Episode 111
Dr. Hayley Nelson:
How to Rewire Your Brain for Health and Success
In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Haley Nelson, a renowned neuroscientist and psychology professor.
In this conversation, we dive deep into the fascinating world of neuroplasticity and how it empowers us to create change in our lives and health.
First Aired on: Oct 30, 2023
Episode 111
Dr. Hayley Nelson:
How to Rewire Your Brain for Health and Success
In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Haley Nelson, a renowned neuroscientist and psychology professor.
In this conversation, we dive deep into the fascinating world of neuroplasticity and how it empowers us to create change in our lives and health.
First Aired on: Oct 30, 2023
Table of Contents:
In this episode:
Dr. Haley’s Journey into Neuroscience
- Changed major in college to focus on psychology and the biological basis of behavior.
- Worked as a research fellow with the National Institutes of Health, sparking interest in experimental psychology and biology.
- Pursued a PhD in psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University.
- Decision to become a neuroscientist and help educate others about their own brains and trauma.
Understanding Trauma and its Effects on the Brain
- Trauma can come in various forms, including chronic stressors.
- The healing process is unique to each individual.
- Importance of overcoming ingrained habits and coping mechanisms for personal growth.
Neuroplasticity: Personal Growth and Healing
- Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and rewire itself.
- Progress in the healing journey is essential, regardless of the duration.
- Children’s brains are highly adaptable, constantly forming connections and networks.
- Adults may face challenges due to ingrained habits, but change is possible with determination and effort.
The Power of Thoughts, Behaviors, and Emotions
- Repetition of behaviors and thought patterns forms habits and strengthens brain connections.
- Feeding the mind with positive and inspirational content has a significant impact.
- Teaching affirmations to children and the positive change observed in their mindset.
Developing a Positive Mindset and Using Tools
- Importance of positive self-affirmations and changing the brain’s chemistry.
- Practicing techniques under non-stressful situations to make them automatic during challenging times.
- Incorporating tools like deep breathing and meditation into daily life for healthier responses to stressors.
Rewiring the Brain for Personal Change
- Practices like gratitude journaling and aerobic exercise stimulate neuroplasticity.
- Writing with the non-dominant hand encourages novelty and neuroplasticity.
- Release of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) during aerobic exercise promotes brain cell protection.
Exercise, Mindfulness, and Gratitude for Well-being
- Even small amounts of exercise, such as short walks, have a positive impact on overall well-being.
- Combining exercise with mindfulness and gratitude practices for additional benefits.
- Trying new activities to stimulate the brain and promote neuroplasticity.
The Importance of Sleep Hygiene and Bedtime Routine
- Good sleep hygiene is crucial for overall well-being and brain health.
- Bedtime routine signals the brain to rest and rejuvenate.
- Consistently prioritizing sleep and training the body to prepare for rest.
The Impact of Blue Light Stimulation and Healthy Habits
- Understanding the influence of blue light stimulation before sleep on sleep quality.
- Learning from mistakes and being authentic in personal growth.
- Bridging the gap between neuroscience and practical application.
The Certification Program for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
- Dr. Haley’s certification program empowers professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the brain.
- Individualized options available for personalized learning experiences.
- Provides scientific knowledge to help clients overcome roadblocks.
- Dr. Haley’s goal of making neuroscience and science in general approachable and accessible.
- Anyone can benefit from understanding how the brain works and why certain things happen.
- Changing mindset, utilizing tools, and having hope for improved health and well-being.
Other Resources:
Connect with Dr. Hayley Nelson
Episode Transcript
Julie Michelson: [Page//00:00:00] Welcome back to the Inspired Living with Autoimmunity podcast. I'm your host, Julie Michelson. And today we're joined by Dr. Haley Nelson, neuroscientist, tenured psychology professor, international speaker, and founder of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, where she is passionate about making neuroscience approachable.
In today's conversation, we're talking about neuroplasticity and our ability to create change in our lives and in [Page//00:01:00] our health. Dr. Haley shares about the importance of mind health and how, with intention, we can surpass the roadblocks to creating new, healthier habits.
Dr. Haley, welcome to the podcast.
Hayley Nelson: Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited for this conversation, Julie.
Julie Michelson: I am as well. And I'm, I'm such a geek and I, I love, I love brain health and neuroscience and, and we were talking before I hit record about, you know, just, there's always new knowledge, right? And we're always learning more about this amazing human body.
Hayley Nelson: That's what I always, when I, I always instill that with my students to just some people can get so intimidated by neuroscience and the brain in general. It's like you can get lost in the universe. And, you know, I call it this beautiful chaos because it's complicated. It is right. But. That inspires me and it excites me because there are so many unknowns and so I'm constantly learning and growing and I love [Page//00:02:00] it when people ask me questions that I don't know the answer to because then it gets me back into researching and finding the answer and really understanding and comprehending it.
So I actually get. excited and thrilled when I don't know the answer to something because that means that either nobody knows it and that's something that we're going to learn soon or it's something that I can maybe start researching and try to figure out the answer to as well. So, or inspire future students to be able to do that as well.
Julie Michelson: well, definitely you have that, that lifelong learner personality.
Hayley Nelson: absolutely. As do you. When people call me a geek or a nerd, I say thank you.
Julie Michelson: Exactly. I'm like, Oh, my people,
Hayley Nelson: Yeah,
Julie Michelson: I love it. So I, I would love for you to share with listeners and me. I'm anxious to hear, um, a little bit about your, your story. How did you get into neuroscience?
Hayley Nelson: oh my gosh. How long do we have on this podcast? I'll try to keep it short and sweet. It is [Page//00:03:00] kind of a long story, but it started, I mean, I was always, as you mentioned, just a curious person and a lifelong learner. So I knew after graduating from high school, I was going to go on to college and probably grad school, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do.
I thought that I wanted to be a medical doctor. So, of course, when I went into undergrad, I had my blinders on. I was like, I'm bio pre med, bio pre med. That's all I want to study. I don't want to take any electives that aren't going to get me into medical school, right? But unfortunately that first semester of freshman year, I, I actually was assaulted and I ended up getting post traumatic stress disorder as a result of it.
And I mean, my whole life just, it, it. everything changed and the way I was thinking, the way I was feeling, the way I was processing information, I was still able to go to classes and to, you know, keep up with my studies, but I really wanted to understand more about what was happening to me personally. And so when it was time to pick an elective, I picked intro psychology because I just wanted to learn [Page//00:04:00] more about the brain and how we are and why we do what we do.
And really more from a, you know, just selfish personal perspective, I wanted to know what the heck was going on with me, so I took it and literally after that first lecture, I was the rest is history. I was kind of like, Oh, my gosh, I need to learn everything that I can about this. So changed my major started focusing more on psychology and the biological basis of behavior so I could mix a lot of that.
Really more quote unquote, hardcore science with more of this touchy feely, you know, kind of social science, um, and what but when I graduated from college, I wasn't really sure exactly what field of psychology I wanted to go into. And because I went to a small liberal arts college, I know I needed more research.
So I ended up doing research with the National Institutes of Health. So down at the National Institutes of Mental Health and National Institute on Drug Abuse. Um, for two years I was a research fellow there, and [Page//00:05:00] that was really eye-opening to me to be able to satisfy that curiosity that I always had, but be able to find those answers in a lab.
So I knew I wanted to continue studying, you know, experimental fields of psychology and biology, and when I applied for graduate school, I got into the Johns Hopkins University to earn my PhD in psychological and brain sciences. So that was really at that point when I said, okay, I'm going to be a neuroscientist. So did I always know I wanted to be a neuroscientist? No, but because I was. I think my curiosity honestly saved me. I easily could have gone down that path of, you know, letting the trauma consume me and destroy my life, which unfortunately it does for so many, but I use that curiosity to actually empower me to learn more about the brain.
And then now as an educator with, you know, at universities, as well as my college and with my academy, I. And helping to [Page//00:06:00] empower other people with that knowledge to really understand what's going on inside their brain, as well as their clients or their loved ones, family, friends, things like that.
Julie Michelson: Uh, which I love and is why I'm so grateful that you're here because, you know, working, especially, I think all of us, whether you have autoimmunity or, you know, big T trauma or not, like, we all have. Have trauma. Um, and, and that was one of the reasons I really was like, Oh, you know, come talk to my audience because I there.
It's that staying stuck like we don't have to stay stuck and and especially in my line of work. You know, there's such a connection to To, you know, trauma that and sometimes people aren't even aware of, you know, it's stuff that they haven't dealt with. Um, and, and I think that's why I fell in [Page//00:07:00] love with your message because so many people still don't know that we can create change.
Hayley Nelson: Absolutely. And yeah, and I think a lot of people get stuck on the word trauma as well. They think that when they hear the word trauma, I think they think you have to have been assaulted or be a war veteran or have survived a fire or some catastrophic event. Which absolutely can lead to trauma, but you can also have chronic stressors in your life.
Like, hello, a pandemic that's happening, right? All the social unrest that's happening. I mean, you can't turn on the TV without getting those negative emotions. over time, all of those stressors, if you're not processing them correctly, it can make the same brain changes that you would experience if you had experienced one of those catastrophic events, life events.
