of this going. immediately to the original scrolling. behavior, it's going to go here first. >> Okay? >> This is you're breaking the cycle. Instead of the energy going this way, it's now going to go this way. Even if. it goes this way afterwards, we're. helping. Maybe one time you go, "No, I. still want to scroll." Okay? The second. time, maybe you're like, "Okay, fine.

Really, >> I'll do something else. This is you just. you have to find a way to break this. thing. >> And if I break this, you're saying that. after 1 minute, if I still want to do. it, if I do this every time, I'll. reduce. >> If you do it every time, I promise. you're going to start not doing it. If. you then you're just going to create a. new one. I mean, listen, if you do it. every time, then you're just going to. start creating a new habit this way, right? >> Yeah. So, you're just saying, "Okay, before the route was this way. Now, this.

is a new route that I'm going to go to. scrolling." Like, now you're going to be. that guy that before he binge watches, he closes his 60 seconds. You've just. designed a new addiction. But the idea. here is you're giving your brain an. opportunity. It's just an opportunity to. to redirect. And what we call all of. this by the way is to do one thing and. that thing is called emotional. regulation.

>> Interesting. >> That's what you're trying to do because. every behavior, even people doing hard. drugs, porn addiction, it's coming from. an emotion. It starts here. If you can. understand the emotion, you can control. the behavior because you can choose it. You can design it. But that requires. regulating. Regulating is hard. So what. you can do is you just can create a. cognitive pause and get yourself to do. something tiny. Easy, not hard. Easy, easy, easy. And then you're creating a. bit of a pattern interrupt and it's an.

opportunity for you to choose something. different. So then what ends up. happening is. this p road becomes less traveled. Let's. say this is after one month of you. closing your eyes after the feeling. instead of going immediately. So now. it gets skinnier. After 3 months it's. even skinnier. Then this one you've been. doing this, right? So this is getting. stronger and stronger and this one keeps.

getting skinnier and this one keeps. getting stronger. That's the idea. This. is how you build new habits and kill bad. ones that you don't want anymore. And. why killing bad ones is more difficult. than building a new one? >> Starting new ones. It's difficult. because you're both pruning. You're both pruning. Meaning you're. trying to. deactivate and and weaken a neural. network or a pattern of electrical.

activation. And in order to do that, you should be building another one. So. it's like you're doing two things. You. know, if you think about it from like a. business perspective, it's like um if. you're trying to downsize one department. and create a whole new department, it's. a little easier just to say everyone. else keep going. We're also just going. to build a new department, new project. So, you're doing two things. You're. pruning is hard because the energy wants. to go that way because you let it you. let it go that way over and over and.

over again. And then it became that. muscle became really strong. Going back. to your identity, remember those. stories? Yeah. It's the same thing. >> So, if you let yourself say, "I'm a. victim. I'm a victim. I'm a victim. I'm. going to stay poor forever." Blah, blah, blah. Because the system is messed up. Those people who are successful, they. they were, you know, uh they they did it. through tricks. They got it through. luck. I'm unlucky. My family is not lucky. My We just We.

don't That doesn't happen for us. It. doesn't happen for people from like. where I'm from. Whatever it may, whatever story you're telling yourself, >> any one of these stories, if you let. yourself say that story again, >> what you're doing is again you're make. you're just saying that's this is what's. up. This is real. This is real. This is. real. This is real. And what we said. before, beliefs look for data and data informs. beliefs. and then that cycle becomes even. stronger then becomes your whole life.

So when you when you get hired by these. large companies to upgrade their mindset. or upgrade mindset of their CEOs and. their billionaires and multi-millionaire. executives, right? What actual. habit or like. a sort of a routine you help them build. so that they don't get they upgrade. their mind and they don't get exhausted. because you must be improving some.

things in their life. That's why they. keep coming back to you. >> Yeah, there's a lot of habits and a lot. of strategies. It kind of depends on We. can go through the list. >> Yeah, tell me the list. What what can an. average 25year-old or 35year-old who's. watching this. >> can follow in their life which you teach. the top executives? >> Okay. The first and I would say the most. pervasive issue that I see in most. people's lives right now and in places.

of work as it relates to productivity. is what we call bad digital hygiene. >> Okay. What do you mean by that? >> So hygiene, right? It's like having. clean hands and things like this. Yeah. Bad digital hygiene is having a bad. relationship with your digital tools. >> and specifically your notifications. >> I'll give you an example. You sit down. to work. You sit down to focus on. something.

Where is your phone. when you're doing this? Usually. >> it's on my desk like right here. >> Yeah. >> Like right now it's not here, but mostly. it's. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's right there. Actually, for this. I can actually we can do a mini. experiment together if you're up for it. >> Okay, I'm up for it. >> Okay, cuz there was a study done in UT. Austin that I want to share with you. >> Okay, >> but we're going to pretend like you are. doing you're you're in the actual study.

itself. >> You're going to be like one of the. participants. Okay. >> Okay. All right. So, this is your phone. >> All right. So, in this study, everybody. came into the lab. So let's say you're. the in the exact same situation, right? You've just come into the lab and what. we're going to do, Raj, is we're going. to test your general fluid intelligence. >> Okay. What do you mean by that? >> It means your mind's ability to hold. important information in mind and then. get new information and compute with.

that information without losing the. stuff that was already in your mind. Honestly, you you've been doing it this. whole conversation. >> You're amazing at it, >> but that's why you're successful. So, it's an important skill. Have you. noticed some people, it's hard for them. to do that? They like lose track of what. they were trying to remember and they. can't compute the stuff. Yeah. New. stuff. >> Okay. So, there's actually a test for. this which I bet you would score really. high. >> Okay. >> Okay. It's a complex working memory. task. And complex working memory is a. phenomenal way to test for general fluid.

intelligence. >> Okay. >> I can give you this test later if you. like. >> uh for real. But let's say you come into. the lab and I want to test that. >> and I want to test your attention span. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Now you come in and I say, "Okay, you. have a phone, right?" All right, great. Go ahead and turn your phone completely. off. like. >> like airplane or just. >> No, no, no. Full like dead. >> Yeah. Not DND, not airplane mode. The. side and the button.

None. >> Okay, it's off. Okay, scenario one. Your phone is going to be. in another room with me. It's dead. You. turned it off. You give it to me. It's. going to be in the waiting room. So, I'm. going to hold it. You're going to go. into the testing room with a computer. You're going to sit down and you're. going to hammer out all these tests. >> We're going to test your intelligence. and all these things. >> Okay. >> Option two. Scenario two. I you can keep.

your phone but you have to put it in. your pocket. >> Okay. >> Or a bag. >> Okay. Now imagine now you come and you. sit down by yourself in the room. >> Remember your phone is dead. >> Okay. This off. >> Yeah. >> You're not taking a text or something in. the middle of the test. >> You sit down. You do the attention span. test. You do all the different tests. Scenario three. You can take your phone. out of your pocket, but this time I let. you put your phone face down just like.

where you said it was when you were. working. Okay. Face down on the side. Then you're sitting in front of the. computer. >> and you're doing all of these. assessments. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Okay. >> In this study, and remember the phone is. dead. >> Yeah. Yeah. Technically, nothing changes. in all three scenarios. The phone's. dead. You're not using it. >> Exactly. M. >> it's like having this eraser nearby, right? It's just an object. >> In this study, we were able to see, and. by the way, this is one of the most.

shocking studies I think I have seen in. the last number of years on this topic. >> Okay? >> When the phone was visible to you in. your visual field, dead but face down. off to the side, scores were. significantly decreased across the. board. like my attention decreased. >> Yes, it's the same you, right? Same Raj, same brain, different capability.

And think about it's attention span. Raj, it was also general fluid. intelligence. That means you're dumber. Literally, if the phone is visible, I'm. not. >> even though it's dead. >> Even though it's dead. Even though it's. dead. This is the scary reality of how. attention works in the brain. Remember. the stories we tell, right? The brain is. all about storytelling and narration.

All the memories you have using that. thing, all of the memories you have, binge watching, talking to friends, making plans, good news, bad news, drama, all these things are happening in. the phone, right? For me, like I don't. know if you use like Apple Pay, but I'm. also like tapping. It's like my payment. system. It's like. >> everything. >> It's everything. Everything is in the. phone. Memories. I have pictures, you. know, of my dog. Like all this stuff is. on there that I love, right? It's all. there. >> And you know that. Your brain knows.

that. So if you can see it, it's always. going to be thinking, "Oh, I'm. remembering all those amazing things and. I want to play." Like right now since. the time we've spoken about phone, I've. been anticipating. >> really. >> like a notification will come right. >> but it's dead. It's dead. So here's my. recommendation. You should have like a. parking lot, a box, something there. where you hide your phone. Just put it. away so that you don't see it. Bam. Gone. Out of sight, out of mind. We.

don't need it. Right? And this is. listen, I'm not saying all the time, but. when you want when you want 100% of your. intelligence for me, right, I run a. business, right? I I do research, I do. all these different things. When it's. game time, again, remember, treat yourself like an. Olympic athlete. If it's game time, it's. go time, you're making a big important. decision, you're sitting down with your. team and you're having a brainstorm, get. the phones out of the room because. you're literally lowering the IQ of your. whole team. If you let people have their.

phones out, the IQ of your employees, the IQ of your team is lower. >> You're making everybody dumber just by. having phone here. >> Just by having the phone there. And if. you care about this, people like you. less. There's been lots of really. interesting studies that people who hold. their phone or put their phone out on. the table when they're talking to people. and they first meet you, you seem less. trustworthy, um, less capable, less intelligent, all.

of these different things. Why would. that be? It's because I'm really saying, listen, you're not so important that I'm. going to give up the opportunity. >> to put my attention somewhere else. somebody more important than you might. call me. So, I'm going to keep it here. in my hand, you know, cuz that's. wherever it is. Usually, it's pee in. people's hands or like, you know, some. I'll like sometimes put it under my arm. and carry it that way, you know, whatever. But it's on the table. Two. people who have a coffee chat, right? They put it on the table and they sit. down and they have their coffee. But.

it's literally lowering the quality of. the conversation. It's lowering the. quality of the connection. You know, >> you're not married yet, are you? >> No. >> Okay. Hey, so you're going to be dating. It's also going to lower the quality of. your date. >> No, I don't take that on the rates. >> Like, all right, good, good, good. >> I've learned it on my podcast that days. when I have my phone right next to me. >> Yeah. >> My attention. during the conversation is much lower. versus that's why I just always give it.

to these guys and just, you know, either. out of the room or they have it. somewhere I don't even care. >> Yeah. >> And it's like on airplane mode. The. moment you like you entering before even. you enter like 30 minutes before you. enter just off like it's gone. I don't. care. >> That's such a good habit. I'm so glad. you mentioned that. Your listeners need. to do that too. It's the same thing. It's the same exact thing. I would also. recommend going back to your sleep. because now I care about your sleep. Remember I used to coach CEOs and I know. I'm like so I'm going to start like.

coaching you. Bring it back to your. sleep. I would ask you to respect your. sleep enough because it's going to. impact your performance that much too. for you to put your phone away 30. minutes before bed. >> Okay. >> You said you did it 30 minutes before I. arrived. >> Yeah, but this was Yeah, >> I'm not as important as your sleep. >> Raj, your sleep is more important than. me. I promise. I promise. Because if you. start doing that, oh, you're going to. see such a radical shift in your life.

and in your mindset. And do you want to. know something? Okay, here's what I this. I'm going to dare you to do this. >> Okay? And I'm going to follow up with. you. >> Okay? >> I'm going to dare you to do this. 30. minutes before you go to bed, have a cut. off where you have to turn your phone. off. And then don't turn it back on until 30. minutes after you wake up. If 30 minutes. is too much, 15 minutes. 15 minutes. before you go to bed off and then after. you wake up just let your eyes open. because people use the phone as an.

alarm. It's right next to them. The. phone rings. They immediately grab it. and then they start. They're still in. bed. They're like doing this. They're. just like, "Oh, >> that that's me. Thanks for attacking.". Like that's just. >> got to talk about the truth. Yeah. I. didn't know that. But it's this is the. reality for so many people though, right? There's no no point in the shame. because the shame makes it worse. Remember, >> it's adding an extra feeling on top of. the other feeling. So that feeling in. the morning, you're looking for.

stimulation and it's FOMO. >> You want to figure out what you missed. while you've been sleeping. >> Yeah. >> But here, okay, here's my this is why I. want you to not look at it for 15. minutes. First thing in the morning, your brain. is in a very delicate and powerful. state. You have an opportunity to. reinforce those new beliefs that we were. talking about. You have an opportunity. to set your brain up for the right. mindset, for the right goals, for the. right priorities first thing in the.

morning. When you allow the rest of the. world to tell you who you are, where you. should be putting your attention. So, hey, there's news over here. Look at. this notification. Look at this email. I. need this Raj. I need you to send me the. Can I see you Tuesday at 3 p.m. Please. confirm. Is that when we're me. all this noise? All the noise from the outside is. removing an opportunity for your own. brain to tell you some amazing idea. that's going to unlock something for you.

because peeps so many people have such. amazing clarity and amazing ideas first. thing in the morning. But right now. across the world I think it's it's a. generation of people are losing that. like we're missing out. We're missing. out on so many things. So the first. mistake you asked me the biggest mistake. that people are making is bad digital. hygiene. They leave their notifications. on on their computers. So they sit down. on the computer and now we let's say we. put the phones away at least, right? Phone is gone cuz we learned about that.

