Send us a text What’s common between a soccer mom who has a flat tire on the way to her son’s game, a Wall Street dad who just got told to stay in the office for the markets in the East to open, and a middle school girl who just got her new smart phone? They are all struggling to cope with feeling either anxious, lonely, stressed out, or tired. A dysregulated frontal lobe system often causes our executive function to crash and burn. Through mindfulness, one can cultivate a form of awareness that...
Sep 16, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Send us a text Psychologist and author Alexandra Horowitz says “Attention is an intentional, unapologetic discriminator. It asks what is relevant right now, and gears us up to notice only that.” It’s a gift to have such attentional acumen, but not everyone is lucky to have such a natural capacity for discrimination. In fact, in a neurogenetic and neuropsychiatric disorder like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the brain isn’t wired to successfully ignore things once they get notic...
Sep 03, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Send us a text If you are taking a stroll on the beach while you have parked your car at a meter, you have to set aside some mental resources to think about the time and to make decisions to either return to your car to add money to the meter or take a chance or bear the pain of having to pay a fine later. But the human struggle of balancing the desire to be in the moment while also considering the future is exacerbated by conditions such as ADHD and that’s why many people struggle to cater to t...
Aug 28, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Send us a text If an athlete on the high school varsity football, lacrosse, or soccer team happens to be more than typically distracted, taking too long, has become inconsistent with routines or happens to frequently doze off in history class, the teacher’s first assumption might be to question the student’s motivation and him hitting his head three weeks ago might be long forgotten. But the data shows that 12% of those children with a mild brain injury continue to have persistent symptoms beyon...
Aug 14, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Send us a text The greatest philosophical writings over the centuries have often examined the idea of the meaning of life. After the World War II, Viktor Frankl’s writing often explored the idea of the existential vacuum, which plagued those who entered the concentration camps giving them no reason to fight for life. What we realize now is that a sense of purpose and meaning plays a vital role as it offers protection from life’s undeniable hardships and discovering that purpose for oneself can b...
Aug 08, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Send us a text Traveling through time, visiting imaginary places, witnessing wars and famines, and reliving crusades, is all made possible by reading. It engages visual imagination, invokes emotions, and challenges our preconceived notions and it single-handedly helps us change our mind. The reading journey begins from making sense of a written word to gathering new information from English, science, or social studies texts to eventually connecting it all to one’s own knowledge, ideas, and belie...
Jul 31, 2019•48 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Send us a text Our lives have become so complex that surviving without shopping lists, calendars, scheduling apps, timers and alarms is nearly impossible. On top of that, sometimes, the information overload gets so out of hand that there’s no time left to pick our scattered selves up to set helpful systems up in the first place. In order to help raise organized and independent school-ready children it is important that parents do their bit that goes beyond just the neat and tidy homes. Tune in t...
Jul 23, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Send us a text Rarely in a curriculum while learning, we ask children where they feel their emotions in their own bodies and whether those feeling change as their emotions change. Children who feel safe to tackle challenges, assured that they have the skills they need and are comfortable to seek help when needed, do well in school and life. Though in its early stage, research in contemplative studies and mindfulness practices is beginning to show a promising impact of such training on children’s...
Jul 15, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Send us a text Other than air, what is invisible, omnipresent, affects every single human being and yet is taken for granted? The answer is the cultural norms. They are the unspoken rules of social behaviors and shared conventions that everyone is expected follow, but may be doing so without really connecting it to the WHY. On this episode, our guest, distinguished university professor and professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, Michele Gelfand, Ph.D., discusses the concept of loo...
Jul 09, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Send us a text One shouldn’t be discouraged by the fact that learning is full of struggles as these struggles are inherent to the process of gathering facts, acquiring new knowledge, and gaining vivid insights. However, the struggles that go beyond a certain threshold built into learning should be examined and responded to. On this episode, author, life-long learner, and experienced educator, Kathleen Kryza, discusses the relationship between student struggles and the incorporation of brain-base...