So I think that, you know, it almost does a disservice when people, I mean, I don't want to lessen the experience of [Page//00:08:00] people who have undergone. severe adversity like that. But at the same point, neurologically, what can happen looks very similar, which means that the healing process is also similar. Um, you know, but everybody's different.
Some people are more resilient than others. Some people are, you know, Are more motivated for change. And, you know, also based on genetics and everything else, we're all individuals. And so how one person heals their healing journey can be vastly different from somebody else. It's not cookie cutter. And I think people want to be able to just take that pill or go do counseling or just do this or, you know, and
Julie Michelson: Give me the instructions.
Hayley Nelson: Exactly. And it's not a paint by number type situation. Um, so I think people need to understand that so they're not scared or push away from their healing journey if it takes them a little longer. Just know that any progress is progress and our brains can change. They can rewire themselves [Page//00:09:00] and you can get out of that situation and take tragedy to triumph.
Julie Michelson: I love that. Tragedy to triumph. I know it's so true. So let's talk about neuroplasticity, you know, because I am old enough that I remember being told, you know, the brain, you know, only dies and shrinks. And so, and that, you know, it's, uh, We, we really didn't know a lot back when I was
Hayley Nelson: And I always remember being taught to that you're born with a certain number of neurons, and then they just go away as you get older. And it's like, wait a second, we've discovered neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons, and we know in different species as well as in humans, and that's relatively new.
But this term neuroplasticity, I think a lot of people They hear it, but they don't really understand it. One thing about us neuroscientists is we try to scare people with big, long, scary words, but really we're not creative when we come up [Page//00:10:00] and coin some of these terms. So let's break down the word neuroplasticity.
So neuro, neurons, they're the cells that make up our nervous system, make up our brain and spinal cord, as well as the, all the cells throughout the body that Converge with organs and, you know, glands, all of that. Um, so we have the neurons as part of the neuro, and then plasticity literally means plastic, right?
So it's plastic, it's moldable. And one of the beautiful things that we have known for a long time is the capacity of children to be able to learn and grow through their environment. From the moment they're born, they're starting to learn things, even before they're born. In utero, they're creating these networks and these connections, these meaningful connections within their nervous system to automate processes so that you don't have to every single time you approach that red thing with dots on it on the ground, you don't have to relearn every single time.
Oh, that's a strawberry that tastes yummy. I can eat it. You try [Page//00:11:00] it once and now you can generalize out. That's why little kids are constantly putting things in their mouth, right? They're learning, they're growing, they're experiencing things through their environment. And we've known for a very long time that that's how children learn.
And they're actually creating these connections, these synapses, which is this, the connections between neurons, that space between them, where they actually connect and release neurotransmitters. That the more you engage those connections, the stronger those connections become. And then so by the time you're an adult, a lot of those connections are pretty formalized, right?
So things that you've learned, things that you've been able to do to cope and to manage adversity and stressors in your life. that you learned as a child are pretty much really ingrained by the time you're an adult. And then all of a sudden you say, well, wait, I want to change. I want to start working out more.
I want to start journaling more. I want to change the way that I think. I don't want to have these addictions anymore. I don't want to have whatever it is, these thoughts that I'm having, [Page//00:12:00] and I want to change them. So you have that. goal and that purpose, but then you start hitting roadblocks and those roadblocks, it becomes an uphill battle because you're working against millions of years of evolution that have automated your nervous system to protect you and to save you.
And so to make things faster, to process the information faster. So now all of a sudden you're saying, wait a second, I want this stream to flow uphill. Instead of to continue to go down the mountain and take the path of least resistance. I want to change. So now you will hit that resistance because you're no longer going along the path of least resistance.
You're going along the path of most resistance. So it makes sense that you will hit those roadblocks. But if you continue to repeat those behaviors and those thoughts and those patterns, they become habits. And the more and more you do them, then those synapses become stronger and you can have new connections that are constantly happening all the time.
Every time you learn something new, every time [Page//00:13:00] you try to do something new, you're changing the shape and the function of your brain that in turn can change the function of your mind and your emotions as well and your behaviors.
Julie Michelson: Which is so incredible and so powerful. Um, and I want to highlight that last piece because. I think it's so often overlooked that you said one of the things you can change is your emotions, right? Like we think like people tend to really think like the emotion is the thing that comes first. And if you think of that incredible power to, you know, change emotions, change behaviors, change thought patterns, change, change the things. Um, I mean, wow.
Hayley Nelson: Yeah. And in a lot of these things, you don't have to spend a penny to do right. It's what are you, we're always focused on what we're feeding our body, but I always challenge people. What are you feeding your [Page//00:14:00] mind? Not just what are you feeding your brain, right? Not just talking about the supplements and all of those wonderful things that can lead to brain health, but another thing that leads to brain health is mind health.
What are you feeding your mind? What are you consuming on a daily basis? What are you watching? What are you
Julie Michelson: Well, you already
Hayley Nelson: are you speaking with? I'm sorry, say that again?
Julie Michelson: And you mentioned already like news. I was like, I don't, don't even don't watch.
Hayley Nelson: I don't even turn it on most of the time because it just brings my whole energy level down and that's not the person I want to present to the world. I want to be this inspiration for people. So if I'm not consuming inspirational messages and meanings, then What am I trying to put out there? I'm being fake, right?
So I want to, I think it's very important about not only what we're watching that's external, but internally, what are we feeding ourselves as well? What are the thoughts that we're allowing ourselves to think? And it's never too early to start this practice. I have a [Page//00:15:00] 10 year old and a six year old. And every night before bed, when we're brushing our teeth, I always say I may have them look in the mirror and I have them repeat after me, you know, these affirmations and at first they thought I was being really silly, right?
And I'm just like, Oh, mommy, come on. And then so I had to make it fun for him. I said, well, let's pretend to be superheroes. I'm going to be Captain Marvel, of course, like strong, powerful woman, you know, hear me roar. And then I was like, who do you want to be? They love the Marvel characters. So I had a Captain America and then I had a Spider Man, right?
So I said, okay, so let's be these characters. What would they say to themselves, how, before a fight or before they're, you know, taking on the world? And they say, well, I'm strong. People like me. You know, people listen to me, all of these things. I said, okay, so let's start saying these things. Pretend you're Captain America.
You're strong, you're smart, you're powerful, all of those things. And then eventually we didn't, I didn't have to say pretend to be Captain America. They started saying these things out of habit. And then I still remember that it was so touching and I still get like. tingles up my [Page//00:16:00] spine when I think about this.
The first day of my oldest son, who's now in fourth grade, but when he was going into second grade, the very first day of school, you know, I'm doing what every other parent in America is doing and taking the silly photos that nobody cares about to post on social media out front of the door before school, the first day of school.
And I said, okay, smile, pose for me. And he goes, mommy, I want to do my captain America pose. And he goes, I'm Charlie, I am loved. And I'm just like, of all of the affirmations to say, and if every single child in America or around the world could go to school and know that they're loved. I mean, how incredible is that?
And it just, it's free. It's just your feed, what you're feeding your mind is that that's going to set the precedent for the rest of the day. And he came home from school that day, happy and feeling loved. And you know, it's just, it's, it's, it's really easy to do those things, but you do have to be mindful.
You have to force yourself to do it. You will feel silly at first when you're just talking to yourself in the [Page//00:17:00] mirror, right? But it really can start making those changes. And he was literally changing. The synopsis, those connections in his brain and changing the chemistry of his brain to set him up for success.
So if a second grader can do it. Why can't we
Julie Michelson: Right. Yeah. Well, and I, I just think of how blessed your, your children are because so much of, of what I do with my clients who are, you know, in their thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, even I have some in their seventies as well is undoing, you know, it's unraveling decades of patterns of negative thoughts, negative, you know, the mean voice, all the things.
And so. Uh, your kids aren't going to have to do that work.
Hayley Nelson: Well, I hope not. I'm sure that I'm sure I'm going to be spending lots of money on therapy for them at some point, but I am not adverse to that. I
Julie Michelson: no,
Hayley Nelson: is a wonderful
Julie Michelson: why not?
Hayley Nelson: [Page//00:18:00] against it. Right? So. Um, I'm, I'm trying, I'm doing my best, but we all have faults and we all have those moments where you want to pull your hair out, right?
We're all human, um, but just giving them the tools, and that's something that I really try to teach, not only my kids, but anybody, really, is when you face those stressors in your life, because we can't avoid stressors,
Julie Michelson: no.
Hayley Nelson: but we can Change and we can learn to change how we respond to them. And if you practice these techniques when you're not under stress and when you're not in that activated state, then, and you build those habits and those neural connections, then the automatic responses are going to be those healthier choices and those healthier options.
So, um, you know, I think it's, I think it's important to practice them. When it's hard and to practice them also when there's nothing really going on and there's nothing triggering you so that when you are in that the heat of the moment, that's a tool right there ready for you, you
Julie Michelson: what I[Page//00:19:00]
Hayley Nelson: your breathing, you can practice your meditation, whatever it is that that helps you kind of calm your nervous system.