>> Okay. If you want to be fully focused, you want to have the best productivity, the highest level of effectiveness. >> You also need to make sure all your. other forms of digital hygiene are. locked in, >> dialed in. That means, and let me be. clear, most of the CEOs I work with, when I sat down and I would observe them. working, you know, I would show up with. my clipboard and all of my, you know, observational tools and stuff and I'd be. like, "Go ahead. Just I'll be over here. watching.". They have they immediately open a.

document, right? Let's say they're. getting ready for the board meeting or. something. They open up a document, they're looking at a deck, and then. bing, what was that? Okay. And then they. go here. They have two monitors. on the. other monitor they have like Slack open. Yeah. >> Constantly pinging. like all this stuff and the phone is out. and they have an Apple Watch and they're. just like doing this thing and it's just. like this. >> Yeah. >> But the brain is literally a focusing. machine. Every single time you switch. your attention, you pay for it. It's not free.

>> What do you pay for it? How do you pay? What's the price? >> I'm glad you asked. You pay for it in. time and you pay for it in energy. And if you don't believe me, we can test. it out. >> Go ahead. >> Yeah. >> Tell me. Yeah. >> Okay. Grab a piece of paper. You have. some paper and a pen. So, on this piece. of paper, we're just going to draw two. lines. There you go. Okay. Now, on the. top line, I want you to write, I am a. great multitasker, but don't start yet.

>> Okay? And then on the bottom line, I. want you to write the numbers 1 through. 20. >> 1 through 20. >> 1 through 20. I want you to go as fast. as you can. Okay. And then I'm going to. time you. I'll hide the phone so that. you're smart as possible. No excuses. Okay. Right. >> I'm a great multitasker. And 1 to 20. >> Exactly. >> And I want you to go as fast as you can. I'll read the times out out loud and. then and then you can go for it. Okay. >> And then actually, how about this? I. won't read them out loud. I'll you just. focus. >> Okay. >> Okay. Cuz we'll have the timer going up.

there. I'll watch you and I'll stop the. time when you finish. Okay. Get ready. Get set. Go. 17.72. >> Super fast. Cool. Now, turn this paper.

around. >> Awesome. >> Draw two more lines. You're going to do this one more time. Okay. You're going to end with the same. outcome. So the output at the end is. going to be I'm a great multitasker 1. through 20. But the way in which you. will arrive will be very different. >> Okay? >> You're going to alternate. >> You're going to start at one at the at. the top line. You're going to write. you're going to write the letter I.

You're going to drop down to the bottom. line. Write the number one. Back up to. the top line. >> Letter A. And then down to the bottom. line number two. Back up to the top line. >> after every letter. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> You're going to go back and forth until. you finish both lines. >> Okay. >> Okay. Now listen. If you think, hold on, I'm going to lose time, right? Going. back and forth like meaning just my hand. moving, right? >> You can, if you want, you can draw one. extra long line, but you have to still. alternate. >> So that means you still have to write in.

in between I one 2 A. Okay. All right. But I just want to give you options. Get. ready. Get set. >> Yeah. >> Go. You got this.

This is where you guys need to overlay. some fun music. >> Done. 40 seconds. So, you went from 17.72. to 41.35. >> More than double.

>> More than double. So, and I have a question. >> We all saw, but did you ever make any. mistakes? >> Oh, yeah. A lot. >> Okay. >> So, this goes. >> because this time I was focused on like. just. Yeah. Like my brain was not able to. comprehend like two things at the same. time. >> Yeah. Well, really, your brain can't. This is the point I. want to make. >> So, you're saying nobody can be a good. multitasker? >> No. No. Listen, what you're there's let.

me and let me let's be clear. Let's. define what we're talking about here. >> When people talk about multitasking, the. way they talk about it is as if they're. doing two different things. with full fidelity at the same time. >> That's how they talk about it. >> Yeah. >> When they talk about multitasking, they're like, "Yeah, yeah, I'm doing. this and I'm doing this.". >> Yeah. >> Okay. How many brains do you have? >> One. >> Yeah.

Okay, that how many attention systems do. you have? Like you have one of. everything. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So you don't have two brains. You. cannot say with my full Raj brain 100%. performance I am 100% doing this and at. the same time I am 100% doing this. You. don't have two 100s. You have one 100. So if you want you can take your 100%. like a pie chart. You can dice it up. You could say 50/50. 50% of my attention. is on this, 50% on this, 8020, 7030,

6040. No matter what your split is, you're splitting your attention. It's. split. So, when we talk about. multitasking, the way people talk about. it, they Yeah. Yeah. I have my phone. here, but I'm not looking. I have my. email open, but I'm focused here. When. the notif comes up, no, you I see you. go. You look. Even when you're on calls. with people, you're like on a Zoom call. with somebody and you're look, they're. looking at you and then all of a sudden. you see their eyes go down and up again. >> Yeah.

>> Come, we can all see you, right? Nobody's that slick. >> The people think like nobody's going to. notice. You know, you said, "Yeah, because you've seen other people do it. I've seen other people do it. Everyone's. doing it." And they think that I can see. when other people are doing it, but. nobody can tell when I do it cuz I'm. fast. No, we can all see. My point here. is that it's not your choice. It's not your choice to. pay attention or not pay attention to. distractions when they come up. The way.

that the brain works is it's a. monotasking machine, not a multitasking. machine. It is designed to focus on one. thing. Now, does that mean you can never. do two things at once? No, of course. not. Listen, in my car, um, I listen to. podcasts. I sometimes make calls. I call. my mother. You know, I call my mom on on. the on the my way somewhere. I have her. on speaker, you know, and I'm driving. But listen, in that moment, I'm going to.

be honest with you because this is just. as a neuroscientist, I can just tell you. this is how the brain works. I am not. 100% focused on the road. >> Yeah. >> Otherwise, it's imp I'm not going to. hear my mom. I don't I'm not going to. listen to anything she's saying. Which, listen, that's a whole another. conversation about mom's. She's like. complaining on my knee, my back, my. this, my that. You didn't you need to. come home, blah, blah, blah, all these. things. Okay, that's a different story. cuz it's always the same stories. But. the point here is that for sure it's not.

possible for me to 100% focus on the. conversation and 100% focus on the road. because I know where I'm going in my. hometown. Honestly, it's like, >> yeah, it's like an autopilot. They're. just going there. >> Bingo. So my point is listen, it's. nuance. I'm not saying Raj you can never. do two. Yeah. Yeah. Sure you can. But. you just have to know the math. You have. to understand the biological laws. You. have to know what you're doing. Be. strategic about it. Be strategic about. it. Now you know that if you And by the.

way, what you did just now Oh, yeah. What you did here, this is not. multitasking because that's impossible. Again, remember multitasking the way. it's defined, I you did 100% one thing. and 100% another thing. That's not. possible here. What you're doing and. what is possible, what happens in. everybody's brains, yours, mine, everyone's, is something called task. switching, >> context switching essentially. >> Yeah, >> this we do all the time. But every. single time you switch your attention. from A to B, B to C, C to D, all of the.

different one thing to another, to the. Apple Watch to the phone to the back to. the document and back to the thing, and. then what? Oh, somebody came in my. office. What did you want? But every. single time you switch your attention, there's a payment, a biological payment. So the brain pays for it in time. As you. noticed, more than double. It's not for. free. Takes more time. And time is. limited. Time is money. And the second. thing that it takes is energy. You're. going to exhaust yourself more. And. every single time, and listen, this was.

easy. Whose job is this easy? You want. to build an empire? You want to build a. company? you want to cure cancer. Nothing is this easy. So when you're. doing something hard and you really want. to do good, you have to respect yourself. enough to put the distractions out of. sight, out of mind, notifications off, no email open, no phone next to you, no. notifs available, and actually focus on. the thing in front of you. And in the. beginning, if you're not used to it, it's going to be difficult. It's going. to be painful. Your mind's going to be.

all over the place, but you just need to. get your muscles hard again. You need to. get your muscles strong. >> But what about people who are good at. multitasking? >> Is there someone like that or is it just. a myth? >> Do you want to know something really. funny? >> Mhm. >> There was a study done at Stanford that. I'll send you. So there they're smart. smart kids. Young healthy brains. Do you. know what I mean? Sharp. >> Okay. No excuses. You can't be like. they're just they're dumb. No, no. We we.

got we got good ones. This study on multitasking asked people. upfront, "Are you a good multitasker?". The people who said yes confidently, "Oh. yeah, I'm great at it." They were. actually worse when they tested them. That's crazy. It's like a joke. It's. like science jokes, right? It's. absolutely mind-boggling, but it's so. fascinating. >> Why? Well, unknown to be, you know, >> this random belief they've built about.

themselves. >> It could be because if you multitask so. much, by the way, you try because again, we talked about it. You're just context. switching all the time. Your brain is. just foggy. I don't think you see. straight. I think this is the problem. with most companies right now. >> Most people are just bouncing back and. forth and they think this is normal and. they just go like, "Oh, it's hard for me. to focus. Maybe I have ADHD. Come on. Every 80% of the population all of a.

sudden has ADHD. >> Why everybody has started saying this? Every like it's just like 50 things. because of the scrolling. That's why. because our attention spans are shot. This is actually some of the re recent. research I've started doing. Truly. attention spans have just gotten worse. and worse and worse. And the more you. scroll, and it's by the way, it's not. all scrolling. And I'm not just giving. like, you know, your podcast a. a pat on the back here. This is actually. the the research supports this. There is.

a massive difference between long form. and short form media. The short form. media is truly like garbage and candy. for the brain. It is it's like junk. food. That's what I mean. So the how. would your body feel if you fill it with. junk food? Not so good. Listen, am I. saying sometimes we don't have some junk. food? Oh, for sure. No problem. You. know, you got to live a balanced life. You know what I mean? Life is short. Enjoy it a little bit. You know, do it's. okay. But if your whole diet is junk.

food, if you eat junk food every day, what's going to happen in one year? Not. so good. Bad things. >> Yeah. >> So, this is this this relationship that. we have with our phones, our devices, our email. This is it's not I don't want people to. think I'm just talking about just Tik. Tok either. People are addicted to. email. They're addicted to WhatsApp. They're addicted to messaging and. communicating constantly all the time. 24/7. And that never allows them to come.

up with ideas. Hear what's going on inside of them. All. of the stuff we talked about before, the. self-awareness. You want to train your. brain. That takes effort. That takes. awareness. That takes focus. You want to. build an empire. you want to build a. business, you want to do all these. things, that takes focus. And when we've. removed the ability to focus, this is. why everybody thinks they have ADHD. because they're not listening to their. biology. Again, it's like the laws like. the brain works. We just tested you.