Jul 01, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Send us a text Life is complicated and we all are doing the best we can to manage its inherently challenging nature and predictably unpredictable flow. Developmental disorders like ADHD, and mental disorders like anxiety and depression, further exaggerate this uncertainty and creates a permanent state of flux. On this episode, our guest, Dr. Mark Bertin, a developmental pediatrician and an author of multiple books, talks about best ways to understand ADHD and augment care through the lens of min...
Jun 24, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Send us a text You might be great at problem solving but the true test of executive function proficiency is not just helping someone get their car out of a ditch, but applying those same skills and principles to help yourself and get your own car out of a ditch. The process of self-directed learning is gradual and insidious where the individual gathers knowledge through experiential learning and subconsciously assimilates and integrates ideas to bounce back. In this big-picture episode, Sucheta ...
Jun 17, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Send us a text Learning is magical but not every teacher is a magician! Astronaut Scott Kelly celebrated for his curiosity for space missions, struggled to find his footing in the midst of “dull and boring” high school years. More than ever before, distracted, disengaged, and disillusioned kids finding themselves stuck in the ever widening gap between a ”ready to learn” mindset and a “ready to be inspired” mindset. On this episode, Dr. Judy Willis, a board-certified neurologist and a former clas...
Jun 10, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Send us a text When learning, why is it that people often use the most exactly ill-fitted strategies or fail to appreciate the ones that do work? An educator who assumes the role of parting knowledge without much attention to imparting the wisdom of learning HOW to learn is churning our unenlightened students who could never take charge of their learning and self-knowledge. On this episode, Professor Mark McDaniel returns to discuss the idea of gaining more durable knowledge through effort, prob...
May 31, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Send us a text The charm of entering college camouflages the real invitation to become responsible for yourself by figuring out what you want while taking care of the mundane, yet obligatory tasks of daily student life. The dread of “adulting” is further muddled by having to navigate the world with the unseen layers of executive function challenges that compromise attention, new learning, slower thinking, and goal management, pushing away the dream of joining the workforce and transitioning into...
May 23, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Send us a text We have all done it; followed the GPS blindly and reached the international terminal instead of the domestic one or forgotten to turn off the car lights, leaving them on overnight. The only solution is to pay attention to attention and see how to get it under our conscious control. On this episode, Courtney Stevens, PhD, a developmental cognitive neuroscientist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Willamette University in Portland discusses selective attention and the bearing ...
May 17, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Send us a text Well-built Executive Function lends itself to thoughtful decision making and on-point problem solving, advantageous to meeting personal goals. However, the shifting nature of cognitive resources warrants keen attention to making crafty adjustments to our daily schedules to actualize the best results. William James was onto something when he wrote, “The great thing, then, in all education, is to make automatic and habitual, as early as possible, as many useful actions as we can, an...
May 09, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Send us a text Goals may not change but circumstances do. Executive Function means to accomplish the goals by changing gears, repurposing solutions, and shifting perspectives by successfully adapting to the changed conditions And doing it without losing focus, waning interest or destabilizing emotions. Tune in to this Big Picture episode as I discuss the brain finest ability to orchestrate actions when put to good use yields outcomes that are emotionally desirable, appropriate, and future center...
May 05, 2019•52 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Send us a text In 2018, John Legend became the 13th and the youngest winner of "EGOT" which stands for the big-four possible outstanding awards in the entertainment industry: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. An awe worthy accomplishment certainly points out the talent in John Legend, but is it cultivated? There are those who do things, those who do it well, and those who do it exceptionally well. An expert performer produces superior or exceptional performance without an exception. The journey to ...
Apr 28, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Send us a text What do Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor, academy award winning actor Leonardo de Caprio, designer Ralph Lauren, and entertainment mogul Jay Z have in common? They all grew up poor. Their success is enviable, but breaking the cycle of poverty is a mammoth task; one that requires educational opportunities that compensate for the disadvantages created by the socio-economic gap, appropriate structural support, and exposure to the larger world. Every young mind has the right to dream b...