Julie Michelson: that I love that you said that. That's what I tell my clients with the, the breathe that, you know, like first you have to intentionally, you've got to get the tool into the toolbox or, you know, people try to tell me in the beginning and I'll do it when I'm stressed. And I'm like, well, no, cause you don't have the, you don't have the tool yet.
Hayley Nelson: Yeah. And and I think I what I the angle that I come at it from is I don't know, I'm a geek, so I love to understand the science behind it. So, understanding actually how the brain works, and how those connections work, and say, it's not just me telling you to do these things, because I read a book somewhere, I'm telling you to do these things because...
By doing them now, you're actually rewiring your brain. You're changing the neurochemistry, you're changing these connections. And so it's not just this metaphor of a tool in a toolbox. You're literally changing the structure of your [Page//00:20:00] brain. Just like if you, you know, have a broken leg, you're going to put a cast on it.
You're going to heal it, right? So if you want, I would never say anybody's brain is broken, but if there's a connection that you want to change and you want to heal it and fix it, then you have to stop using it. And you have to create a new pathway for it to be able to get that end result that you want.
So you have to work on it. It's not, it doesn't take over, you know, it's not going to happen overnight. You have to put in the effort, but it will work. And there's. neuroimaging studies to show that it does work. So it's not just behavioral studies. It's also, you know, through neuroscience
Julie Michelson: which is so it's so beautiful that we get to get to do the imaging now and really see the changes in the brain. Um, you mentioned breathing and meditation and another one that I love that. I tell people specifically to to help. I think pretty quickly for. The human body anyway, create those new [Page//00:21:00] neural pathways is gratitude journaling, you know, there's the, and with, and I'm always like with a writing utensil, not on your
Hayley Nelson: I know a lot of times people, they just want to type it
Julie Michelson: yeah,
Hayley Nelson: it, you know, and that's better than nothing, right? It's
Julie Michelson: right.
Hayley Nelson: But if you can have, there's nothing that can replace pen to paper, that physical act of doing it and then physically holding it in your hand. And It's very, very powerful. And another thing that you might want to challenge people is to write with their non dominant hand.
So once they've mastered the act of writing their gratitudes, right? If you get them to actually write it, then say, okay, now put the pen in your left hand and write it. Because what you're doing is now you're creating a novelty and our brains love new things. It, they care more about a change in our environment than, than.
The same old regular things. And if you think about it from evolutionary perspective, it doesn't matter if you know, the weather is beautiful and sunshiny and it's consistent every single day. What matters is when it [Page//00:22:00] starts raining, you need to seek shelter or if there's thunder or if it's really hot and you need to take off some clothes that so our nervous system doesn't really care about the same old same old it's I shouldn't say it doesn't care about it, but it pays more attention to a change in your environment.
And that actually can speed up neuroplasticity. So it's going to help really strengthen those connections, especially when the intention behind it is gratitude. So you're forcing them to do something new and novel from it, even though what they're doing is the exact same thing, but they're doing it in a new way so that they can, you know, really help strengthen those connections.
And another thing that I think is really overlooked is aerobic exercise,
Julie Michelson: Ah,
Hayley Nelson: and of course, if it's medically appropriate, right, and so this isn't even just for your cardiovascular health and the health of your body, but just looking at your brain, there's certain chemicals that are released when you engage in these aerobic activities.
One in particular is known as BDNF. It stands for brain derived neurotropic factor. I gotta put [Page//00:23:00] my door cat on every once in a while, right? So, so
Julie Michelson: and yeah, all the biohackers listening are like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we know, we know.
Hayley Nelson: my language. But BDNF is released and what can, so what BDNF does, it's a neurotropic factor that actually protects brain cells.
And it helps with neuroplasticity. So even if the habit or the change that you're trying to make in your life has nothing to do with your physical health or physical well being, if you can get out and exercise, I mean, at least three times a week, 30 minutes, I mean, the more the better, right? Um, but anything, even just parking a little further away at work so that you're getting, even if it's just five minutes here and there, that's better than nothing, but you're actually going to be strengthening that neuroplasticity process.
It's very simple for kids to have neuroplasticity. There are cases where people have actually removed half of their brain and they're able to function. almost perfectly fine as if nothing happened. Whereas with adults, there's that old saying, you can't teach old dogs [Page//00:24:00] new tricks. And that's not necessarily true.
You can, it just takes a little longer, right? So if any of these tools can help speed up that process, then, and if it's medically appropriate for you, then definitely try to incorporate more exercise into your life. And not only is it going to help your brain health, but obviously it'll help your physical health and wellbeing as well.
Julie Michelson: absolutely. Absolutely. And, and yeah, and I love the, the qualifier, right? Is, is when it's medically appropriate, as it's medically appropriate. Um, and, and typically, yeah, absolutely. When we're careful and intentional, then we can end up eventually doing more than we think. So,
Hayley Nelson: Exactly.
Julie Michelson: yeah,
Hayley Nelson: And then, you know, if you can practice your gratitude and mindfulness while you're going for that walk. I mean, kill two birds with one stone. Yeah, exactly. Habit stacking is great
Julie Michelson: I love
Hayley Nelson: it doesn't take any more time. You don't have to do five things back to back to back. You can get them all done in that one 30 minute, uh, you know, walk around your neighborhood, get out in nature.
It's another wonderful [Page//00:25:00] thing for brain plasticity.
Julie Michelson: you know, the barefoot in the grass while you're like,
Hayley Nelson: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: like, how many things I always love anything you can do in nature. You're already stacking like, then any other good thing.
Hayley Nelson: yeah, going for a hike. I mean, how many, whether you're with family or friends, like, how many more things can you stack onto that? Yeah, it's wonderful.
Julie Michelson: exactly. Uh, I love the, I never thought about the, the using your non dominant hand. Um, when you first started to talk about it, I was kind of cringing on the inside. I broke my right shoulder about six years ago and I had recently come across my client notes. I'm right hand dominant from when I could not use my right hand at all.
And I'm laughing because I couldn't even read. I it's my, it's me and I can't read what I wrote. Um, so, but I am very well aware that learning, you know, learning something new helps keep your brain young and, and, um, keep us [Page//00:26:00] healthy. And so I'm like, Oh, challenge accepted. I am going
Hayley Nelson: Try it and then report back. Give yourself, you know, a month or something of trying and who cares if you can't read it. It's the act of the gratitude that is what's important and then you're doing something new, your brain, it doesn't matter if you can read it or not, you never need to go back to your gratitude journal and read those notes ever again.
Right now, client notes, yes, you want to make sure that you can read. that information. So use your right hand for that. But, um, yeah, when it's something that's personal and it's really not to be shared with other people, and I mean it can be if you want it to be, but just try, try switching it up. Brush your teeth with your left hand.
I keep talking about brushing teeth, but you know what? Drink water with your left hand. Do you see? Try kicking the ball with your kids out in the yard with your non dominant foot and just try it and see if you notice a change, um, in other aspects of your life other than just that task that you're doing.
Julie Michelson: I love that. It's so [Page//00:27:00] fun. And if
Hayley Nelson: easy and it's
Julie Michelson: of those other again, and you don't start to start, if you're not already doing a gratitude journal, start just by, you
Hayley Nelson: Yes. Yes.
Julie Michelson: starting
Hayley Nelson: so important. And I think just having like a routine, a nighttime routine can really, you're training your brain that it's time to rest, it's time to rejuvenate, and you know, as long as your routine isn't like mine, no, I'm pretty good, but sometimes I do, you know, I want to veg out in front of the TV sometimes too, and then I wake up at like 3 o'clock in the morning with my glasses still on and I'm like, oh no, what did I just do to myself?
Everyone has their vice every once in a while, but if you can create that bedtime routine because sleep is so, so important for just everything, but also our mood and our mindset and our brain health as well, we need that sleep, not only the restorative sleep. With the deep sleep, but also that active sleep with the REM and consolidating our dreams and are sorry, consolidating our memories [Page//00:28:00] and having those dreams, it's a very sometimes called paradoxical sleep because your brain is just as active during those moments of sleep as it is when you're fully conscious and awake.
So, um, it's it both aspects of sleep are so important. And if you're not, if you don't have good sleep hygiene, it can wreak havoc on So many aspects of your life. Um, so that's definitely something that I think having a good nighttime routine, gratitude is wonderful to end the day, but it's also great to start the day with gratitude as well.
Um, and you know, have that tea or, you know, listen to some nice calming music, whatever it is, but try to get that routine so you can train your body into saying, okay, it's time for bed. Even though I just got in that fight with my kids, or even though I have this really difficult. Challenging task at work with a deadline approaching, you have to be able to shut that off so that you can give yourself all of the resources that you have within you with your body and your mind and your brain to be able to [Page//00:29:00] tackle those challenges with as much power and energy as you can.
And so you have to get sleep far too often people, that's the first thing that they cut out and it should be the last thing
Julie Michelson: and people like, I see two different, you know, people, it's almost like I'm so busy, you know, the like they wear a badge of I'm the busiest or, you know, I don't have time for sleep. Um, and I've met so many people who think they are trans. Transcribed The super sleeper who really only needs a few hours.