Everybody who's listening, you believe. that Raj is super smart. Obviously, that's why you're listening. That's why. he's so successful. Even you couldn't do. it. You more than doubled your time and. you made mistakes. So think about how. you work now. When you take this to your. life, when you take this to your. business, everybody who's listening, right? When you think about how you. work, if you work d constantly, I'm. sitting down f and then I check this and. I check that. If you're doing it that. way, you're going to make more mistakes. and it's going to take you double the.

amount of time to get to your goals. You. choose. I'm going to choose the way. that's going to be fast for me. But this. is what makes the people that are ultra. successful different from everybody. else. They just choose differently. >> They think about it. They're aware about. it. Like, hold on a second. What you. said, you said beautifully, I notice the. days when I'm on my phone, it's harder. for me to focus. So, when we're. shooting, when the guest is right, I. tell the guys, I turn it off and I tell. the guys, get it out of here. You are in.

a beautiful example of a CEO that has. figured it out. Everybody else can do. the same for themselves. So, you're. telling me that a lot of people think. that ultra successful people have better. ideas, but you're telling that they. don't have better ideas. They just know. how to protect their attention so that. they can get ideas. Is that what you're. saying? >> They have more ideas. It's like fishing. I can tell you this. This is the science. of innovation and creativity. Every, by.

the way, inventor will tell you this. inventors, artists, engineers, people. who build, people who come up with like. crazy ideas, they'll tell you for every. one good idea, they had 1 million. ideas. This it's a numbers game. >> You have to become like an idea machine. It's it's a muscle. If you're exercising. your idea muscle every single day, you. allow your mind to explore and wander. and you give it time and space to do it.

Listen, you're going to come up with a. lot of stupid ideas. That's okay. You. have to. It's a process, right? One day. after another and then finally you're. going to hit. >> So, what should I do? How how can. someone become a person who gets. incredible ideas all the time? >> Okay, you ready? This is my number one. recommendation. You might not like it or. you might be surprised. >> Okay.

>> Be bored. be bored and do nothing. >> and you get ideas like that. >> And you get ideas. Let me explain. Ideas, new ideas. often come. when we are mind wandering. That goes. back to the neural network that I talked. about earlier, the DMN, the default mode. network. That's what that when that is. active your brain is creating. Remember.

in the beginning I said it's the. storyteller in the brain. It's the. storytelling machine. It's the area of. the brain and the a areas of the brain. that are all about narration and ideas. So that's your idea machine. You need to. allow the DMN to actually become active. Now the opposite of the DMN is the. central executive network, the CEN. Okay. >> And it I mean listen to the sound of it. The central executive network.

>> What do you think? It's like the CEO. >> Yeah. >> What's the goal? >> Operator. >> It's the operator. Beautifully said. It's the project manager. What are we. doing? What's the goal? And then anytime. it's also in charge of inhibition. So inhibition is uh suppressing the. things that seem distracting. Listen, I'm on my target. I got to focus on. this. So if you're telling me, hey, hey, sire, what about this idea? Shh, I don't. want to hear about ideas. I got to I'm.

doing this focus. That's your central. executive network and you need it. And. it's mostly frontal areas, right? Because this is where a lot of your. executive functioning is is happening in. the first place. So you've got all these. different this neural network that's. again responsible for get done, right? Focus and do stuff. The opposite. of that is the DMN. And the DMN is again. all about stories, daydreaming, being bored, let your mind wander. When. you daydream, that's when a bunch of. ideas can finally come and float to the.

surface. >> So the first step is you have to find. time and space. >> to be bored, >> to be bored, to daydream, to let your. mind wander. Because again, remember, it's easy to remember and understand. why. What's the opposite of that? Get. stuff done. What idea are you gonna have. when you're like on a deadline to get. done if you're busy all of the. time? And then what what do people do. when they're not working?

What when are you what how is your brain. going to shove an idea into your into. your in front of you, right? How you. have to let those ideas come to you by. cultivating the space for them. You have. to make the space for them. So the most. creative people, the most amazing. innovators, by the way, they force. themselves to sit down. Some people call. it think time. Some one of the guests. you had on the show, I think Bill Gates, um, uh, he was really famous by having a.

think week, I believe it was, you know, whole week he takes off. No busy work, just to think, see what ideas come. It. was actually during his one of his think. weeks that he decided that the internet. is not a fad. Can you imagine if Bill. Gates didn't realize that. decades ago? So these ideas come, we have to give. them the space to come and that requires. discipline because right now distraction. is making money for these tech companies.

like crazy. Welcome to the distraction. economy. So, it's keeping everybody. stuck. >> It's keeping everybody stuck in their. old loops. Because also, this is how the. algorithm works. The algorithms that you're doom. scrolling on, that you're binge watching. on, the way they work is they're going. to show you stuff that you like. >> They're going to show you more of the. same. If you want to become a different. version of you, you need to change your.

content. Your content is actually a. great example of this. a lot of other. awesome podcasts that are educational, right, about like how do I become. better? How do I level myself up? If you all you're do when you're binge. watching, if you're all it's just bad. news, this that just like whatever, you. will become more of that because what. you're doing is you're just. >> true. >> the same stories over and over again. You want to start to become a different. version of you, a better version of you,

you should also change your algorithm. We call this by the way in the classes I. teach changing your content diet. >> Yeah. And that's very important. I call. it bloom scrolling. >> Oh, I love that. >> Yeah. So, it's like how you have doom. scrolling. >> You curate your feed in a way which is. bloom scrolling so that it makes you. better, not actually messes up you. messes up your entire system. >> Yeah, it's a beautiful way to put it. So, you got to give yourself think time. Even if it's bloom or doom, you got to.

put it away a little bit and then just. give your mind and space to breathe. The. next thing that's going to be important, and this is kind of fun. Have you ever. have you heard of um that anecdote that. people have awesome ideas in the shower? >> Yeah. >> You've heard of Have you ever had? >> Of course. >> Really? >> Yeah. So many times. >> Okay. Hey, do you know the science. behind it? >> No. >> You want to learn? >> Yeah, of course. I want to learn all the. science in the world. Tell me. >> Okay. So this is the science behind. shower thoughts, shower ideas that so.

many people have. I've had the same. thing as well. So the way that the brain works is. you're loading up, let's say, remember. the neural networks I talked about. before, right? So let's say you've got. this pattern of electrical activation. happening in the brain, right? These. neural networks that are on different. brain areas, all of this stuff. So you. have this pattern of electrical. activation. Let's say it looks like. this, okay? Some gridlock. Let's say. this is your brain thinking about a. problem. >> So you're there and you're thinking.

about this problem in your head. right now. What's in my brain? >> The problem. >> The problem stuck. >> Yeah. Where's the solution? If I want a. solution to the problem, I actually have. to move these networks around. I have to. get different electrical activity. >> Yeah. >> To happen. >> because my brain's occupied with this. >> Mhm. It's focused on the problem. So. this is how you do it. This is the best. way I teach all of the business leaders. I work with this. You load up all of the.

data and the information that you need. that's about the problem. You think. about the problem. You understand the. problem. You look at all the data. related to the problem. Load it all up. Then walk away. You're going to sit. there be like, "Okay." And then what do. we do? What's the solution? What's the. solution? I don't know. I don't know. I. don't know. Get up and do something. else. When you do something else, you're at. least introducing a new variable. You're. at least saying, "Hey, drink some. water." At least, seriously, something. as small as this. Because anything you.

do, anything you touch, smell, drink, listen, listen to a different playlist, different music, get up and move to. another room. If you're sitting at your. desk and you're always working at your. desk and you're like, "This is my focus. This is where I'm at." And you're just. like, "This is the problem." The problem. is also here. It's in your all of the. associations that you've built up with. that problem. Change the environment. So when people finally go on a walk or. they go take a shower,

they've loaded all the data there. So. the the neural networks related to the. problem are still active or they're. recently at least active. So then you. get in the shower and you introduce new. variables. Now you're not scrolling. either because again the scrolling is a. distraction. If you distract yourself. with I got to text these people back. I. got to get on WhatsApp. I gota all these. things. >> Yeah. >> You're not going to solve any problems. because now you're just doing more. stuff. >> True. >> You're doing more stuff. You have to not. do stuff to give your brain space to.

say, "Wait a minute, light bulb.". Because the problem was still there and. active. And then you're introducing new. variables, whatever they may be. Have a. little. sip of water. put some water on your. face. Whatever it is, you got to do. something different. And then your brain. goes at some point, oh, I got it. >> And that's why you because you're. mindlessly just standing in sh all of a. sudden you get that because you're not.

focused on problem anymore. >> Yeah. You loosened a little bit and you. introduced new data. You introduced new. variables and new data. It could be on a. walk. You could start cooking dinner. You know, you could go exercise, go on a. run, you know, whatever, whatever you. want to do, but not something so immersive. that you can't keep thinking about the. other thing. This is so don't like go. sit down and watch a movie. Do you see. what I'm saying? >> Unless you want to watch a movie you've.

seen 1,000 times. >> Do you know how like you can still. think? Well, >> you now you get it. This explain See, there's neuroscience to explain all of. these human experiences we have. If. you're watching a rerun of an old, you. know, sitcom you've seen like a million. times, it's kind of soothing because you. can kind of, you're not really just. focused and paying attention. You're. letting your mind wander a little bit. >> Yeah. >> But when you're scrolling, it's all. novel. >> So, it's designed by people like me, by. the way, cognitive neuroscientists,

people like me who are hired by these. companies. We use everything we know. about how to capture your attention and. keep your attention to make money off of. you. It's all embedded in how all of. these things work. >> Explain me what's happening to a person. when they're consuming long- form. content versus what's happening when. they're consuming only short form. content. Like what what's going on in. the brain? Like if you have to draw. parallels to long form brain and short. form brain. >> Yeah.

Well, it also depends on the content. Could I'll say that we've we've seen. like negative content like the news. honestly. Like I'll say something about. the news briefly. News media. also knows what sells and what captures. attention. >> Yeah. That's why they do the negative. stuff. >> Yeah. Cuz bad news, rage bait, it works. And listen, if one company starts using. it, one news channel starts using it,

and the other one goes, "Oh, that's. well, that's not fair. They're going to. hurt. The ratings are going to hurt if. they don't also adapt.". >> So now everybody's doing it. >> Yeah. Like since the time of like. evolution, the most. primitive. feeling that human beings have is. threat. Threat for survival. So the more. you induce threat more people find it. like more people get anxious and more.

they get anxious they want to keep. consuming that content and that's why a. lot of news media all around the world. is just tapping on that one primitive. emotion that is I'm going to make you. sure that you feel keep feeling anxious. and anxious and anxious and the way you. feel anxious is when I tell you. everything is wrong. >> Yeah. like no matter what you're doing. is wrong. And I find out new ways to. make you feel that everyone's against. you. Everything's against you. Tomorrow. morning you're going to get up and. things going to go down. So we just tap. on this emotion since the time of.

evolution. And that's why there's just. negative stuff all around. >> Yeah. >> See, it's hard for us to make positive. content and grow. >> It is. It is. It is hard. It would be easier to. do it the other way. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. If I start today, >> like you and I. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Like this could we can make this go 10x. more viral if we start just making it. about threats and anxieties. >> Totally. >> About the world.

>> And it's so sad. >> Yeah. >> But it is how the world it's how the. brain works. It's not you know this is. another biological law. You can ignore. it but other companies know it and. they're using it against you. So you we. should learn the loss. >> But that's so sad, man. Shouldn't we. change it? I mean, we're trying to. change it from how what what we do. We're trying to teach people how to get. better. >> Yeah. >> But. I mean, to each their own. >> Yeah. But I will say we can't change our.

biology. in that way. Like. >> we keep thinking for. >> survival and threat. >> We have to cuz this is an evolution. I. mean, this has been like. >> thousands of years. >> Yeah. What you're we're up that's going. to be too hard. What you can do, though, is you can cut yourself off from things. Mhm. >> You know, I've met many really um. high-powered executives that have had to. do some pretty serious.

cleansing of their content because, you. know, and some of them, if they're. really in a dark place and their minds. are just so foggy and so busy, we have. to cut them off completely from the news. for a little while. And you know what I. tell them? the world's gonna go to whether. you're looking at it or not. You're not. that important. Like you're not involved. in global news. I know you're, you know, fancy CEO running a company, but like. >> Yeah. >> You're not like deciding on what's.

happening with the war. >> Yeah. >> Do you know what I mean? So instead of. you every single day, 15 times a day. checking all of the different updates. that are coming in and it's completely. fogging up your mind, it's now you can't. anymore. At least until you re it's like. rehabilitation until you rehab yourself. back to you can hear yourself again. This is another big issue that I've. seen. You know, people complain. They. they say like they can't hear their own.

thoughts anymore. There's no internal. narration. That's where all those ideas. are going to come from too. It's coming. from the inside. It's not coming from. the outside. Of course, you can use the. outside stuff to trigger some ideas, but. ideas are still coming from inside. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> People have lost their ability to. actually have internal thoughts. That's. so true. It's like we don't have. internal thinking anymore. Very few people I meet these days who.

have their original way of thinking and. some thoughts which there which are. their own. >> Okay. Coming back to long form content, long form brain. >> versus short form brain. So people who. are watching long form content have a. sense of story and narration because. long form think movies think a journey a. long form podcast that you sink into. there's highs there's lows you're learn.

you know there's there's uh turns that. you didn't anticipate right like we. didn't plan to talk about long form and. short form but we arrived here you know. it's it there's a whole journey that. we're on so there's a sense of story and. narration this is going to be critical. again for that creativity and for. something that we call autobiographical. planning. This is all again DMN. So. you're able to actually activate that. more and do a lot more of your own. internal planning. Right. >> Okay. What is autobiographical planning? >> Uh autobiographical planning is.

essentially you talking about the story. of you and planning your future. M. and the one where we have to change our. future by thinking positive and optimism. and having a belief where I am the main. character and everything nice happens. with me that narration is going to come. through the story and narrative. >> Yeah. >> And that's autobiographical. planning. >> Okay. That is literally the what we. talked about in the very beginning. That. is the definition of autobiographical.

planning is you sit down and you think. you make the story and you say the story. of who you are going to be. But think about kids these days. They. almost never do that. >> cuz they're scrolling most of the time. So they're letting the outside. >> I know so many old people. >> way old 10 years older than me. They. don't know about their autobiographical. planning. They have no idea about their. story. >> So sad.

