Outsmart Yourself: Brain-Based Strategies to a Better You

Overview

Change your bad habits by changing your mind. It really is that simple.

What if you aren’t as in control of your actions as you think you are? What if your brain is driving you to decisions without your approval? Is there a way to “hack” your brain to perform better, live healthier, and break your bad habits? The brain is an amazing instrument, and neuroscientists today have more information than ever about how it works—as well as strategies for helping us live better every day. The surprising thing is just how counterintuitive some of these strategies can be.

Feeling the urge to procrastinate? Do nothing for 20 minutes and you’ll feel ready to get to work. Want to strengthen your athletic performance? The imagination and mental “practice” can be just as beneficial as putting on your sweats and heading to the gym. Come down with a case of the blues? Try eating some fermented foods such as yogurt or sourdough bread.

Outsmart Yourself: Brain-Based Strategies to a Better You will give you insights into how your mind works and the tools you need to make lasting change. Taught by Professor Peter M. Vishton, Associate Professor of Psychology at William & Mary, these 24 exciting lectures provide a wealth of practical strategies to strengthen your creativity, improve your problem-solving, enhance your health, and generally improve your well-being.

Whether we’re distracted by too many tasks, influenced by crafty marketers, or simply living in a rut of bad habits, our conscious brains aren’t always guiding us toward the best actions. Fortunately, Professor Vishton offers the latest in scientific research to outsmart the subconscious.

Course Outline

01: Take Control of Your Automatic Brain

Examine the disconnect between our actions and our consciousness of those actions, exploring how our brains influence our behavior.

Duration: 34 min

02: Beat Procrastination by Doing Nothing

Discover evidence-based strategies for reducing procrastination and learn about the neurochemistry behind it.

Duration: 30 min

03: Train Yourself like a Dog

Explore tips for modifying behaviors, from simple tracking to employing behavioral psychology techniques.

Duration: 32 min

04: Clean Your Kitchen, Improve Your Diet

Learn how simple changes in your environment can have a measurable effect on unhealthy eating habits.

Duration: 29 min

05: Eat Slow, Eat Small, Eat Smart

Understand the hormones that drive hunger cues and how your body responds to different foods.

Duration: 28 min

06: The Myth of Multitasking

Discover why focusing on one task at a time is more efficient and creative than attempting to multitask.

Duration: 31 min

07: Future You and Better Decisions

Learn how to make decisions that your future self will approve of, balancing immediate gratification with long-term goals.

Duration: 32 min

08: How to Become an Expert on Anything

Uncover strategies for practicing any skill and sticking with it until you achieve expertise.

Duration: 31 min

09: Tune Up Your Brain with Meditation

Explore the benefits of meditation and what happens inside your brain during practice.

Duration: 31 min

10: Take the Sleep Challenge

Examine the importance of sleep for cognitive function and the role of dreams in our mental processes.

Duration: 30 min

11: Boost Insights and Creativity

Learn practical strategies for enhancing creativity and finding innovative solutions to problems.

Duration: 32 min

12: Enhance Performance with Imagery

Discover how mental training through imagery can have genuine physical effects on performance.

Duration: 31 min

13: Overcome Your Aging Brain

Delve into what happens to our brains as we age and how to mitigate the effects of time.

Duration: 31 min

14: Grow Your Brain Out of Depression

Explore ways to combat mild depression and improve mental health through various strategies.

Duration: 33 min

15: Hack Your Brain to Unlearn Fear

Learn how to confront and minimize common phobias through understanding their origins.

Duration: 33 min

16: Use Your Body to Alter Your Mind

Examine the relationship between physical activity and mental health, and how body language affects mindset.

Duration: 33 min

17: Suppress – Don’t Repress – Anger

Understand the mechanisms behind anger and how to manage it effectively in social situations.

Duration: 31 min

18: How Little Things Cause Big Persuasion

Investigate subtle methods of persuasion and how to recognize them in everyday life.

Duration: 31 min

19: How Framing Changes Decisions

Explore techniques in sales and negotiation that can influence decision-making processes.

Duration: 31 min

20: How Language Changes Your Brain

Discover how language influences behavior and the brain’s response to different linguistic cues.

Duration: 32 min

21: How Your Brain Falls in Love

Examine the neuroscience behind romantic attraction and the factors that influence love.

Duration: 31 min

22: The Neuroscience of Lasting Love

Learn about the long-term emotional commitment of love and the brain systems involved.

Duration: 33 min

23: How Your Brain Creates Happiness

Investigate the factors that contribute to happiness and the misconceptions surrounding it.

Duration: 33 min

24: Happy Brains Are Smart Brains

Round out your course with tips for living a happy, fulfilled life and the importance of mindfulness.

Duration: 35 min