And while we know that's a thing, it's extremely rare. And if you're listening, it's probably not you. But I love that you talk about the, I talk about nighttime routines all the time, because anybody who has children, like we know like kids thrive on routine. Well, guess what? So do adults. You know, really, even though we like the, yes, the brain likes the unusual and the changes, but you know, those [Page//00:30:00] signals.
Um, and, and so I love,
Hayley Nelson: your circadian clock. You don't want to have it shift. And especially if it's not consistent, I mean, there are plenty of people who are night shift workers, right? We need them in our world. We need those overnight nurses and the delivery people and you know, all of those amazing jobs that have to be overnight.
Right. But. It's very challenging for them, uh, to, to have that night work because all of these cues, these environmental cues are telling their body it's time to go to sleep. But then for them, they're saying no it's time to be active and awake and functional so. If you can think about how challenging that would be, you know, that's almost an extreme, but you're really doing that every single time that you're watching TV right before bed.
You're telling your brain with all this blue light stimulation coming in or you're on your phone,
Julie Michelson: Wake
Hayley Nelson: you're telling them it's time to wake up when in actuality you want to tell them it's time to settle down and go to sleep. It's time to rejuvenate. So
Julie Michelson: Ah, amazing.
Hayley Nelson: Trust me. [Page//00:31:00] I get it. I get, I get
Julie Michelson: Well, people, I, I always am saying, you know, like I, I, I wasn't born a health coach, right? Like I, I didn't used to eat the rainbow and, you know, like I ate garbage. I had bad habits. I, you know, Oh my gosh, I don't think I've ever said this on the podcast when I was younger, I smoked.
Hayley Nelson: Ooh.
Julie Michelson: you know, I mean,
Hayley Nelson: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: but, and even now, like you said,
Hayley Nelson: No. Yeah.
Julie Michelson: Still human and, and I do have to remind myself of like, Oh, what would you tell a client right now?
Or, you
Hayley Nelson: get it. I mean, I think it's important to know that you're real. Right? I mean, sometimes I look at some of these influencers and they're just, they seem to have everything together, but in actuality, they probably are some of the most loneliest, you know, sad people. And it's just like, wait a second, I want to see some of that.
Right? And there's some people who are open and can share their mistakes and their flaws. And [Page//00:32:00] they're the people that I personally resonate more with because I want to learn from people who are more like me and I mess up. All the time. So I want to be around people who mess up, can own it, and say, okay, that was a learning experience.
Let's grow. And what can we do next time differently?
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Yeah. I was, I was just at a conference a couple of weeks ago and one of the speakers was talking about, um, he was referencing, um, uh, uh, like the 1st female billionaire. And every morning when she was a little girl, her dad would say, you know, make lots of mistakes today. And so her whole life, she was trained to see the opportunity and the learning and the growth.
And of course she was the first female billionaire, because that was, you know, so yeah, we're just real, like we're all. We're all figuring it out as we go. Um, and I love, um, and [Page//00:33:00] we won't go down the rabbit hole because I want to honor your time. But, but we had mentioned before this, you know, there's the woo and then there's the science.
And really for me, like neuroscience is where they meet, like, like the, you know, the, I remember the first time, you know, creating your reality and your thoughts, you know, your cells, hear your thoughts and, and all of those things. And I, you know, that was like, I thought that was, I live outside of Boulder, Colorado.
Like, I thought that was woo and, you know, and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is actually old science. Like this isn't even, you know,
Hayley Nelson: We just speak different languages, right? So neuroscientists were trained more with, we have to use these fancy terms and, but really at the end of the day, we're saying the exact same thing. I would never say a neuron hears something because, right? I mean, when I think of hearing, I think of audition and your ears and, right?
So I, my training would say, okay, this is how you would explain that. But then if I'm [Page//00:34:00] trying to be that bridge, if I'm trying to be that connector between these two worlds and say, Hey, what you're actually teaching your clients and what you're actually doing and promoting is rooted in science. We just speak different languages.
So let me be that translator for you to now you can have more buy in from your clients and say, Hey, oh, this is actually scientifically shown what you're telling me to do. It's not just woo woo. It's not just some. random person sitting on a rock somewhere dreamed of this idea and we're just all supposed to follow suit.
No, it's actually rooted in science. It's empirically tested and, and there's evidence to back it up and use whatever language you want. And it doesn't matter to me. But just know that there are different languages. And so sometimes we say the same thing. And we're not against each other. I think a lot of times people think that, well, you say this, but I say this and I'm, and I'm sitting there like you're saying the exact same thing.
Yeah. Yeah. It's just applied and utilized differently as well [Page//00:35:00] sometimes. So I think it's important to. To have that connection and bridge that gap because not everything can be solved with woo woo and not everything can be solved with a more, you know, Western philosophy and, you know, modern science and modern technologies and things.
And so being able to have those hard conversations with people who have been trained differently than you, um, I think is, it's enlightening for both sides and being able to create that connection and that communication is, it's very important. To heal anybody in a holistic way.
Julie Michelson: I agree because we are whole humans. Um, that's the perfect segue. Can you share a little bit about your certification program
Hayley Nelson: Sure, absolutely. Thanks for asking. Um, so I do offer a certification program. It's geared towards wellness professionals and coaches and helping professionals, right? I'm using that term vaguely. My marketing team would hate me for doing that [Page//00:36:00] only because really anybody can benefit from this. So What I do is I break down the brain and how it works in a series of modules that start very fundamental brain basics.
And then we work all the way through different trauma, addiction, learning, memory, habits, sex, gender, and sexuality, even go into psychological disorders and treatment options. And they all build upon each other so that when you are done and you've completed the certification, you have this breadth of knowledge.
That also has a lot of details within there that you can use on a day to day basis and especially for practitioners and coaches who are working with clients who might have those roadblocks who are saying, I know I should do this, but I don't or I can't or they stop seeing you right. This gives them that added buy in saying, okay, let's look at the science behind these tools that I'm giving you, how they actually work.
And it empowers the, the [Page//00:37:00] coaches also to be able to find their own research and to understand how to read the scientific literature and feel empowered to be able to, to do that as well. So I am super passionate and proud of it. Um, it is a certification program. Um, so you will become certified in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience upon completion of it, that you can proudly stamp that all over your resume and marketing.
And, um, I'm, I'm very proud of it. And, uh, we have a great cohort of students. Yeah. And it's self paced as well, because I know that. A lot of your busy working professionals. And so if you have to study at 11 o'clock at night, then that's when you have to study, right? Um,
Julie Michelson: I would have to study early in the morning. 11 o'clock at night.
Hayley Nelson: do that, right?
If they're working nine to five, or they have kids, they got to get out the door, right? So I wanted it to be flexible for anybody's schedule. So there is a self paced option, but for people who want more handholding, There is also an individualized, uh, program as well where I will teach [Page//00:38:00] the lessons to you personally live so that you can ask all those questions that you want.
So, um, yeah, if you want to learn more about it, um, you can go to academyofneuro. com and check out the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. And then for people who don't necessarily want the certification, I also have individual consultations. I do speaking engagements, one on one or group sessions.
So there's definitely ways to reach out to me and connect. And I would love to be, to help empower you with that knowledge so that you can help yourself, help your clients and help the community.
Julie Michelson: Which is, is amazing. And you do, you do such an incredible job of a, I just, I've always, I was drawn to your positivity, you know, and using all of this knowledge you have in a way to really help empower people. Um, and so, yeah, you're, you're taking it out of the Johns Hopkins classroom and lab and, and really, um, making, making a [Page//00:39:00] difference.
And so I'm just so grateful that you were able to take the time to, to be here today.
Hayley Nelson: Absolutely. Thank you so much. And it's always one of those things when I hear people say, Oh, but I can't do that. I'm not smart enough. Or, you know, neuroscience or just science in general is intimidating. I could barely pass high school biology. I can't learn from you. You went to Johns Hopkins and it's, that's really.
What I wanted to put out there is an approachable accessible way to learn this knowledge so that you can be empowered and you can stand out with this knowledge to understand what is going on, how it works in your brain and why it happens so I'm very passionate about making it accessible and approachable for People of all walks of life.
So, um, thank you so much for having me on being able to, to talk about it and to share some of my knowledge and keep spreading that positivity around. I love seeing people with big smiles like yours and mine and, um, you know, just everybody you meet, have a good smile on for
Julie Michelson: you go. [Page//00:40:00] There you go. So before I can let you leave, I have to ask because my listeners are trained to listen for it. What is 1 step that listeners can take starting today?
Hayley Nelson: two. Improve
Julie Michelson: health, life, whatever. Usually I say
Hayley Nelson: think it's the mindset. I think it's just not to get out of your own way that there is hope that you can change even though it's hard. Nobody's going to say it's easy, but you absolutely can do it. And there are tools and techniques to help you to make it easier to once you learn more about motivation, what's actually going on in the brain, how you can get people to overcome some of those things.
boundaries and roadblocks, it absolutely can be so powerful. So just know that there is hope you can change your brain. You can change your health and you can change your mindset as well. So I think that it's a nice big circle. [Page//00:41:00] They all help feed each other. And, um, yeah, so I think that would be the changes to, to get out of your own way and know that there is hope and possibility.