>> But it's the autobiographical planning, by the way, is something that happens. when we're bored. >> That's why boredom is so important. >> We have to find ways to force it. Force. it if you need to be bored. And by the. way, I'm not saying be bored for 5 hours. a day. No, no, no, no. >> Yeah. >> We got to we got to get done. But. but a little bit. >> Sundays are for boredom. Sundays every. morning. I my personal opinion just a. little bit in the morning and a little. bit before bed. Pretty nice if you can. manage it sometimes in the afternoon.

because sometimes the afternoons people. have crazy ideas because they're tired. >> They have a little bit of a slump and. when you are a little bit slumping in. your energy often times your inhibition. is lower so you come up with crazy. ideas. You just go let's do this. You. just like it's like being a little. drunk. You're just like why not? Let's. do it. Let's go after it. So, okay, long. form, you got story and narrative. because long- form content typically. also does a lot of work around like.

character building, right? Like for. example, think of the difference between. your podcasts that are many hours long. where you actually really get to know. the guest. >> really like there's a sense of. personalization in in here like people. will learn about the person. Then you. actually develop empathy. >> Yeah. >> And by the way, there's a study for this. that we can link here where uh long form. media like films have actually been. shown to increase empathy in people.

>> Wow. >> So the power of long- form media, the. power of movies, long- form podcasts. that are educational, you can actually. increase different things and memory. You will remember long form media. >> True. >> Now we go to this side here. By the way, in case in case someone right now is. watching this in a short,

>> okay, that's fine. I dare you for just. the next second, try to remember three. reels ago. If you're scrolling right now, if you're. scrolling right now, I What was the. three reels ago? What did you see? If. you can't remember, I don't want you to. feel shame. You're not alone. I can't. remember either. And it's because short. form scrolling is designed for you to. just it's just like crack. You're just. going to move from one thing to the.

other. It's just full novelty. So, there's no memory. So, you have less. memory, which by the way, what's another. word for memory? learning. >> Mhm. >> People think they're like exposing. themselves to like new ideas and you. can't freaking remember it. What's your. It's not You're not absorbing any of it. There's no me. If there's no memory, there's no learning. >> Here, you have an opportunity to learn. By the way, not very many people know.

this, but um when I was growing up, um a. lot of people think because I do so much. research on like screen time and. scrolling and technology and stuff that. I like never watch. When I was little, I watched hours of TV every day, like. unlimited television, no limits at all. from my family. >> So, didn't your brain become this. >> mush? Yeah. >> Well, we didn't have short form reals. I'm a little old, you know. We didn't. have there were no cell phones, man.

This was before that time. We had old. school uh you know, I even the the first. TV I had to go and change the buttons on. the on the actual television. But no, my um my mom my mom and my dad. uh requested that I watch television so. I learn English. >> I was born in the United States, but my. family didn't speak that much English. because we had immigrated. They had. immigrated. I was born here. Um, but. they wanted me to learn English. So, and. they couldn't teach me. So, then they.

said, "You have to sit. You have to sit. down. TV time." I had to sit there and I. had to watch. But everything is long. form. And listen, go look at an old TV show or an old. movie from 20 years ago, 30 years ago, and I want you to count how many times. the scene changes. cuts. And now compare it to something that. came out recently.

Wildly different. Our attention spans. have gotten so bad. And. producers know this, directors know. this, editors know this, that the more. you cut things up, the more it's going. to capture attention. >> Yeah. >> This is even in shows for little kids. Little kids shows are total to totally. different than what they used to be. >> Yeah. Like I know this there's. now Netflix in all of their meetings. they they ask this one question to the.

person who's selling them the show is. like is it second screen viewing or no. >> because Netflix wants to make all their. shows. >> based on second screen not the first. screen because they know they're already. watching like phone. So is it. >> is it like when someone's on their phone. can they still watch it and be engaged? Can you actually make them stop their. phone and watch and then come back or. no? Like you don't have to make like one. long scene where somebody if they go to.

their phone they forget what was. happening. So they have to make it like. super. >> Yeah. >> super quick. >> You know how depressing that is when we. think about how many billions of people. right now on this planet want to become. successful? Listen, you've started your own empire. Do you talk about how hard you've had to. work to make that happen? How much focus. it requires? Dedication. Nobody's taking that many off days. I.

can tell you this. I have a business. I. tell people this all the time. If you. want off days, go get a job. >> Yeah. >> Because they give you time off. >> True. >> I run a lab. It's my heart and my soul. is in it. I don't I'm always thinking. about it. It's like my baby. Your. business is your baby. There's no off. You don't become not a mother just. there's no off day. It's a It's. >> true. >> So if we know that's what it takes to. succeed.

And we right now are letting these. companies. train our brains in such a way that it's. making it impossible even to watch a. movie and focus. Think about how boring it is sometimes. Sometimes, not all the time, but to run. a business and start a business, sometimes you got to do some boring. It's hard, but you got to get. through it. Listen, I do science. Like, you got to It's a slog. You got to. analyze data. You got to be looking at. stuff. You have to sit there. You have.

to work late at night sometimes. You're. working hard. And it's not fun. It's not. always like a movie. If we are training. the next generation of brains in the. world to be so distracted. and so unfocused that they need two. script I mean this is crazy. It to me it. feels like mass manipulation. The world doesn't want people thinking. It's easier to control people.

if they're dumb and not thinking at all. They're distracted. Depressing thought. But we go back to. this. Okay. So you've got short form, there's story or in long form there's. story and narrative. Here there's no. memory. There's no learning. Short form. scrolling has also this is there's data. to support this increase in depressive. symptoms. We know people are more sad. We see an increase in anxiety. The more. you scroll short form reals, short form.

media, the more anxious you get. Really? >> Yes. >> But what if I'm I'm just laughing and. I'm watching funny reels? >> It's about the cuts. It's about how. short it is. Don't If you want to laugh, watch a 20 minute video on YouTube. That's funny. It's literally We're just. talking about long and short. We're not. even talking about the content. But that. jumpy back and forth, the the cuts.

create more, it seems, more anxiety. Now. you get depressive symptoms, an increase. in anxiety and an increase in. loneliness. Whereas here in long form we see. empathy. And empathy by the way allows. you to connect more. >> So you'd have an increase in connection. versus an increase in loneliness. So. they're like opposites of each other. >> But what's happening in my brain which. is making me lonier if I consume short. form? What's the correlation?

>> You know, I will say this. We're not. 100% sure, but I will give you my. hypothesis. as somebody who is studying this right. now. What I believe is happening in the. brain when like why is it that we are. experiencing the loneliness epidemic. right now? It's not just in the United. States. We're seeing it pretty much. across any part of the world. >> that has embraced technology. >> We see this increase in loneliness. Why. does it make any sense? Because think. about it. You and I and your team, we.

were all able to connect when we were. halfway across the world from each. other. It's pretty cool. Yeah, >> technology is pretty amazing like that, you know. >> So, I'm not saying, oh, I'm not like. anti-tech like, oh, it's terrible. It's. pretty cool. It allows people to connect. from all over. It's amazing. >> But that means we're more connected. So, how could it be possible that we're more. lonely? Well, again, let's think about. the craving and then the behavior and. that whole response loop we talked about. before. when I am let's say for example I'm.

seeking connection and let me begin by. saying one other important biological. law there's a biological law that's very. important for us to accept it's not your. choice human beings are pack animals. >> we're designed for a collective we're. not designed to live like lone wolves in. silos that means human connection is in. need like food or like water. You need. it. You'll get sick if you don't get it.

And that's been proven. >> Yeah. Longhaul truck drivers who don't. get a lot of socializing. They have. nobody to talk to for days and weeks. sometimes, literally their brains start to degrade. They start to atrophy like they're. experiencing almost like accelerated. aging or dementia. It's so sad cuz a lot. of them are young guys most of the time. Okay, going back to this uh when you are. craving.

social connection, which is a natural. need, we all do it. We all need it. So, we all have the craving. You have two. options. Let's say you can either reach. out to a friend, somebody you're living. with, your family, you know, talk to. somebody, whoever is nearby, pick up the. phone and call somebody, text some at. least. You know, there's like a whole. from the best is like in real life, real. connection. >> Yeah. >> Live. Okay. Next best is maybe the phone. or something or FaceTime or something.

like that. >> Maybe a text. But if you say, "Oh, I want to know what other people are. doing." If you get on social media, listen, let's be honest, social media is. not social anymore, right? When you open up Instagram, it used to be when they first started, you would see the pictures and videos. that your friends would post. >> Yeah. >> It's not like that anymore. >> True. >> It's other people you don't know. It's. other people you don't know. So, you are.

seeking social connection and then you. get you go on to short form media. and then you start scrolling. >> So, you're distracted. Sure, you're. distracted, but it feels kind of good in. the moment, doesn't it? >> Yeah. Distraction feels good. So, it's. like eating candy when you're hungry. So, you're hungry. You're hungry for. something real. Really? Food, but you. eat candy instead. What happens when you. eat candy when you're hungry?

>> In 1 hour, >> you feel more hungry. >> Yeah. You're you're hungry again because. then you never filled yourself with. nutrition, >> with the food your body needs. So you. were, let's say, you were seeking social. connection. It's like hunger. So, but. instead of really seeking true. connection, you instead went to short. form media and you're scrolling. It's. like candy. So, you're just going to be. even hungrier in another hour. So, you're even So, then you were maybe a. little lonely before. Now, you're even. more lonely because it's never.

satisfying that need. It never satisfies. that need. My hypothesis is that what's. happening in the brain is there's first. dopamine. Dopamine is the brain's primary. motivation molecule. So dopamine is all. about motivation. You have dopamine and you have you have. a desire for social connection.