Apr 18, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Send us a text The name Shepherd Ivory Franz won’t ring a bell for many, but he is a notable individual in the arena that is now known as neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology. Close to 100 years ago, he was testing the ability to relearn after performing an ablative brain surgery on cats that he had initially “taught”. This type of work and eventual application to the veterans who survived brain trauma provided Franz with early insights into neuroplasticity, which is the foundation of the current...
Apr 13, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Send us a text “Executive Function refers to your choreographed ability to make yourself DO and take actions using the capacity and vision for self to yield outcomes that are socially-emotionally desirable, future centered and appropriate for personal advancement.” - Sucheta Kamath After a year and half interviewing the world’s leading authorities, researchers and educators Sucheta brings her own expertise in helping people master their own Executive Function to the table as she launches her spe...
Apr 04, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Send us a text Over the last several decades, the public’s understanding of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae of the same has undergone radical transformation. There is ample evidence that supports the fact that rehabilitation is a critical part of the road to recovery and making treatment functional can be done successfully by a bridge into the community where the TBI survivor hopes to thrive. However, what’s still missing is the society’s lack...
Mar 31, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Send us a text What hazard could really be posed by daily activities like driving, biking, climbing, or walking? They don’t, until they do. An awkward step, a sudden turn, an unanticipated slip or a fall can alter the direction in which one’s life is going. The Brain Injury Association of America reports that at least 2.5 million people encounter a traumatic brain injury each year. For some, the recovery may be quick and simple, while for others, it may be a life that has no semblance of normalc...
Mar 18, 2019•48 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Send us a text Ability, inability, and disability rest on a continuum where the human story comes to life. Living with a disability; whether it is a physical, mental, or a learning disability is life-long work and having able partners can make the journey pleasant. But, the able partner is not just someone without a disability, but one who is willing to embrace the unique human experience with authenticity and inclusivity. On this episode, our guest Dan Habib, an award-winning documentary film m...
Feb 18, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Send us a text Gerald Belcher once said, “The best education is not given to students; it is drawn out of them.” It captures the notion that learning and teaching are intertwined and this relationship deepens when educators keep inventing new ways to inspire kids, help make creative connections, and allow their passion to come through.In these moments, there’s nothing higher than the human spirit as a child succeeds in learning. On this episode, our guest a neuroscientist, author, blogger, and a...
Feb 04, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Send us a text Rajveer Meena from India successfully recalled 70,000 decimal places of pi (π) and broke the previous Guinness World Record of reciting 67,890 digits of pi held by Lu Chao of China since 2005. By reading about such a feat of accomplishment, you can easily see the giant rift between "memory athletes" and ordinary citizens. However, memory is more of a skill than a gift which means everyone is capable of such an "athletic" feat. On this episode, our guest, a neuroscientist, author, ...
Jan 18, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Send us a text The hopeful expectation of living into old age is often marred by the fear of the irreversible decline in one’s abilities and mental faculties. When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, the scientific community, professionals and society in general is dedicated to pursuing a three-pronged approach: find ways to irradiate the disease, delay the onset of the disease, and finally, figure out the most effective and comfort-centered approach to care-giving. Since brain imaging studies reve...
Jan 05, 2019•51 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Send us a text Even while leading a healthy mental and physical life, no one can be certain about the aging brain’s destiny. The stage of life marked by walkers, hearing aids, and memory lapses is averted by a few, but dreaded by all. Since Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the three leading causes of death in the elderly population, how to keep performing at the top of one’s game, even in old age, is of interest to many. On this episode, our guest, a Harriman Professor and Co-Director of the Neuros...
Dec 26, 2018•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 59
Send us a text There’s no guarantee you will step on a treadmill right after stepping off a scale with disappointing number. Goals clash with fears and anxieties resulting in procrastination, which is a common place phenomenon. But by connecting to values and committing to actions, we can treat daily tasks like a workout rather than a race to finish. On this episode, our guest a professor of psychology, award winning teacher, successful author and a prolific podcaster, Dr. Tim Pychyl, returns to...
Dec 08, 2018•53 min•Season 1Ep. 58