Julie Michelson: I love it. Oh, thank you so, so much for people that are
Hayley Nelson: Thank you.
Julie Michelson: If people are listening on the run, which is usually how I listen, where's the best place for them to find you?
Hayley Nelson: So the easiest and best place would be on my website. So academyofneuro. com I have a little chat bot down at the bottom that you can reach out and I will receive it and I will reach out to you personally. I'm also on social media. My tag is at be well with Dr. Haley and that's Hayley with two Y's. So I'm on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok.
X slash Twitter, whatever
Julie Michelson: All the
Hayley Nelson: it. And yeah, and clubhouse. So people who like to hear me speak live, you can jump on. I'm occasionally in clubhouse. You can find me over there and I talk about lots of different things [Page//00:42:00] and that's a really fun app as well. Um, but yeah, just search for me. Um, so that's at be well with Dr. Haley on social, and then my website is academyofneuro. com.
Julie Michelson: Amazing. Dr. Haley, thank you so, so much
Hayley Nelson: You're very welcome. Thank you.
Julie Michelson: for everyone listening. Remember you can get the transcripts and show notes by visiting inspiredliving. show. We'll have all those links in there for you as well. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. I'll see you next week. [Page//00:43:00]
In today's conversation, we're talking about neuroplasticity and our ability to create change in our lives and in [Page//00:01:00] our health. Dr. Haley shares about the importance of mind health and how, with intention, we can surpass the roadblocks to creating new, healthier habits.
Dr. Haley, welcome to the podcast.
Hayley Nelson: Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited for this conversation, Julie.
Julie Michelson: I am as well. And I'm, I'm such a geek and I, I love, I love brain health and neuroscience and, and we were talking before I hit record about, you know, just, there's always new knowledge, right? And we're always learning more about this amazing human body.
Hayley Nelson: That's what I always, when I, I always instill that with my students to just some people can get so intimidated by neuroscience and the brain in general. It's like you can get lost in the universe. And, you know, I call it this beautiful chaos because it's complicated. It is right. But. That inspires me and it excites me because there are so many unknowns and so I'm constantly learning and growing and I love [Page//00:02:00] it when people ask me questions that I don't know the answer to because then it gets me back into researching and finding the answer and really understanding and comprehending it.
So I actually get. excited and thrilled when I don't know the answer to something because that means that either nobody knows it and that's something that we're going to learn soon or it's something that I can maybe start researching and try to figure out the answer to as well. So, or inspire future students to be able to do that as well.
Julie Michelson: well, definitely you have that, that lifelong learner personality.
Hayley Nelson: absolutely. As do you. When people call me a geek or a nerd, I say thank you.
Julie Michelson: Exactly. I'm like, Oh, my people,
Hayley Nelson: Yeah,
Julie Michelson: I love it. So I, I would love for you to share with listeners and me. I'm anxious to hear, um, a little bit about your, your story. How did you get into neuroscience?
Hayley Nelson: oh my gosh. How long do we have on this podcast? I'll try to keep it short and sweet. It is [Page//00:03:00] kind of a long story, but it started, I mean, I was always, as you mentioned, just a curious person and a lifelong learner. So I knew after graduating from high school, I was going to go on to college and probably grad school, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do.
I thought that I wanted to be a medical doctor. So, of course, when I went into undergrad, I had my blinders on. I was like, I'm bio pre med, bio pre med. That's all I want to study. I don't want to take any electives that aren't going to get me into medical school, right? But unfortunately that first semester of freshman year, I, I actually was assaulted and I ended up getting post traumatic stress disorder as a result of it.
And I mean, my whole life just, it, it. everything changed and the way I was thinking, the way I was feeling, the way I was processing information, I was still able to go to classes and to, you know, keep up with my studies, but I really wanted to understand more about what was happening to me personally. And so when it was time to pick an elective, I picked intro psychology because I just wanted to learn [Page//00:04:00] more about the brain and how we are and why we do what we do.
And really more from a, you know, just selfish personal perspective, I wanted to know what the heck was going on with me, so I took it and literally after that first lecture, I was the rest is history. I was kind of like, Oh, my gosh, I need to learn everything that I can about this. So changed my major started focusing more on psychology and the biological basis of behavior so I could mix a lot of that.
Really more quote unquote, hardcore science with more of this touchy feely, you know, kind of social science, um, and what but when I graduated from college, I wasn't really sure exactly what field of psychology I wanted to go into. And because I went to a small liberal arts college, I know I needed more research.
So I ended up doing research with the National Institutes of Health. So down at the National Institutes of Mental Health and National Institute on Drug Abuse. Um, for two years I was a research fellow there, and [Page//00:05:00] that was really eye-opening to me to be able to satisfy that curiosity that I always had, but be able to find those answers in a lab.
So I knew I wanted to continue studying, you know, experimental fields of psychology and biology, and when I applied for graduate school, I got into the Johns Hopkins University to earn my PhD in psychological and brain sciences. So that was really at that point when I said, okay, I'm going to be a neuroscientist. So did I always know I wanted to be a neuroscientist? No, but because I was. I think my curiosity honestly saved me. I easily could have gone down that path of, you know, letting the trauma consume me and destroy my life, which unfortunately it does for so many, but I use that curiosity to actually empower me to learn more about the brain.
And then now as an educator with, you know, at universities, as well as my college and with my academy, I. And helping to [Page//00:06:00] empower other people with that knowledge to really understand what's going on inside their brain, as well as their clients or their loved ones, family, friends, things like that.
Julie Michelson: Uh, which I love and is why I'm so grateful that you're here because, you know, working, especially, I think all of us, whether you have autoimmunity or, you know, big T trauma or not, like, we all have. Have trauma. Um, and, and that was one of the reasons I really was like, Oh, you know, come talk to my audience because I there.
It's that staying stuck like we don't have to stay stuck and and especially in my line of work. You know, there's such a connection to To, you know, trauma that and sometimes people aren't even aware of, you know, it's stuff that they haven't dealt with. Um, and, and I think that's why I fell in [Page//00:07:00] love with your message because so many people still don't know that we can create change.
Hayley Nelson: Absolutely. And yeah, and I think a lot of people get stuck on the word trauma as well. They think that when they hear the word trauma, I think they think you have to have been assaulted or be a war veteran or have survived a fire or some catastrophic event. Which absolutely can lead to trauma, but you can also have chronic stressors in your life.
Like, hello, a pandemic that's happening, right? All the social unrest that's happening. I mean, you can't turn on the TV without getting those negative emotions. over time, all of those stressors, if you're not processing them correctly, it can make the same brain changes that you would experience if you had experienced one of those catastrophic events, life events.
So I think that, you know, it almost does a disservice when people, I mean, I don't want to lessen the experience of [Page//00:08:00] people who have undergone. severe adversity like that. But at the same point, neurologically, what can happen looks very similar, which means that the healing process is also similar. Um, you know, but everybody's different.
Some people are more resilient than others. Some people are, you know, Are more motivated for change. And, you know, also based on genetics and everything else, we're all individuals. And so how one person heals their healing journey can be vastly different from somebody else. It's not cookie cutter. And I think people want to be able to just take that pill or go do counseling or just do this or, you know, and
Julie Michelson: Give me the instructions.
Hayley Nelson: Exactly. And it's not a paint by number type situation. Um, so I think people need to understand that so they're not scared or push away from their healing journey if it takes them a little longer. Just know that any progress is progress and our brains can change. They can rewire themselves [Page//00:09:00] and you can get out of that situation and take tragedy to triumph.
Julie Michelson: I love that. Tragedy to triumph. I know it's so true. So let's talk about neuroplasticity, you know, because I am old enough that I remember being told, you know, the brain, you know, only dies and shrinks. And so, and that, you know, it's, uh, We, we really didn't know a lot back when I was
Hayley Nelson: And I always remember being taught to that you're born with a certain number of neurons, and then they just go away as you get older. And it's like, wait a second, we've discovered neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons, and we know in different species as well as in humans, and that's relatively new.
But this term neuroplasticity, I think a lot of people They hear it, but they don't really understand it. One thing about us neuroscientists is we try to scare people with big, long, scary words, but really we're not creative when we come up [Page//00:10:00] and coin some of these terms. So let's break down the word neuroplasticity.
So neuro, neurons, they're the cells that make up our nervous system, make up our brain and spinal cord, as well as the, all the cells throughout the body that Converge with organs and, you know, glands, all of that. Um, so we have the neurons as part of the neuro, and then plasticity literally means plastic, right?
So it's plastic, it's moldable. And one of the beautiful things that we have known for a long time is the capacity of children to be able to learn and grow through their environment. From the moment they're born, they're starting to learn things, even before they're born. In utero, they're creating these networks and these connections, these meaningful connections within their nervous system to automate processes so that you don't have to every single time you approach that red thing with dots on it on the ground, you don't have to relearn every single time.