That's what you want. So you're. motivated towards it. So in order to get. this need met, what do you do? Let's say. you do the there's two options. Option. A, option B. We'll go two options here. One option is you go short form, you. scroll. Okay, so you grab the phone. versus you grab a person. We they're. friends. There we go. >> Yay. Okay, so there's two other two. other uh brain chemicals that I want to.

bring into the mix here. Okay, there's. something called oxytocin. and there's something called serotonin. Okay, so you've got oxytocin and. serotonin. Oxytocin, if you've ever. heard of this, this is a hormone that's. the known as the bonding hormone. So. this is what bonds humans together. So. if your dopamine levels are high, so. meaning you're motivated for what? Social connection, that means what you.

want is oxytocin. you're you're seeking. it. >> Okay, >> this is might might be what we could say. this is what's satisfying it. This would. satisfy it. And also serotonin is. another neurom modulator that would that. makes you feel good and content. >> Okay, >> makes you feel content and good. >> So bonding satisfaction. >> Very good. Yes. >> Okay. >> So this is really like the science of. what it is that we're looking for here. I'm looking for this but really like I. need these things in order to check this. box. >> Okay. If you go to short form, do you think what are we bonding with? I.

don't know. Like if I get on and I see. one of your reels or I see one of my. own, right? Where we both have short. form media. I'm not bonding with this. person. I don't even know them. >> True. >> So, I'm not getting any oxytocin. contentment. I'm not getting because I. already told you it increases anxiety, right? And depressive symptoms. So, it's. leaving the person more sad. So, while. they're doing it, they don't notice. because while you're eating the candy, come on, man. It tastes good. >> Yeah, >> we all think it tastes good. It's.

delicious. But afterwards is when you. feel bad. It's afterwards where you're. like, "Oh my god, I ate too much and I. now I feel like crap. It is It wasn't. nutritious.". Now, if you actually seek real social. connection, then you get the oxytocin. You get the serotonin. So, you actually. get to check the box. So, you had the. dopamine, you were motivated, you sought. social connection, you got social. connection. Good. >> But that doesn't happen. >> Not if you go this way. If you're if let's say for example. dopamine goes high cuz you're hungry or.

you're thirsty. Like right now you and I. have water. I go I I am thirsty. So I. have this need. Dopamine goes up. That's motivation. Motivation so I can recruit. my motor cortex and everything else to. go and grab the water to drink from it. If I drink from it, then I satisfy the. need. >> I got a little bit of hydration, so I. feel better. Now, if I had the same. loop, but I never get the water. I I.

don't know, go eat a cracker or something like this, then I might feel even worse than when I. started. >> Yeah. The need's never satisfied. >> Well, this is how we look when we. >> Oh, yeah. I did. I told you before. I've. I've always had a sweet tooth. So. listen, I no shame in the game. I've. always loved sweets. >> Yeah. So this is this is how we look. when we are going for this candy. So. this is what's happening. >> Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much. I hope that you.

know I I I tell my students this all the. time that um I'm passionate about a lot. of this stuff because I'm not better. than anybody else. I struggle with it. myself. I've been addicted to scroll. I've struggled with addiction to many. different things in my life. >> Mhm. >> Many things in my life. I've had to. break addictions. I'm not above this. I studied this. stuff. All of this stuff. I even studied.

addiction and I still became addicted. Like nothing can prevent this. Like you. just need the awareness, the discipline, the desire for better. You have to just. do the hard work, right? It's and. listen, maybe it's like the the question. you asked before about the billionaire's. brain. It's like, are they just born. different? Maybe some some people are. probably lucky enough where they don't. have a lot of this addiction stuff, you. know? I was not one of those people. I. love chocolate. I love sweets. I would.

eat dessert all day if I could. So, I. have to create systems in my life in. order to create balance. It doesn't come. naturally. You have to be systems minded, aware, systems minded. You got to have the. discipline. Um, I think that's the only. way around it. >> So, we're going to do, what are we going. to do? I'm going to show you a city map. >> Okay. >> Okay. Explain me how my brain works as. if it was a city. >> So nice looking, huh? >> Okay. All right.

Where shall I begin for you? So, not. that this is what the brain actually. looks like, right? It's not perfectly. accurate in terms of locations, but I. what I think is really beautiful about. this particular setup you have here is. you have so many of the different brain. areas and the neural networks that I. think are the most important for. performance. They're the most relevant. You know what I mean? We don't nobody. not every single person needs to go get. a PhD in neuroscience. You know what I. mean? This is like tell me the stuff I. need to know.

>> Yeah. The meaty stuff. >> The meaty stuff. Yeah. Okay. So, let's. use actually an example because we're. here to learn about getting done. and being productive. I have a goal. I. want to meet my goals, right? How do I. do that? >> Yeah. How do I become this person who. ends up achieving all the goals? >> Yes. Yes. Okay. Let's say what does that look like for. you by the way? But you want to achieve. your goals. A lot of it is like stuff on. the computer. Yeah. Right. You sit down. and you're reading, you're writing, >> researching, coming up with questions,

thinking a lot. Yeah. >> Beautiful. And it's on the computer, right? In your office. >> or wherever somewhere. Okay. >> So, in order for that to happen, a few. things. >> One, the default mode network that we talked. about before here called beautifully. story studios, right? It's where all the. stories are made. This is the story. making machine. >> So, the story about myself that hey, I. want to be this podcaster and this and. that. It's here.

>> Beautiful. Yes. and how you're going to. get there too. Like it's going to. happen. I need to do research blah blah. blah. So this story network is sending. information and that information is. going into city hall. This is your CEN, your central executive. network, the CEO, the very front section. of the brain. And this is going, okay, Raj wants to be the number one podcast. in the world. Okay, you want to build. that. That's what we're that's the goal. That's what we're going towards. Then. your CEN, this sort of frontal parietal.

area that's going to be focused on how. you do that goal achievement, goal. directed attention, it's going to try to. quiet everything else down and just stay. focused on whatever it is you're doing. So let's say you're doing research. So. you're on your computer and you're doing. research on it on the next thing, right? You have meaning. This is where the. meaning is coming from. Why? Why am I. doing it? It's coming from the story. Then you have city hall that the CEO. that's actually going towards the thing. making it happen. Okay. Then you have a.

really important place here. It's. another neural network. It's not just a. place. It's a network. The dorsal. attention network. The DN. The DN is like the watchtowwer. looking. >> I don't know if you've seen Lord of the. Rings. >> No. >> No. It's the Eye of Sauron. Okay. For. those that have seen it, >> this is the Watchtower. The DN is. looking look and it's pointing a. spotlight, you know. So, it's like a. like a flashlight or a spotlight of your.

attention on whatever it is that it. needs to focus on. Whatever it is that. and this is the tricky part. It says it. needs to focus on. Who's telling it. where to shine the light? >> The city hall. >> Sure. The city hall can do that. You. know who else might in the middle? Not. this one necessarily. the alarm tower. If there's an emergency and this one. says, "Hey, oh my god, panic," then the. DN will say, "Raj, stop focusing on your.

Google doc. We have there's emergencies. happening. Go look at this." Or, for. example, the dispatch center. salance network. This is like emergency. calls, your satellite system. Something's happening. I don't know what. it is. Maybe it's not an emergency. Maybe it's not an alarm. That's your. amydala. It's a walnut- sized area deep. inside of the center of the brain. And. that brain area is the brain's alarm. system. every time there's some sort of.

emergency. Okay, so that's the alarm. tower. You've got this amazing. team. >> Okay, that is either going to help you. meet your goals or it's going to make it. potentially more difficult. But it. depends on how you set yourself up for. success. So going back to the example, you sit down and you have a goal. >> H. >> you have that's your meaning. >> Okay, >> your CEO, your CEN, but it's your CEO. Let's say that's going to start. focusing. >> Okay. >> Okay. Your DN says, "Got it. No problem.

Let's focus on the computer. Let's focus. on the research." So your DA, the. watchtowwer goes, it's focusing on the. work. As long as you keep focusing and as long. as nothing distracts you or interrupts. you, then maybe as long as you can, you. will keep focusing. >> This is my tension. >> Yeah. But what's the usual setup? Remember when we talked about your phone. and where you keep it? >> It's like. >> here. >> there's one notification, another there.

are five tabs opening, two people. talking, and then I have to be. everywhere and then I have to message. >> probably scroll a little in between. That's what always happens. So now. you've got every time the notification. comes in, salance network goes, "Hey, look over here. What's over there? Oh, what's that?" And then when 911, this. dispatch center, the salance network. says, "Look over here." The watchtowwer. goes, "What do you want me to look at?". So it looks at something else. So this.

area, the salance network is what is the. external essentially distraction. It is. it is telling you where to orient your. attention. >> So that's why you need to keep your. digital hygiene clean. You need to have. good digital hygiene when you're sitting. down to work. Otherwise, you're setting. yourself up for failure instead of. success. >> So to shut this down, >> you have to shut that down. Well, it's. not shut it down. You can't shut it. down. It's there to keep you alive. You. have to clean your environment and.

control your environment. so that you set this whole system up for. success. This is you can't shut this. down. >> The brain is going to do its thing. These are the biological laws. Remember. like gravity, you can't fight this. thing. This is the brain. >> Okay. But then I want to clean my. environment in a way so that it it. doesn't get triggered. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Think about, you know, um a lot of. people have young kids, right? Imagine. if you have a kid and they get go to. school and then they come back with a.

bad grade and they really studied hard, you know, and then they're like so sad. about it. You find out that the teacher. let them all be on their phones talk. There was like a party. They're playing. music. Like all these things were. happening. People were chitchatting with. each other. People were coming in and. out while they were sitting down and. taking their exam. All the parents would go crazy. They. would be like, "This is not fair. this. is not how you run a classroom. This is. not how you give an exam. And then they. would pretty much, you know,

>> say like we demand a redo. You have to. redo it. But how do you sit down and work? You're a leader like I am. I run a team, right? When our teams sit down to. actually get work done, how what's their. environment like? Is it built for focus. or is it built for distraction? So this is this is all of these amazing. different brain areas are there to keep. you alive. They're there for a purpose. for sure.

>> But what are these two? >> Oh, >> hippocampus. It's library and archive. >> This is just your memories. And your. memories by the way are very very close. typically to the amydala. So your. hippocampus and the amydala are rather. close. This is an important. I would say maybe an important note. Your amygdala is the seat of a lot of. fear, right? Fear and anxiety, negative. affect. Your hippocampus is the seat of a great.

deal of memory. Things that are negative and scary are. more memorable. So, and this is actually true. technically for all emotion. If you can. heighten your emotions, you will. remember the situation better. If you. can increase, for example, even your. anxiety about whether you'll forget it. or not. If you're afraid of forgetting. something, you're less likely to forget.

>> So, how do I improve my memory then of. the positive things? M in general. improving your memory and this is. actually a a I think kind of a fun fact. that's a little bit um counterintuitive. >> If you want to strengthen your memory, open the aperture of your attention if. you you can only remember what you're. attending to,

right? You can't remember something that. you weren't paying attention to. >> Yeah. So if you can heighten and sharpen. your focus and your attention, then your memory will get better. It's like the funnel, right? The. attention is what you're paying. attention to. All the stuff that's. getting in. So if you want more stuff to. get in, focus on your attention if you want to. remember more stuff, right? >> Things h you have to come in in order to. go down into memory. >> Yeah. But.

>> that's pretty much the end of the brain. city map. One thing that I keep failing. at is waking up super early. And I've. tried so many times. Some like I I've. somehow. what do you say? Somehow trained myself. to get up at like 7:30 8:00 a.m. But I'm. still not able to do the 5:00 a.m. club. Like I've tried really hard. Why do you.

want to do the 5 a.m. club? >> Is it like you become better, your. energy gets better, you focus better, all of a sudden your life turns around. This whole hype around 5:00 a.m. club, early to rise, early to bed, all that. Isn't it like that? >> It's. For some people, yeah, for some people, but not for everybody. The most important is the foundation, the principle, the biological law and. the principle is that you need to be. getting enough high quality sleep.

Shoot for 7 hours minimum. That should be the goal. So if you're. getting enough sleep, that's the most. important. This is the foundation. Doesn't really matter what time you wake. up, right? this myth uh this is truly. like people get off on this idea that um. you know we have the saying the early. bird gets the worm right. we have all of these sayings because. waking up late and staying up late has. been historically associated with being.

lazy with sloth doesn't have to be that. way I'm actually really proud of so many. I would say modern-day leaders that are. actually coming out of the closet. of being night owls of being PM shifted. Um, Sundar, the CEO of Google, has come. out and and admitted that he does some. of his best thinking at like 10:00 p.m. >> I didn't know what did he say. >> that he does his best thinking at like. late at night and some days he like, you. know, after like dinner, blah blah blah, he like likes to really like that's his.

sometimes his really high quality focus. time. That's like that's some of the. because he's PM shifted. Mhm. >> Now, I know that we gave you. >> to do it, >> a biological chronotype assessment as. well, but I want to first talk about. chronotypes in general. So, this whole. idea of being in the 5 a.m. club and all. of this stuff, this comes from society. and it's honestly BS. We don't need it. >> Why do you call it 5 a.m. club porn? Like 5 a.m. pawn? What is. >> it's okay? There's this there's this.

whole. I don't even know what to call it. There's like it's like a club of people, okay, that believe that and they they. love doing this as a habit. And you know. what? Listen, if it works for you, do. it. I think it's great. I know lots of. people that wake up at 5:00 in the. morning. And listen, I'm not getting up. super late either. I think it's great, but the most important thing is to. listen to your body. I call it 5 a.m. club porn because there's so many blogs. and books and other podcasts, tweets. Uh.

you see all of these different like just. articles and all of this content about. people. It's like if you want to be the. most successful version of yourself, you. need to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. and then you need to do 25 push-ups and. then you need to drink a tall glass of. lemon water with cayenne in it and then. you need to do a cold plunge and then. you need to do this and then you need to. what a sauna then this and that and it's. like oh my god what are we doing? Like. if listen, if you are not getting at.

least 7 hours of high quality sleep, what's the point of you waking up at 5, right? Because of this like idea that. we're all like addicted to that like see. it's like I call it porn because it. seems like such a great idea, but it's. not. It's only a good idea like if. you've got all the other things like. lined up truly like it's this thing that. people are obsessed with. So, they're. talking about it and writing about it, and it's like, look, this one CEO woke. up at 5:00 and he does all this. before 7:00 a.m. and that's why he's. successful. And it's just not true.

That's not why he's successful. It's one. of his strategies. But some other CEOs. do some of their best work from 8:00. p.m. to midnight. It doesn't matter. which time it is. It matters which time. it is for you. And each person is a. little bit different. In 2017, the Nobel Prize in Medicine. went to three researchers who discovered. that human beings do not share one.

circadian rhythm. So, circadian rhythms are the biological. sort of clock that we have that that. that tells us when that we have high. energy, low energy, so on and so forth. Peaks and troughs of energy throughout. the course of the day. We thought that all humans generally. speaking, we wake up with the sun, right? >> Yeah. And. >> creatures of light, we wake up with the. sun and we go to bed at night. >> Yeah. >> Story is a little more complicated.

Welcome science to science, right? It's. like a little more complicated than we. thought. In 2017, the Nobel Prize in. medicine went to these three researchers. who discovered we don't share one. circadian rhythm. We at least have three. genetic what are called chronotypes. Now your chronotype. is the your genetic optimum of when you. feel the most energized when you feel. the most uh motivated. It's even for. physical f fitness it makes a big. difference. Ideal times you should wake.

up go to sleep so on and so forth. Okay. Now the three major chronotypes. are am shifted. which are the folks that wake up. naturally hormonally pretty early in the. morning. bifphasic. which is in the middle it stands for the. Latin two phases or two peaks. >> okay. >> and the third PM shifted. the AM shifted people they linearly. decrease in energy over the course of. the day.

>> now these individuals usually by even. early evening are struggling a little. bit right and their bodies will. naturally wake them up how do you know. your AM shifted versus the second type. by phasic. if you wake up super early in the. morning. No matter what, even if you go. to bed late, your body will wake you up. Can you imagine? Like, you go to bed at. like 2 3:00 in the morning. For some. people, it doesn't matter. Their body's. going to wake them up at 5:00. >> I know. You're like, "Not me." No,

>> I can sleep at 10:00 and still not wake. up at 5. >> Good for you. Wow. Really? You're a good. You can You can do that. >> Yeah. Yeah, I can sleep very long. As. long as Alam doesn't hit it, I I don't. get up. Rarely, I get up. That's a. blessing. Congratulate. Seriously. >> Yeah. Either I can't sleep or if I sleep. then. >> you're sleeping. >> It's such a It's a gift by the way. It's. such a blessing. It truly I sometimes. I'm like I have to I have systems for it.

>> but I am PM shifted which means. naturally I could if left to my own. devices I would be up until like 2 3:00. in the morning. >> Mhm. >> Easily. >> Same. like by 4 I'm like now I'm ready. maybe to go to bed. >> Yeah, >> but this is not functional. If I'm going. to bed at 4, then I probably wouldn't. wake up and I have like blackout. curtains and an eye mask and all of this. stuff to help keep me asleep and then. I'm not waking up until way late in the. morning. And you know, you get this. You. run a business. I run a business. Like. this is not possible. Okay, so I got to.

get up. So that means I have to create. systems. So I go to bed usually around. like 11:00 by midnight. I'm asleep. This. is my. >> Okay. That's good. That's not bad. >> No. And you can do that. So, I'm telling. you genetically, biologically, my body. wants to go to bed in the 2 to 4 a.m. range. I'm able to shift it back at. least 3 hours through behavioral. adjustments. Those behavioral. adjustments I can outline with you. because. Do you want to share your results?

>> Yeah. So, you gave me this whole uh. questionnaire to fill. >> Mhm. to find out can we do something. like so I filled that question and it. took me like 3 4 minutes it didn't take. me long can we do that for people as. well can you give me some link so that a. lot of people who want to find out what. are they what's their natural type of. sleeping and waking up and what is the. hour where they feel the most energetic. versus when they feel really sloppy if.

they want to find out can we have some. link of this this test to something. >> yes yeah we our lab has um it's it's. www.mmyronotype.com. and we can absolutely give give folks. access to it so they don't have to pay. for it but to get the assessment done. the same assessment you did. >> Perfect. Done. So we're going to we're. going to go through my results. >> Okay. >> And then we'll put out a link in the. description for anyone who wants to. actually go test it. >> Okay. So this is what the report was.

>> Yes. Let's look at it. So here's an. outline first of just the three types, right? the three different types we. talked about AM shifted bifphasic and PM. shifted and anybody else who's watching. if you also take the assessment you're. going to get a report as well a PDF. report that's going to go over all of. this information so these are the three. main chronotypes now as you can see here. in the center we have population. distributions the population. distribution here shows that the. majority of people in the world are. bifphasic.

>> even they are not like 5 a.m. type. >> no so that's why I say it's stupid this. 5 a.m. club for everybody like, "Oh, if. you want to be the most successful. version of yourself, you got to wake up. at 5." No, you don't. No, you. don't. This is great for like a quarter. of the human population that naturally. they prefer to go to bed early and wake. up early. Amazing. If that's you, enjoy. >> Brilliant. Yeah. >> Brilliant. Good for you. >> Don't force that on me. >> Yeah. Go work in finance. Everybody's. waking up at 5. Great. Awesome. Awesome. The majority of the human population is.

bifphasic. Also research from my lab. shows by the way PM shifted is actually. closer to 10% of the human population. So super minority. So the bifphasic. energy curve bifphasic stands for the. Latin two phases or two peaks. So that. means these individuals have a midm. morning peak. So not first thing in the. morning. So they need like 45 minutes. maybe an hour to kind of ramp up. but. they're going to peak in their cortisol. levels, their epinephrine, all of this. amazing hormones that keep you focused. and alert and awake and excited. They're.

going to get there. Give it an hour. So, if you wake up in the morning and you're. like, "Okay, but then within 45 minutes. you're like, I feel amazing, >> but in an hour you feel amazing, probably you're bifphasic.". >> Okay, >> now these individuals, that's their. first peak in the morning. second and. then they come down for an super. afternoon dip. Super afternoon dip. Like. they're crashing. They're these folks. crash harder than anybody else. So they. could really take a nap, you know, in.

the middle of the day. But if they. listen to their body, maybe they take a. break, maybe they do a workout, maybe. they do some other stuff, they take a. little bit of a break. After that, they. get a second wind. of. >> focus again. >> Yeah. A second peak. So sometimes it's. early evening, sometimes it's later. evening, sometimes it's late afternoon. You know, it really depends when you. wake up. But you will have another peak. if you're bifphasic, if you play your. cards right, you this is what I mean by. leverage your biology.

>> because these people if they don't take. a proper break midday and they don't. listen to their body, that second peak. will be less peaky. They won't take. advantage of it. >> Got it? >> So this whole 9 to5, it doesn't really. serve. It's not the way this is. designed. You should be you should learn. what your chronoype is so you can take. advantage of your peak performance. hours. 2 to three hours every single day. your brain is at its best. >> Is it you know what I know somebody I'm. not allowed to take their names but.

super successful multi-billionaire lives. on an island bunch of things right? He did some tests with his performance. coaches and all over all all those. things right and he says that he sleeps. 4 hours then functions then sleep 4. hours he doesn't sleep at he doesn't. sleep like 8 hours a stretch will he. come in by phasic. >> no that's that's an old school tactic. called like split sleep listen it's hard.

on the brain and the body that's not how. our brains and our bodies are designed. Matthew Walker who's also at UC Berkeley. one of the world's most, you know, renowned sleep psychologists in his. book, all of his research. Yeah, exact, you know, it y. >> literally it spells out, all of the. sleep research spells out pretty clearly. that we need. sustained contiguous hours of sleep. You. even get some higher quality benefits if. you go to bed before midnight.

Not really sure why. Kind of sucks for. the PM shifted people, but it is what it. is. So science would definitely disagree. with that strategy for sure. Now, if. it's working for performance, you know, fine, but it's it's not going to work. for his health. >> It's going to be a sacrifice. You know, it would be like I've also met people. that drink like five cups of coffee a. day and they're just like, okay, but. you're doing something not so great for. yourself long at some point there will. be consequences. >> Yeah. Oh, >> good. So okay you've got bifphasic.

people as mentioned majority of the. human population and then you have the. tired the lonely the few now really 10. to 15% of the human population is PM. shifted PM shifted people prefer to go. to bed later and wake up later. biologically. >> that's me. >> it is you you are PM shifted it is your. chronotype we were able to actually test. this and see that your chronoype is PM.

shifted. Now, every chronoype has a. peak, a dip, and a recovery period. Okay. Now, for a PM shifted person, and. maybe for this so that you can see it. too, we do it this way. Okay. So, for a. PM shifted person, >> all right, if we take the hours, let's. say, of like 9:00 a.m. to to to 1:00. a.m. that you see here on the x-axis, you've got creative work ideally being. done. in the morning.

This might be when you have some of your. best ideas. Why? Because you're probably. a little tired of the mornings, aren't. you? >> Yeah, I'm very tired in the morning. Because when you're tired, you're more. likely to allow yourself to activate. that DMN and be bored. You can just kind. of sit back, give yourself a few. minutes, let your mind wander, journal a. little bit, brainstorm, just expose. yourself to like really interesting, good content, and see what comes up, see. what ideas you might have. When we are a. little bit lower in energy levels,

you're less inhibited. So, you're going to come up with a few. more ideas. So, I should do my reading and like just. thinking work during this time. >> You could experiment with it. At least. try it. It's possible you've already trained. yourself enough to like be able to still. get a lot of really like to activate. that central executive network, that CEN. to get stuff done really early in the. morning. But probably, and you'll tell. me if this is true, that you likely hit.

your. peak. >> in the evening for sure. >> Yeah. >> That means I'm like, "Go, go, go, go. during the night.". >> Really? >> Yeah. >> That's when you should be doing your. focused work. You got to get done. You got to be doing that stuff at night. That evening range is when people, and. by the way, I'm PM shifted, too. Women. who are PM shifted are even more the. minority of the human population. There's very few of us. So, but PM.

shifted in general, we're both. minorities in the human population. So, this is we need to be taking advantage. of this time. And listen, not every day. because I don't know about you, but if I. stay up super late working, it's going. to ruin my work day and all of this. stuff. I have stuff to do during the. day. I have meetings sometimes at 8:00. in the morning. So, like I can't do this. often, but sometimes I give myself the. gift of allowing myself to work in the. evenings and then when I have time to. sleep in the next day, it works really. well. I can take advantage of it and get.

more done. So, that's what I recommend. people do is really um. >> and what do I do in the dip? >> Oh, administrative work. Stuff that is. less important for you. We all have. administrative work. Even if you. outsource most of it, we still have some. administrative work like less important. work. >> like checking emails and. >> Yeah. Take your calls then. >> Send message then. >> Yeah. Send all the messages, take your. calls then and get that stuff done. You. have some shopping to do, do it then. Get a workout in. If you work out here.

during your dip, your peak will be even. pickier. You're going to feel amazing. >> So many people wait until after work to. go work out. >> Yeah. >> I do it in the morning. That's great. Especially for a PM shifted person. I. have recommended to a lot of um CEOs. that uh are A.M. shifted for them to not. work out in the morning. >> Why? >> Because they wake up at 5. 5:00 a.m. club porn, right? They wake up. at 5:00 a.m. and their their brain is.

already on, man. It's like what your. brain is like at night time. They're. ready. They're fire. >> So, I should work out in the morning, not at night. >> For you, I would say for me, too. Yeah. because I'm not listen I'm not solving. the world's biggest problems in the. morning anyway I'm like drinking my. coffee I'm like all right I'm like very. meditative I'm very relaxed soft you. know then later in the day I'm like all. right let's go let's let's hit it so. yeah I would my recommendation is. everyone should figure out what their. type is and strategically design their.

day when they can listen we all have. meetings and responsibilities but at. least know what your type is so that if. you get an opportunity to protect a few. hours in that peak performance window. that for you is the evening. For most. other people, it's going to be midm. morning. That's the majority. Some. people it's early morning. Protect that. time. >> But I'm going to be anxious till 6:00. p.m. If I don't do like the the minute I. wake up and if I'm not like getting all.