Oh, that's a strawberry that tastes yummy. I can eat it. You try [Page//00:11:00] it once and now you can generalize out. That's why little kids are constantly putting things in their mouth, right? They're learning, they're growing, they're experiencing things through their environment. And we've known for a very long time that that's how children learn.
And they're actually creating these connections, these synapses, which is this, the connections between neurons, that space between them, where they actually connect and release neurotransmitters. That the more you engage those connections, the stronger those connections become. And then so by the time you're an adult, a lot of those connections are pretty formalized, right?
So things that you've learned, things that you've been able to do to cope and to manage adversity and stressors in your life. that you learned as a child are pretty much really ingrained by the time you're an adult. And then all of a sudden you say, well, wait, I want to change. I want to start working out more.
I want to start journaling more. I want to change the way that I think. I don't want to have these addictions anymore. I don't want to have whatever it is, these thoughts that I'm having, [Page//00:12:00] and I want to change them. So you have that. goal and that purpose, but then you start hitting roadblocks and those roadblocks, it becomes an uphill battle because you're working against millions of years of evolution that have automated your nervous system to protect you and to save you.
And so to make things faster, to process the information faster. So now all of a sudden you're saying, wait a second, I want this stream to flow uphill. Instead of to continue to go down the mountain and take the path of least resistance. I want to change. So now you will hit that resistance because you're no longer going along the path of least resistance.
You're going along the path of most resistance. So it makes sense that you will hit those roadblocks. But if you continue to repeat those behaviors and those thoughts and those patterns, they become habits. And the more and more you do them, then those synapses become stronger and you can have new connections that are constantly happening all the time.
Every time you learn something new, every time [Page//00:13:00] you try to do something new, you're changing the shape and the function of your brain that in turn can change the function of your mind and your emotions as well and your behaviors.
Julie Michelson: Which is so incredible and so powerful. Um, and I want to highlight that last piece because. I think it's so often overlooked that you said one of the things you can change is your emotions, right? Like we think like people tend to really think like the emotion is the thing that comes first. And if you think of that incredible power to, you know, change emotions, change behaviors, change thought patterns, change, change the things. Um, I mean, wow.
Hayley Nelson: Yeah. And in a lot of these things, you don't have to spend a penny to do right. It's what are you, we're always focused on what we're feeding our body, but I always challenge people. What are you feeding your [Page//00:14:00] mind? Not just what are you feeding your brain, right? Not just talking about the supplements and all of those wonderful things that can lead to brain health, but another thing that leads to brain health is mind health.
What are you feeding your mind? What are you consuming on a daily basis? What are you watching? What are you
Julie Michelson: Well, you already
Hayley Nelson: are you speaking with? I'm sorry, say that again?
Julie Michelson: And you mentioned already like news. I was like, I don't, don't even don't watch.
Hayley Nelson: I don't even turn it on most of the time because it just brings my whole energy level down and that's not the person I want to present to the world. I want to be this inspiration for people. So if I'm not consuming inspirational messages and meanings, then What am I trying to put out there? I'm being fake, right?
So I want to, I think it's very important about not only what we're watching that's external, but internally, what are we feeding ourselves as well? What are the thoughts that we're allowing ourselves to think? And it's never too early to start this practice. I have a [Page//00:15:00] 10 year old and a six year old. And every night before bed, when we're brushing our teeth, I always say I may have them look in the mirror and I have them repeat after me, you know, these affirmations and at first they thought I was being really silly, right?
And I'm just like, Oh, mommy, come on. And then so I had to make it fun for him. I said, well, let's pretend to be superheroes. I'm going to be Captain Marvel, of course, like strong, powerful woman, you know, hear me roar. And then I was like, who do you want to be? They love the Marvel characters. So I had a Captain America and then I had a Spider Man, right?
So I said, okay, so let's be these characters. What would they say to themselves, how, before a fight or before they're, you know, taking on the world? And they say, well, I'm strong. People like me. You know, people listen to me, all of these things. I said, okay, so let's start saying these things. Pretend you're Captain America.
You're strong, you're smart, you're powerful, all of those things. And then eventually we didn't, I didn't have to say pretend to be Captain America. They started saying these things out of habit. And then I still remember that it was so touching and I still get like. tingles up my [Page//00:16:00] spine when I think about this.
The first day of my oldest son, who's now in fourth grade, but when he was going into second grade, the very first day of school, you know, I'm doing what every other parent in America is doing and taking the silly photos that nobody cares about to post on social media out front of the door before school, the first day of school.
And I said, okay, smile, pose for me. And he goes, mommy, I want to do my captain America pose. And he goes, I'm Charlie, I am loved. And I'm just like, of all of the affirmations to say, and if every single child in America or around the world could go to school and know that they're loved. I mean, how incredible is that?
And it just, it's free. It's just your feed, what you're feeding your mind is that that's going to set the precedent for the rest of the day. And he came home from school that day, happy and feeling loved. And you know, it's just, it's, it's, it's really easy to do those things, but you do have to be mindful.
You have to force yourself to do it. You will feel silly at first when you're just talking to yourself in the [Page//00:17:00] mirror, right? But it really can start making those changes. And he was literally changing. The synopsis, those connections in his brain and changing the chemistry of his brain to set him up for success.
So if a second grader can do it. Why can't we
Julie Michelson: Right. Yeah. Well, and I, I just think of how blessed your, your children are because so much of, of what I do with my clients who are, you know, in their thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, even I have some in their seventies as well is undoing, you know, it's unraveling decades of patterns of negative thoughts, negative, you know, the mean voice, all the things.
And so. Uh, your kids aren't going to have to do that work.
Hayley Nelson: Well, I hope not. I'm sure that I'm sure I'm going to be spending lots of money on therapy for them at some point, but I am not adverse to that. I
Julie Michelson: no,
Hayley Nelson: is a wonderful
Julie Michelson: why not?
Hayley Nelson: [Page//00:18:00] against it. Right? So. Um, I'm, I'm trying, I'm doing my best, but we all have faults and we all have those moments where you want to pull your hair out, right?
We're all human, um, but just giving them the tools, and that's something that I really try to teach, not only my kids, but anybody, really, is when you face those stressors in your life, because we can't avoid stressors,
Julie Michelson: no.
Hayley Nelson: but we can Change and we can learn to change how we respond to them. And if you practice these techniques when you're not under stress and when you're not in that activated state, then, and you build those habits and those neural connections, then the automatic responses are going to be those healthier choices and those healthier options.
So, um, you know, I think it's, I think it's important to practice them. When it's hard and to practice them also when there's nothing really going on and there's nothing triggering you so that when you are in that the heat of the moment, that's a tool right there ready for you, you
Julie Michelson: what I[Page//00:19:00]
Hayley Nelson: your breathing, you can practice your meditation, whatever it is that that helps you kind of calm your nervous system.
Julie Michelson: that I love that you said that. That's what I tell my clients with the, the breathe that, you know, like first you have to intentionally, you've got to get the tool into the toolbox or, you know, people try to tell me in the beginning and I'll do it when I'm stressed. And I'm like, well, no, cause you don't have the, you don't have the tool yet.
Hayley Nelson: Yeah. And and I think I what I the angle that I come at it from is I don't know, I'm a geek, so I love to understand the science behind it. So, understanding actually how the brain works, and how those connections work, and say, it's not just me telling you to do these things, because I read a book somewhere, I'm telling you to do these things because...
By doing them now, you're actually rewiring your brain. You're changing the neurochemistry, you're changing these connections. And so it's not just this metaphor of a tool in a toolbox. You're literally changing the structure of your [Page//00:20:00] brain. Just like if you, you know, have a broken leg, you're going to put a cast on it.
You're going to heal it, right? So if you want, I would never say anybody's brain is broken, but if there's a connection that you want to change and you want to heal it and fix it, then you have to stop using it. And you have to create a new pathway for it to be able to get that end result that you want.
So you have to work on it. It's not, it doesn't take over, you know, it's not going to happen overnight. You have to put in the effort, but it will work. And there's. neuroimaging studies to show that it does work. So it's not just behavioral studies. It's also, you know, through neuroscience
Julie Michelson: which is so it's so beautiful that we get to get to do the imaging now and really see the changes in the brain. Um, you mentioned breathing and meditation and another one that I love that. I tell people specifically to to help. I think pretty quickly for. The human body anyway, create those new [Page//00:21:00] neural pathways is gratitude journaling, you know, there's the, and with, and I'm always like with a writing utensil, not on your
Hayley Nelson: I know a lot of times people, they just want to type it
Julie Michelson: yeah,
Hayley Nelson: it, you know, and that's better than nothing, right? It's
Julie Michelson: right.
Hayley Nelson: But if you can have, there's nothing that can replace pen to paper, that physical act of doing it and then physically holding it in your hand. And It's very, very powerful. And another thing that you might want to challenge people is to write with their non dominant hand.
So once they've mastered the act of writing their gratitudes, right? If you get them to actually write it, then say, okay, now put the pen in your left hand and write it. Because what you're doing is now you're creating a novelty and our brains love new things. It, they care more about a change in our environment than, than.
The same old regular things. And if you think about it from evolutionary perspective, it doesn't matter if you know, the weather is beautiful and sunshiny and it's consistent every single day. What matters is when it [Page//00:22:00] starts raining, you need to seek shelter or if there's thunder or if it's really hot and you need to take off some clothes that so our nervous system doesn't really care about the same old same old it's I shouldn't say it doesn't care about it, but it pays more attention to a change in your environment.
And that actually can speed up neuroplasticity. So it's going to help really strengthen those connections, especially when the intention behind it is gratitude. So you're forcing them to do something new and novel from it, even though what they're doing is the exact same thing, but they're doing it in a new way so that they can, you know, really help strengthen those connections.
And another thing that I think is really overlooked is aerobic exercise,
Julie Michelson: Ah,
Hayley Nelson: and of course, if it's medically appropriate, right, and so this isn't even just for your cardiovascular health and the health of your body, but just looking at your brain, there's certain chemicals that are released when you engage in these aerobic activities.
One in particular is known as BDNF. It stands for brain derived neurotropic factor. I gotta put [Page//00:23:00] my door cat on every once in a while, right? So, so
Julie Michelson: and yeah, all the biohackers listening are like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we know, we know.
Hayley Nelson: my language. But BDNF is released and what can, so what BDNF does, it's a neurotropic factor that actually protects brain cells.
And it helps with neuroplasticity. So even if the habit or the change that you're trying to make in your life has nothing to do with your physical health or physical well being, if you can get out and exercise, I mean, at least three times a week, 30 minutes, I mean, the more the better, right? Um, but anything, even just parking a little further away at work so that you're getting, even if it's just five minutes here and there, that's better than nothing, but you're actually going to be strengthening that neuroplasticity process.
It's very simple for kids to have neuroplasticity. There are cases where people have actually removed half of their brain and they're able to function. almost perfectly fine as if nothing happened. Whereas with adults, there's that old saying, you can't teach old dogs [Page//00:24:00] new tricks. And that's not necessarily true.
You can, it just takes a little longer, right? So if any of these tools can help speed up that process, then, and if it's medically appropriate for you, then definitely try to incorporate more exercise into your life. And not only is it going to help your brain health, but obviously it'll help your physical health and wellbeing as well.
Julie Michelson: absolutely. Absolutely. And, and yeah, and I love the, the qualifier, right? Is, is when it's medically appropriate, as it's medically appropriate. Um, and, and typically, yeah, absolutely. When we're careful and intentional, then we can end up eventually doing more than we think. So,
Hayley Nelson: Exactly.
Julie Michelson: yeah,
Hayley Nelson: And then, you know, if you can practice your gratitude and mindfulness while you're going for that walk. I mean, kill two birds with one stone. Yeah, exactly. Habit stacking is great
Julie Michelson: I love
Hayley Nelson: it doesn't take any more time. You don't have to do five things back to back to back. You can get them all done in that one 30 minute, uh, you know, walk around your neighborhood, get out in nature.
It's another wonderful [Page//00:25:00] thing for brain plasticity.
Julie Michelson: you know, the barefoot in the grass while you're like,
Hayley Nelson: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: like, how many things I always love anything you can do in nature. You're already stacking like, then any other good thing.
Hayley Nelson: yeah, going for a hike. I mean, how many, whether you're with family or friends, like, how many more things can you stack onto that? Yeah, it's wonderful.
Julie Michelson: exactly. Uh, I love the, I never thought about the, the using your non dominant hand. Um, when you first started to talk about it, I was kind of cringing on the inside. I broke my right shoulder about six years ago and I had recently come across my client notes. I'm right hand dominant from when I could not use my right hand at all.
And I'm laughing because I couldn't even read. I it's my, it's me and I can't read what I wrote. Um, so, but I am very well aware that learning, you know, learning something new helps keep your brain young and, and, um, keep us [Page//00:26:00] healthy. And so I'm like, Oh, challenge accepted. I am going
Hayley Nelson: Try it and then report back. Give yourself, you know, a month or something of trying and who cares if you can't read it. It's the act of the gratitude that is what's important and then you're doing something new, your brain, it doesn't matter if you can read it or not, you never need to go back to your gratitude journal and read those notes ever again.
Right now, client notes, yes, you want to make sure that you can read. that information. So use your right hand for that. But, um, yeah, when it's something that's personal and it's really not to be shared with other people, and I mean it can be if you want it to be, but just try, try switching it up. Brush your teeth with your left hand.
I keep talking about brushing teeth, but you know what? Drink water with your left hand. Do you see? Try kicking the ball with your kids out in the yard with your non dominant foot and just try it and see if you notice a change, um, in other aspects of your life other than just that task that you're doing.
Julie Michelson: I love that. It's so [Page//00:27:00] fun. And if
Hayley Nelson: easy and it's
Julie Michelson: of those other again, and you don't start to start, if you're not already doing a gratitude journal, start just by, you
Hayley Nelson: Yes. Yes.
Julie Michelson: starting
Hayley Nelson: so important. And I think just having like a routine, a nighttime routine can really, you're training your brain that it's time to rest, it's time to rejuvenate, and you know, as long as your routine isn't like mine, no, I'm pretty good, but sometimes I do, you know, I want to veg out in front of the TV sometimes too, and then I wake up at like 3 o'clock in the morning with my glasses still on and I'm like, oh no, what did I just do to myself?
Everyone has their vice every once in a while, but if you can create that bedtime routine because sleep is so, so important for just everything, but also our mood and our mindset and our brain health as well, we need that sleep, not only the restorative sleep. With the deep sleep, but also that active sleep with the REM and consolidating our dreams and are sorry, consolidating our memories [Page//00:28:00] and having those dreams, it's a very sometimes called paradoxical sleep because your brain is just as active during those moments of sleep as it is when you're fully conscious and awake.
So, um, it's it both aspects of sleep are so important. And if you're not, if you don't have good sleep hygiene, it can wreak havoc on So many aspects of your life. Um, so that's definitely something that I think having a good nighttime routine, gratitude is wonderful to end the day, but it's also great to start the day with gratitude as well.
Um, and you know, have that tea or, you know, listen to some nice calming music, whatever it is, but try to get that routine so you can train your body into saying, okay, it's time for bed. Even though I just got in that fight with my kids, or even though I have this really difficult. Challenging task at work with a deadline approaching, you have to be able to shut that off so that you can give yourself all of the resources that you have within you with your body and your mind and your brain to be able to [Page//00:29:00] tackle those challenges with as much power and energy as you can.
And so you have to get sleep far too often people, that's the first thing that they cut out and it should be the last thing
Julie Michelson: and people like, I see two different, you know, people, it's almost like I'm so busy, you know, the like they wear a badge of I'm the busiest or, you know, I don't have time for sleep. Um, and I've met so many people who think they are trans. Transcribed The super sleeper who really only needs a few hours.
And while we know that's a thing, it's extremely rare. And if you're listening, it's probably not you. But I love that you talk about the, I talk about nighttime routines all the time, because anybody who has children, like we know like kids thrive on routine. Well, guess what? So do adults. You know, really, even though we like the, yes, the brain likes the unusual and the changes, but you know, those [Page//00:30:00] signals.
Um, and, and so I love,
Hayley Nelson: your circadian clock. You don't want to have it shift. And especially if it's not consistent, I mean, there are plenty of people who are night shift workers, right? We need them in our world. We need those overnight nurses and the delivery people and you know, all of those amazing jobs that have to be overnight.
Right. But. It's very challenging for them, uh, to, to have that night work because all of these cues, these environmental cues are telling their body it's time to go to sleep. But then for them, they're saying no it's time to be active and awake and functional so. If you can think about how challenging that would be, you know, that's almost an extreme, but you're really doing that every single time that you're watching TV right before bed.
You're telling your brain with all this blue light stimulation coming in or you're on your phone,
Julie Michelson: Wake
Hayley Nelson: you're telling them it's time to wake up when in actuality you want to tell them it's time to settle down and go to sleep. It's time to rejuvenate. So
Julie Michelson: Ah, amazing.
Hayley Nelson: Trust me. [Page//00:31:00] I get it. I get, I get
Julie Michelson: Well, people, I, I always am saying, you know, like I, I, I wasn't born a health coach, right? Like I, I didn't used to eat the rainbow and, you know, like I ate garbage. I had bad habits. I, you know, Oh my gosh, I don't think I've ever said this on the podcast when I was younger, I smoked.
Hayley Nelson: Ooh.
Julie Michelson: you know, I mean,
Hayley Nelson: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: but, and even now, like you said,
Hayley Nelson: No. Yeah.
Julie Michelson: Still human and, and I do have to remind myself of like, Oh, what would you tell a client right now?
Or, you
Hayley Nelson: get it. I mean, I think it's important to know that you're real. Right? I mean, sometimes I look at some of these influencers and they're just, they seem to have everything together, but in actuality, they probably are some of the most loneliest, you know, sad people. And it's just like, wait a second, I want to see some of that.