the stuff done. >> Yeah. >> The whole day I'm going to spend an. anxiety of what am I missing out if I'm. not doing the work. I won't be able to. think and brainstorm and read and like I. won't be able to wander. >> How about if you wander tried wandering. for you schedule it and you time. yourself. You say I'm going to give. myself one hour to brainstorm to see if. I can come up with how many good ideas. for the business and for the podcast. >> Does it does like scheduling wandering.

works? >> Mhm. >> Really? >> Yeah. We call it. >> shouldn't it be like just it should be. what do you call. >> think time? >> Yeah, but then shouldn't think time be. just out of nowhere random. >> Then it's not disciplined. Then what what if you never do it? We're. busy people. I think if you really care. about something, you should schedule it. >> Got it. Interesting. Let me try this and then I'll tell you. the results if I'm able to actually fix.

it or not. >> I love it. >> Here's one thing very interesting. You. talk a lot about burnout, >> right? How is burnout different than. anxiety or stress? >> Is it different? Isn't it like when. you're when you're stressed all the. time, when you're anxious all the time, you eventually burn out? >> This is such an important question. And. the answer is no. They're not the same. thing. But yes, if you keep stressing. over and over and over again, at some.

point it is likely you'll burn out. It. depends on how you are experiencing that. stress. So let me let me put it this. way. Humans are designed. we're designed to experience stress. We're we're made for it. I know people. like usually these days like hate the. word stress. It's like a naughty word. They're like everything is about. anti-stress and lowering your stress and. all this stuff. Listen, stress just. means like stress hormones. It just.

means focus, alertness, motivation. Like. it's a lots of good stuff. Like stress. is not just a bad thing. You need it. If. you removed all the cortisol, for. example, in your body, you would be in a. coma. Truly, you'd be in a coma. So, you need. cortisol. It's not a bad thing. It's a. good thing. So, what is bad though? And. and as I mentioned, the human is. designed for experiencing stress cycles. What is a stress cycle? Stress cycle is.

the cycle of that cortisol going up and. what goes up must come down. >> So stress goes up, stress comes down. So. we're designed for experiencing these. stress cycles. Get stressed, get. stressed, get stressed, okay? And it's done. Get stressed about. something and deal with it. And it's. done. It's over. You can experience this dozens of times. all day. Get stressed, complete the. stress cycle.

What does modern life look like for so. many people? They wake up in the. morning, the alarm goes off, they grab. their phone because that's the alarm. Then they start scrolling and looking at. an email and messages that have come in, WhatsApp. They're just checking all the. different things. Sending them yes, confirmed, thumbs up, heart, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yes, you all of these things. already. checking the news. immediately before you've even had the. opportunity. to listen right to that internal voice.

Where are my priorities? What are my. goals? Who am I? What's the story? Where. is the mindset? Do any kind of work and. training on yourself? You've launched. yourself onto this roller coaster ride. that you didn't anticipate. And now, unfortunately, in my opinion, you've started that stress response. But. what happens once you start that way? Usually people keep going until they. start work and then they start work and. then they're in their first meeting and. then the next meeting and then more.

emails and then more calls and then this. thing and then when does it ending? It. just keeps going and going and going. When are you completing the stress. cycle? Remember what we said before. We're designed for stress cycles. Stress. goes up, stress comes down. Stress goes. up, stress comes down. >> It's not coming down. >> It's never coming down. Stress doesn't kill. Never completing the stress cycle kills. So if you never complete these stress. cycles, it just keeps going up up up and.

then you just pass out and go to sleep. and then you wake up the next morning. and you just keep doing this and you're. on this roller coaster ride with. yourself. Eventually, yes, you'll. experience burnout. Your adrenals like. will finally give out and you'll be. like, "Okay, I'm done. I'm done giving. you cortisol.". Isn't how mostly everybody's living. these days? >> Yeah. And that's why, Listen, can you. imagine going back and talking to your. grandfather and saying, "I'm burned out. at your age.".

Why is it that all of a sudden. everybody's burning out? I met a a kid, a guy, 22 and a half, just graduated college, just started working. It had been the. first quarter. I have a and I don't I. met the kid, but my friend is the one. who's supervising the kid. He's like, "This guy is already saying he's burned. out." Like clinically, he's like, "I. need to go to the doctor. I'm burned. out." And I'm just like, "You just.

started. You're burn I'm burned out. Like, how could you possibly be burned. out? How is that even feasible?" But. like right now, everyone everyone is. saying that they're experiencing this. burnout. Well, first of all, I don't. think they are. Clinical burnout is. super serious. When people are stressed. and they're anxious, sometimes they call. that burnout. That's not the same thing. You can be stressed. It's not going to. kill you. Chronic stress. that never closes out for a very long. time can have detrimental effects for.

your health for sure. So, the goal is. close out your stress cycles. And. there's a framework that I teach in my. classes and in my lab called the 3M. framework for preventing burnout. >> What is it? >> It's three different kinds of breaks. Breaks that everyone should be taking in. order to actually prevent burnout from. happening even if you work really hard. This is again made for super peak.

performers. We developed this framework. and we've tested it and it works. Three. different kinds of breaks. Micro breaks. This is every single day for a matter of. minutes. You need to be taking a break. every day for a few minutes. You can do. that, right? Every week, 2 to 4 hours. Focus on the. two. If the four is too much, 2 hours. And then every month, half day to a full. day. You can focus on the half if you.

like. Half day off. When you put it that. way, it doesn't sound that scary, right? Like, come on. What are you talking. about? Few minutes every day. I do that. >> Yeah. The distinction is, and this is. what's critical. In order for all three. of these kinds of breaks to actually be. effective, biologically effective, for. you to actually prevent burnout, you. have to employ something that we call. complete psychological detachment.

>> What do you mean by that? Glad you asked. You need to be the. mental equivalent of off the grid. Complete psychological detachment means. you're not thinking about all of the. stuff that's stressing you out. You're. not thinking about your deadlines. You're not thinking about necessarily if. you have kids, your family, whatever the. people that is that you're responsible. for. You are just mentally off. Your. mind is not on all of the things. That's really hard, isn't it? >> So, what do you So, what do you do in.

the breaks then? Well, ideally you're just resting, but. that's too hard, I think, for people. When they're resting, they're thinking. about stuff. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. >> So, my recommendation is to do. something. Do something active that is. challenging enough. Active enough so. that it's impossible for you to do that. thing and be thinking about all of your. stuff at the same time. >> Like playing something, >> like hosting a podcast, right? Like you you can't tune out. We.

have to stay here. Otherwise, we're. >> Yeah. I don't know what to ask then. next. >> Exactly. We're just going to be like, >> "Okay, thank you for saying that. It's. going to be super awkward. You're going. to host the most awkward podcast in the. history of time." Right. You're just. going to be like, "Oh, the host keeps. like daydreaming and forgetting what. he's doing and where he is." Right? Or. like if I started daydreaming, you're. going to ask me a question like, "What. was the question?" Right? It's not. We. have to. We're engaged right now in. something that is cognitively. challenging and engaging. So right now. for me and you, it's impossible for me.

to be worried about all the other stuff. I know you have work later tonight. So. do I. >> Okay. >> Like this won't consider this won't be a. break for me, right? Because. >> it's work, right? >> It's work. >> Oh, it's work. >> I'm not I'm not like stressing about. anything at all in this particular. moment. But before and after, I will. >> Yes. So this is. >> for these 4 hours. I'm just going to be. like I don't care about the world at. all. Well, then in that case, I would. oddly maybe consider this a break for.

you because you're in flow. >> at least. >> Absolutely. >> Your da that that right that watchtower. >> it's here. >> It's we're not letting anything else. take us away. >> So I would actually imagine for for you. and actually for me too, we're both in. flow. So, for this few hours, I've. allowed myself to stop worrying about. everything else and just be here present. in this conversation with you. Now, for.

most other people, they're not hosting a. podcast or not on a podcast. Okay? So, what can you do? If you're going to do a. workout to de-stress, do a workout that is different, hard. enough, novel. If a lot of people I know. go on runs, don't go on the same run. every single day because you're going to. go on autopilot and just tune out. You're going to be like on the run and. you know exactly where you're going. every single time. So it's going to be. too easy if you do the same exact. workout every single time. So change it.

up, mix it up, make it novel so that. your brain goes, "Oh, hold on a second. Where are we? What are we doing?" And. when it does that, you can't think about. anything else. You have to be present. I. like to cook. I love food, so I like to. cook. Okay. So, when I'm cooking, if I. make the same recipes that I've made. hundreds of times, I can be worrying and. thinking while I'm chopping my. vegetables, doing all the things, right? Easy. But if I do something I've never. done before, new crazy recipe, totally.

different, and now I have to focus. I. have to put the baggage down. My. watchtowwer needs to be right here. >> I can't be anywhere else. That's what I. want people to find. The mental. equivalent of off the grid. This thing. is quieted down and you're focused on. something else, immersed. Pick up a. hobby. Like force yourself. Seriously, force yourself. I'll tell you why hobbies are really. important. Like active hobbies that are. new and challenging, like you're.

learning a new skill. Learned how to. play the harmonica. I'm learning by. that, by the way. Maybe next time I see. I'll bring a harmonica. Um or for. example, whatever. Hacky sack. something. silly juggling. You could learn how to. juggle. You could pick a hobby for. yourself and say, "I'm going to dedicate. force myself even." Seriously, you don't. actually have to be interested. It could. be by force for burnout. You could be. like, "Listen, I'm just a high. performance junkie and but I'm worried. about burnout." Okay, then you have to. force yourself to have some other hobby. cuz that's a part of your peak.

performance. >> Interesting. >> You force yourself to have the hobby and. then you immerse yourself in it because. it's hard. So if I want to learn how to. play the guitar, it's going to take all. of my energy and mind in that moment. I. get a YouTube, you know, like video. playing and the guy's like teaching me. what to do and I'm like doing the. things. I'm not thinking about anything. else. I have to be right there. So. that's those are my recommendations. Every day for a few minutes, you have to. go mentally. >> What do you mean by few? >> 15 20.

>> Sure. It's it's this is different for. every person. So I can't give but I. would say at least 10. >> Okay. 10 minutes even. >> So 10 minutes a day. >> Yeah. >> Then. 2 hours a week. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> And half day a month. >> And what do you call them? 3M. Why do. you call it 3M framework? >> Micro, messo, and macro breaks. Easy to. remember. Micro break, mess break, and a. macro break. Three different kinds of. breaks. You did a research right.

recently about people who were. stressed, anxious, lonely, depressed, and then you did something about them in. 9 weeks. >> Yes. >> And then you saw miraculous results. What was it? >> This is currently unpublished. So, you're like the first to hear about this. right now. I was literally looking at. this data last night. It's kind of um. amazing. I don't know how to describe. it. I'm very excited.

>> Okay. >> Yeah. >> What is it? >> Okay. I started teaching a class at UC. Berkeley for undergraduates, so for. younger people called mind machine and. meaning. >> This class is a living experiment. Meaning instead of just learning about. things in the class, I'm asking the. students to change their behavior. New habits. We're breaking habits and. building new ones. So, we're actually. going through behavior change and. neuroplasticity while the class is.

happening. >> Fascinating. >> Hard work. >> Okay. >> Class of 450. >> And you're actually making them go. through neuroplasticity. >> Yeah. >> Each one of them. It'll be different for. each one of them. >> Yeah. >> Okay. What is it? >> And we're tracking it all. >> We're doing research on the students. >> So, we actually asked the students at. the beginning of the class, sign up for. science. Let's do this. come into the lab and we're going to. test your attention span. We're going to.

test your complex working memory. We're. going to test your loneliness. We're. going to test your meaning and life. satisfaction. We're going to test your depression, your anxiety, your stress levels. We're. going to test all these things. Then. we're going to go through a 9week. digital detox. You're going to change your relationship. with scrolling. Oh, >> the binging, the short form media. I. tell them the same thing we talked about.

today. Long form could be fine. We had, you know, for homework one week everyone. had to watch a movie without a second. screen. That's homework in my class. This week you have to watch a movie. minimum 90 minutes. They could also watch your podcast. >> What a privileged class you are in. >> Well, we're we're but we're doing the. hard work. I'm telling you because it's. become hard. It's like we were talking. about before, right, with Netflix. You're telling me for younger kids it's. harder to watch a movie. >> Yeah. >> They can't sit through a 90minute movie.