Right? And there's some people who are open and can share their mistakes and their flaws. And [Page//00:32:00] they're the people that I personally resonate more with because I want to learn from people who are more like me and I mess up. All the time. So I want to be around people who mess up, can own it, and say, okay, that was a learning experience.
Let's grow. And what can we do next time differently?
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Yeah. I was, I was just at a conference a couple of weeks ago and one of the speakers was talking about, um, he was referencing, um, uh, uh, like the 1st female billionaire. And every morning when she was a little girl, her dad would say, you know, make lots of mistakes today. And so her whole life, she was trained to see the opportunity and the learning and the growth.
And of course she was the first female billionaire, because that was, you know, so yeah, we're just real, like we're all. We're all figuring it out as we go. Um, and I love, um, and [Page//00:33:00] we won't go down the rabbit hole because I want to honor your time. But, but we had mentioned before this, you know, there's the woo and then there's the science.
And really for me, like neuroscience is where they meet, like, like the, you know, the, I remember the first time, you know, creating your reality and your thoughts, you know, your cells, hear your thoughts and, and all of those things. And I, you know, that was like, I thought that was, I live outside of Boulder, Colorado.
Like, I thought that was woo and, you know, and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is actually old science. Like this isn't even, you know,
Hayley Nelson: We just speak different languages, right? So neuroscientists were trained more with, we have to use these fancy terms and, but really at the end of the day, we're saying the exact same thing. I would never say a neuron hears something because, right? I mean, when I think of hearing, I think of audition and your ears and, right?
So I, my training would say, okay, this is how you would explain that. But then if I'm [Page//00:34:00] trying to be that bridge, if I'm trying to be that connector between these two worlds and say, Hey, what you're actually teaching your clients and what you're actually doing and promoting is rooted in science. We just speak different languages.
So let me be that translator for you to now you can have more buy in from your clients and say, Hey, oh, this is actually scientifically shown what you're telling me to do. It's not just woo woo. It's not just some. random person sitting on a rock somewhere dreamed of this idea and we're just all supposed to follow suit.
No, it's actually rooted in science. It's empirically tested and, and there's evidence to back it up and use whatever language you want. And it doesn't matter to me. But just know that there are different languages. And so sometimes we say the same thing. And we're not against each other. I think a lot of times people think that, well, you say this, but I say this and I'm, and I'm sitting there like you're saying the exact same thing.
Yeah. Yeah. It's just applied and utilized differently as well [Page//00:35:00] sometimes. So I think it's important to. To have that connection and bridge that gap because not everything can be solved with woo woo and not everything can be solved with a more, you know, Western philosophy and, you know, modern science and modern technologies and things.
And so being able to have those hard conversations with people who have been trained differently than you, um, I think is, it's enlightening for both sides and being able to create that connection and that communication is, it's very important. To heal anybody in a holistic way.
Julie Michelson: I agree because we are whole humans. Um, that's the perfect segue. Can you share a little bit about your certification program
Hayley Nelson: Sure, absolutely. Thanks for asking. Um, so I do offer a certification program. It's geared towards wellness professionals and coaches and helping professionals, right? I'm using that term vaguely. My marketing team would hate me for doing that [Page//00:36:00] only because really anybody can benefit from this. So What I do is I break down the brain and how it works in a series of modules that start very fundamental brain basics.
And then we work all the way through different trauma, addiction, learning, memory, habits, sex, gender, and sexuality, even go into psychological disorders and treatment options. And they all build upon each other so that when you are done and you've completed the certification, you have this breadth of knowledge.
That also has a lot of details within there that you can use on a day to day basis and especially for practitioners and coaches who are working with clients who might have those roadblocks who are saying, I know I should do this, but I don't or I can't or they stop seeing you right. This gives them that added buy in saying, okay, let's look at the science behind these tools that I'm giving you, how they actually work.
And it empowers the, the [Page//00:37:00] coaches also to be able to find their own research and to understand how to read the scientific literature and feel empowered to be able to, to do that as well. So I am super passionate and proud of it. Um, it is a certification program. Um, so you will become certified in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience upon completion of it, that you can proudly stamp that all over your resume and marketing.
And, um, I'm, I'm very proud of it. And, uh, we have a great cohort of students. Yeah. And it's self paced as well, because I know that. A lot of your busy working professionals. And so if you have to study at 11 o'clock at night, then that's when you have to study, right? Um,
Julie Michelson: I would have to study early in the morning. 11 o'clock at night.
Hayley Nelson: do that, right?
If they're working nine to five, or they have kids, they got to get out the door, right? So I wanted it to be flexible for anybody's schedule. So there is a self paced option, but for people who want more handholding, There is also an individualized, uh, program as well where I will teach [Page//00:38:00] the lessons to you personally live so that you can ask all those questions that you want.
So, um, yeah, if you want to learn more about it, um, you can go to academyofneuro. com and check out the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. And then for people who don't necessarily want the certification, I also have individual consultations. I do speaking engagements, one on one or group sessions.
So there's definitely ways to reach out to me and connect. And I would love to be, to help empower you with that knowledge so that you can help yourself, help your clients and help the community.
Julie Michelson: Which is, is amazing. And you do, you do such an incredible job of a, I just, I've always, I was drawn to your positivity, you know, and using all of this knowledge you have in a way to really help empower people. Um, and so, yeah, you're, you're taking it out of the Johns Hopkins classroom and lab and, and really, um, making, making a [Page//00:39:00] difference.
And so I'm just so grateful that you were able to take the time to, to be here today.
Hayley Nelson: Absolutely. Thank you so much. And it's always one of those things when I hear people say, Oh, but I can't do that. I'm not smart enough. Or, you know, neuroscience or just science in general is intimidating. I could barely pass high school biology. I can't learn from you. You went to Johns Hopkins and it's, that's really.
What I wanted to put out there is an approachable accessible way to learn this knowledge so that you can be empowered and you can stand out with this knowledge to understand what is going on, how it works in your brain and why it happens so I'm very passionate about making it accessible and approachable for People of all walks of life.
So, um, thank you so much for having me on being able to, to talk about it and to share some of my knowledge and keep spreading that positivity around. I love seeing people with big smiles like yours and mine and, um, you know, just everybody you meet, have a good smile on for
Julie Michelson: you go. [Page//00:40:00] There you go. So before I can let you leave, I have to ask because my listeners are trained to listen for it. What is 1 step that listeners can take starting today?
Hayley Nelson: two. Improve
Julie Michelson: health, life, whatever. Usually I say
Hayley Nelson: think it's the mindset. I think it's just not to get out of your own way that there is hope that you can change even though it's hard. Nobody's going to say it's easy, but you absolutely can do it. And there are tools and techniques to help you to make it easier to once you learn more about motivation, what's actually going on in the brain, how you can get people to overcome some of those things.
boundaries and roadblocks, it absolutely can be so powerful. So just know that there is hope you can change your brain. You can change your health and you can change your mindset as well. So I think that it's a nice big circle. [Page//00:41:00] They all help feed each other. And, um, yeah, so I think that would be the changes to, to get out of your own way and know that there is hope and possibility.
Julie Michelson: I love it. Oh, thank you so, so much for people that are
Hayley Nelson: Thank you.
Julie Michelson: If people are listening on the run, which is usually how I listen, where's the best place for them to find you?
Hayley Nelson: So the easiest and best place would be on my website. So academyofneuro. com I have a little chat bot down at the bottom that you can reach out and I will receive it and I will reach out to you personally. I'm also on social media. My tag is at be well with Dr. Haley and that's Hayley with two Y's. So I'm on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok.
X slash Twitter, whatever
Julie Michelson: All the
Hayley Nelson: it. And yeah, and clubhouse. So people who like to hear me speak live, you can jump on. I'm occasionally in clubhouse. You can find me over there and I talk about lots of different things [Page//00:42:00] and that's a really fun app as well. Um, but yeah, just search for me. Um, so that's at be well with Dr. Haley on social, and then my website is academyofneuro. com.
Julie Michelson: Amazing. Dr. Haley, thank you so, so much
Hayley Nelson: You're very welcome. Thank you.
Julie Michelson: for everyone listening. Remember you can get the transcripts and show notes by visiting inspiredliving. show. We'll have all those links in there for you as well. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. I'll see you next week. [Page//00:43:00]
settings
Divider Text
My Guest For This Episode
Connect with Dr. Hayley Nelson
Dr. Hayley Nelson
Dr. Hayley Nelson is a neuroscientist, tenured psychology professor, international speaker and founder of The Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience where she is passionate about making neuroscience approachable.
She earned her PhD in Psychological and Brain Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and has over 20 years of teaching experience with students from diverse backgrounds. She also has several peer-reviewed research publications and previous research and faculty appointments with The National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, and The University of Pennsylvania.
By creating Certification Programs with the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Dr. Hayley combined her knowledge of the human mind and brain health with her passion for education, teaching, and consulting to truly make neuroscience approachable. Her students learn easy-to-swallow knowledge of how the brain works in real-life situations and gain the power to better serve their clients
Popular Episodes
Episode [Block//Episode Number]
Aired on: [Block//Air Date %F j, Y%+0]
Aired on: [Block//Air Date %F j, Y%+0]