>> No. Even if it's a good movie to to me. at least. I'm like this is crazy. I'm. like completely like engrossed in the. thing. But it's not their fault. It's. because this the short form is so it's. the candy. Imagine if you're addicted to. candy and what you're saying is by the. way do you have like a delicious. favorite meal? >> Yeah. So many. >> What? Like give me like one example. pick up any like I said mapu tofu I love. a lot. >> so good so good okay like a good one.

like okay so that has a lot of nutrition. like it's going to fill you up right the. tofu is also lots of protein and it's. it's good stuff right. >> if you were addicted to candy and it's. not your fault right because it's in. your p the candy's always in your pocket. for some reason and it's always in your. hand and you get hungry you're supposed. to you're eating now you're addicted to. candy do you think people who are. addicted to junk food and candy like. mapu tofu. >> Not at all. >> No, >> even I will. >> Oh, no. Exact. There you go. So that's.

why so the movie is totally hard work. for them. So we have them go through. this 9 week digital detox. We have them change their relationship. with scrolling. We have them put limits. on how much they can scroll. We have. them do it in such a way that if they go. over the limit, it's going to send a. text message to one of their friends. And I find out too. We all find out. So. it like keeps them it's social. accountability, right? And because. remember if you take away your coping. mechanism for stress because for most.

people they're scrolling because they're. stressed out and it's become a coping. mechanism. They're numbing. If you take. that away from them, they're going to. feel even worse. They're going to have. to sit with those negative feelings and. it feels really, really bad. So we also. brought in a therapist. to teach them emotional regulation, healthier emotional regulation. techniques and strategies. Then we also. had other people who have been through. serious digital addiction come and tell. their stories. That's what was happening.

in class. They were getting the. inspiration. What did you call the highquality. content? Bloom. >> Bloom scrolling. >> Yeah. >> Bloom scrolling. We were we taught them. about the content diet and we said you. need to make your doom scrolling into. bloom scrolling ch following all of. these accounts that don't teach you. anything. They don't challenge you. They. don't expose you to new ideas. Now I. want you to actually go in and think. about like find new accounts. Talk to. each other. Do research which accounts.

are going to actually level you up and. and all whatever in in everybody's. different you know. Some of the students. are really into like art. Some of them. are into they want to start a business. They're all over the place, right? For. you in your niche. Go find the bloom. Seek the bloom. Then we're also making. sure that they in general have less. screen time. And we are replacing. the digital connection with real. in-person connection. We threw a party,

huge party, food, games, the whole. thing. Live music. We people went on. hikes. We set up the students on blind. dates. >> What kind of class is this? >> The best class. actually. That was a lot of hard work. >> The class is a study. It's research. >> I want to see and I know we can do this. But now I have the data to back it up. that. people, especially young people, do not. have to be as isolated and lonely, as.

depressed and anxious, and their. attention spans do not need to be as. shot as they are. Neuroplasticity is. real. Neuroplasticity is real. That. means that whatever we did, we did. something to make this happen. >> You can undo it. It's like muscles, right? I can eat and. never move and something's going to. happen for sure to my body or I can. force myself to eat good food and. exercise and then other things are going.

to happen to my body. >> But what were the results like what what. happened then? Like you at the beginning. of the class you got their attention and. like you tested bunch of things. >> then you did all of this made it fun. >> Yes. >> What happened then? >> It was also hard. They a lot of tears by. the way had a lot of students crying. It. was really difficult because it's it's. an addiction. Everyone is going through. withdrawal together. If I have 450. people, we are all experiencing. withdrawal together at the same time.

We're just trying to make it better by. injecting connection and play. We I. forced everybody for the final project. You have to pick up a hobby and work on. it throughout the semester, you know. So, this was this was what we did. >> And for 9 weeks, they were not allowed. to touch their phones. >> No, no, no, no. They all had their. phones. M. >> they just scrolled a little bit less. Specifically, also short form media. That was what I said. Social media and. the scrolling. We're going to doom. scroll a little less. Watch a movie. Watch long YouTube videos. Watch other. stuff, >> you know. >> And and by the way, they still scrolled.

They just scrolled a little less. >> So if someone was doing for 2 hours, they did it for like 30 minutes. >> Exactly. Some of them were doing it for. 6 hours and then they brought it down to. like two. >> Okay. >> Awesome. >> Okay. Then what happened. >> after 9 weeks? Scores showed. significantly less lonely, significantly. less depressed, significantly less. anxious. Their attention spans went up. significantly. Their complex working. memory, which is a proxy for general.

fluid intelligence, significantly. increased. It's it's almost unbelievable when I. look at the results myself. I didn't. think it was going to be this good. To. be honest with you, I knew I knew my. intuition told me as a scientist who's. been working with people about this. topic for a long time that we were going. to see some benefits. I didn't realize. we were going to see this many benefits. so fast. And by the way, they came in at the. beginning of the semester when everybody. was just came back from break and they. were all feeling good. And when I had.

them do the after test after, you know, 9 weeks, they were in the middle of. midterms. So they were all super. stressed out. Seriously. And even though. they were during midterms, the results. were still that uplifting and inspiring. >> But wouldn't their results be some. somewhat biased as well? >> Because like because I've gone through. such thing 9 weeks, I'm just going to. take all the good things in a survey, right? >> Well, you can't really gify your. attention span. That's a digital. assessment. Those those cognitive.

assessments you can't really game. Sure, I guess you could like lie for some. reason. >> Yeah, let's say I can say I'm less. lonely, whatever. >> Sure, it is possible to lie, but this is. this is But why would you? It's all. anonymous. >> There's no benefit. If anything, the the. the thing that I was worried students. would do, especially during midterms, is. just answer so fast that they're not. even paying attention to the answers. They're just like, cuz it's anonymous. I you know I don't want to make them.

feel like you know they have to answer a. certain way because you're right then as. a professor they're gonna be like oh I. need to say these things. >> Yeah. But then attention span like. through the device you found out like it. just improved. >> We have a test of attention that we do. It's a cognitive assessment. Um these. are things I can test you on too. If you. ever want you come to my lab at Berkeley. and we'll get you fully tested. >> Okay. >> Complex working memory, visual memory, attention span, the whole thing. Okay. But you sit down and these are digital. assessments that you do. So there's no. I'm not asking you anything. I'm.

actually testing it. Can you focus on. this boring thing? And how long can you. go before you make a mistake and miss. something? And their scores improved in 9 weeks. even though they were more stressed. because it's now exam time. >> So just you're really making short form. level. >> I'm making it candy. and I have a sweet tooth like you do. I. still eat candy, but eat them up with.

tofu first, you know? Like, don't fill. up on the candy. I I I scroll. Be the. first to admit on your show. I'm going. to tell the world, the anti-crolling. lady, I scroll, but I have limits on it. You know, like and I ask yourself the. question, how much time is it worth it. for you to give of your life, your. precious life. to scrolling every day. I'm not saying. don't do it. 10 minutes is good. Maybe.

10 minutes of scrolling. And I'm not. even saying that's all of your media. >> If you want to sit down and watch good. quality YouTube videos for like, I don't. know, 20, 30 minutes, like learn. something, right? You could do, okay, I. I want to do at least half an hour of. that. I want to like I have these. accounts I'm following. Bloom, you know, I want to bloom scroll a little bit on. these and then but like long form. content that's actually challenging your. mind that you remember you're learning. something. You can pause the video and. go look something up. These kinds of.

things. as opposed to the doom. >> Interesting. I I heard the moment you. were saying how much of the time you're. going to do this. I'm I'm hearing how. much of the time you're going to invest. in becoming dumb, in becoming lonier, in becoming less. empathetic, in becoming. in ma in in making your memory worse. All of these things at the same time.

Here's the last thing I ask everybody is. when were you the most powerless or. anxious in your life. I would say for me. when I was struggling with addiction. I felt powerless.

And man, it felt like um a cruel joke. from the universe. I study addiction. I. study neuroplasticity. I study this. stuff. And somehow I got tricked. You. know, it's not really a trick. It's. biology. It's science. But it's humbling. Um, and I think it's an important. message because people need to know that. everybody, we're all human, everybody's. susceptible. It's about the choices we.

make. It's about awareness. and being intentional about how you. spend your time, and also what you do. with your life, what you choose to. ingest, what you choose to think. Be careful about what you expose your. mind to. What were you addicted to? >> I've been addicted to a great number of. things in my life. I have been addicted. to uh I've I've smoked, I've drank, I've.

done uh scrolling, uh sugar, you name. it. Um. it it has been my life's most. You know what's interesting? I love the. word you used, powerless. From what felt like the most powerless. moment in my life, it gave rise to the most powerful. feelings I've ever had in my entire. life. I feel unstoppable and so powerful.

because. of overcoming addiction. So it was an opportunity. So now when you feel powerless again, what's your personal framework to become. powerful? >> Well, this one is going to maybe sound even a. little bit spiritual. I have a few beliefs.

One of my beliefs is that the universe. and the world is not how it seems. that a great amount of my reality is a. construct of my own mind, which means I. can influence the world and my life. through what's happening in here. So, I. protect this thing. I protect it by not letting bad stuff. in. I audit what it's doing and what. it's thinking. And if I'm ever feeling.

powerless, I remind myself that I am. God. I am all powerful. I create everything. in my life. because you can. You truly can. You can. create your own reality, your. consciousness. Like literally truly my. conscious experience. If I close my eyes. right now, and so do you. You can dream. a reality inside of your mind. Now you. might say, "But but that's not real. It's in your mind." But when something. is truly real in your mind, it's real.

for you. So much research has also shown us that. when you rehearse something and you. visualize it, you daydream, you daydream. about it, that the brain can barely tell. the difference between daydreaming about. X and actually doing X. >> True. >> So if you're ever feeling powerless, you. go into a daydream where you are the. most powerful person in the world. Go. into that daydream because then all of a. sudden you're going to start to feel. more powerful again. >> Nice. Here is the last question which is.

we always ask people about cost of. ambition right? So what's the cost? What's the cost you have personally paid. to become. the person who you are today? What's the. cost of becoming this top level. scientist, researcher, businesswoman. running 50 things at the same time and. researching and probably telling the. world about something that they don't. believe in? What's the cost of all of.

this? >> My family and friends know the cost. because they see it. There is always a cost. So, I'm so glad. you asked people this question. I have been relentless and very focused. in my life on building what I want to. build and doing what I want to do. It doesn't allow for a lot of space for. distraction.

But the thing is, I've also sacrificed a. lot of fun. I've sacrificed personal travel, vacations, leisure, um, scrolling. I avoided getting social. media, by the way, just until recently. Completely avoided it. I have um. given up friendships. I've lost friendships. I've lost a lot of very important. relationships in my life because of my.

hyperfocus on prioritizing work. Um. addictions, as I've mentioned before, that all comes out of this relentless. ambition and relentless drive towards. performance. And um yeah, I've I've nearly lost my. life and given my life. I will say that. in the pursuit of my goals and that. amount of sacrifice, I can't say I. regret it because even though regretful.

things have happened because of it, I'm happy with where I'm at today. Not. just from a success metric perspective, but I learned and now I can teach. and I've corrected and now I prioritize. the people in my life, the most. important people. I'm like extremely. community oriented and there's people. around my loved ones are around me all. the time and I'm around them and it's.

completely shifted what I sacrificed and. the. the negative side effects I would say. what I lost um I've learned from it. which is all we can do right. >> thank you for sharing that thank you so. much for spending time with us and. teaching us about brain and productivity. and cognitive things. We have missed one. very important topic. We need to do that. next time which are the 10 laws. We will.

do that. How can a human being become a. superhuman? We will go through it and we. will do that next podcast. So thank you. so much. >> Thank you. >> and to many more podcasts together. >> to many more podcast together. >> Cheers. Done. >> Cheers. >> How are you? Pleasure. Nice to meet you. No, we're. here just for. >> purely for work. Don't care about fun at. least for next two, three years. >> Really? >> Oh, yes. >> Are you sure? >> Oh, how absolutely.

>> Just whatever makes more sense in terms. of. >> impact maximization, you know. Thank you. for watching this episode till the end. We would love to know what you liked or. disliked about this episode and which. guests you would like to see on the. show. Let us know in the comments. Your. feedback help us improve and make every. episode a little better. I'll see you. next time. Until then, keep figuring. out.