Change Your Brain Every Day

Oregon has recently passed legislation for taking "Mental Health Days" off from school, which makes sense as the state has one of the highest suicide rates. So why is this legislation being passed now? In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss exactly why the rate of depression and suicide is skyrocketing, not just in Oregon, but everywhere. They also give you tips for handling those down times, whether they're experienced by you or by someone you love.

Class in is session! In this fourth and final episode with Alize Castellanos, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen wrap up their two-week long series on changing your brain and changing your grades. Dr. Amen, Tana, and Alize tackle such subjects as morning routines, communication styles, and how to remember that your teacher is a person, too, and treat them accordingly.

When striving to make improvements in our lives, we tend to look to others for inspiration. But is this a good thing or a bad thing? In the third episode of a series with Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades co-author Alize Castellanos, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen reveal how modelling behavior from other people can have either positive or negative influence on your life. Alize helps to explain how role models have changed her life.

If you come from a chaotic environment, whether that be caused by your family life, past a trauma, or a medical condition, it can be very difficult to rid your mind of negative thoughts. So what does the path look like for someone trying to make it out the other side? In the second episode of a series with Alize Castellano, Dr. Amen and Tana interview Alize about the tools she used to put her tough past behind her and find a more calm, promising future.

Finding success in life can be hard enough even when circumstances have set you up to thrive. But what happens when you start out in life with the cards already stacked against you? In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are joined by their niece and co-author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades, Alize Castellano. Alize shares some of the tips that have allowed her to rise to the top of the class despite her tumultuous upbringing.

The surprising #1 fear for most Americans isn't heights, spiders, or clowns, but speaking in public. Many tense up in fear just thinking about getting up in front of the class or workplace to give a presentation. So how can you stay cool, calm, and collected when your name gets called? In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, and their daughter Chloe give you practical tips to keep your head and face those fears.

One of the most overlooked factors when determining success at school is nutrition habits. You may be surprised to hear that the type of food you send your child off to school with may play a huge role in how well they're able to focus in class. In the third episode in a series on the brain at school, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana, and their daughter Chloe share some insight on how to properly fuel the brain to ace those tests.

When it comes to study habits and organization, finding the right balance in your routine can mean the difference between success and failure. However, that balance can be entirely different for people with different brain types. In the second episode of a series on the brain at school, Dr. Amen and Tana are again joined by their daughter Chloe for a discussion on how to optimize your brain to best set you up for success in the classroom.

For some people, the education system can be a breeze. For others, struggle and frustration is the name of the game. However, when it comes to predicting success in life, grades aren't necessarily the best metric. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana are joined by their daughter Chloe, co-author of the new book, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades", for a discussion on the most important focus points for students.

BMX rider-turned motivational speaker Josh Perry has experienced many ups and downs when it comes to the health of his brain. The lessons he's learned along the way, however, could benefit anyone, whether they've had a TBI or not. In the fourth and final episode of a series on traumatic brain injuries and the recovery process, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, and Josh discuss the most important principles to keep in mind when recuperating the brain.

BMXer Josh Perry knows a few things about brain trauma, having experienced multiple concussions, some of which had resulted in loss of consciousness and even seizures. But while Josh has done many bad things to his brain in the past, he's now become a brain warrior and is constantly taking action to improve the function of his brain. In the third episode of a series on brain injuries, Josh tells Daniel and Tana Amen how he found his personal roadmap to recovery.

It's been said that the act of failing only occurs if you don't get back up again. No one knows this concept more than pro BMXer Josh Perry, who has fallen (both figuratively and literally) countless times. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, and Josh describe what it's like to get back up when recovering from something like a traumatic brain injury.

BMX rider Josh Perry was living out his dreams, travelling, competing, and rising up through the professional ranks when he suffered a horrific crash. The doctors ordered an MRI, and what they saw in the scan changed his entire life. In the first episode in a series on traumatic brain injuries with Josh, he recounts his incredible story to Daniel and Tana Amen.

In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen wrap up their discussion on the impact of words, and then reach into the mailbag to answer some listeners' questions, which tackle such subjects as getting over grief, and how to help children make the necessary transitions as they depart for college.

Words matter. Not just for those that hear them, but also for those that speak them. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, the third in a series on the power of words, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen describe what happens inside your body and brain when certain types of words are spoken or heard, whether aloud or merely inside your head. Daniel and Tana also discuss how this info can be a useful tool in interactions between parents and their children.

The language you use reflects how you see the world, but it can also affect how those in relationships see each other. Certain words you use to describe someone else or their behavior strongly affects your attitude towards them in the future. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen continue their discussion on the power of words by exploring the ways that language can shape the dynamics of a relationship.

You may not realize this, but when you talk to yourself, your subconscious mind is listening, and what it actually hears and registers may not be quite what you'd expect. In the first episode in a series on the power of words, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss how the subconscious mind processes your self-talk, how it differentiates between different type of language, and why the words you choose matters.

Human beings are a relational species. It's important to our survival that we form meaningful connections with other human beings. But what do we do when we're faced with people who seem hell bent on making things difficult for others? In the fourth and final episode of a series on the brain in the workplace, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, and Winn Claybaugh go over the proper ways to approach people when there's some friction involved.

There's a stigma attached to word "quitter," but when someone quits a job, it's often just to get out of a bad work environment and move on to something better. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Amen, Tana and author Winn Claybaugh describe just how important a healthy culture is to a business, and how meetings (or lack of) and language can completely transform an office's productivity.

People need a reason for what they do. They need a "why?" that drives them towards their purpose. So what actions can you take to give a "why?" to yourself and those around you? In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are again joined by author and Paul Mitchell School founder Winn Claybaugh to discuss how philanthropy transforms relationships, and why modeling behavior can be key to effective parenting.

Let's face it, the 'intimidating dictator' approach to whipping employees and coworkers into shape is a thing of the past, a relic that no longer works in today's workplace. So how can you get others to step up their efforts and help make great things happen at work? In the first episode of a series on the brain at work, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are joined by "Be Nice or Else" author Winn Claybaugh for a discussion on the surprisingly easy way to rally your troops more effectively.

It should come as no surprise that those with the deepest sense of meaning and purpose tend to have the strongest relationships. So what about those whose lives carry no deeper sense of meaning? In the final episode of a series on how to ruin your marriage, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss the role spirituality plays in a relationship. Whether spirituality is defined as religious beliefs or a sense of connecting with something larger than oneself, it's important to realize how your version of that connection affects your connections with those closest to you.

Have you ever gotten together with friends for a good time, only to spend most of the time complaining about the challenges of dealing with significant others? This sort of activity may seem innocuous, but these interactions play a surprisingly big role in why marriages and relationships fail. In the third episode of a series on how to ruin your marriage, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss the social aspects that play the biggest role in your relationships, and how you can use proper communication to maintain a healthy perspective.

In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen continue their discussion on how to ruin a marriage. This episode focuses on the psychological aspects that tend to permeate bad relationships. Daniel and Tana help you to recognize certain destructive patterns and make the psychological adjustments that will improve the health of any relationship.

Do you want to know how you can ruin your marriage? Didn't think so. But if you know what NOT to do, you'll know what TO do in avoid in order to have better relationships. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen tell you some surefire ways to wreak havoc on your close relationships, this first installment dealing with some physical issues you or your partner may experience.

Kelli Davis has seen and been involved with many miraculous stories of children facing and overcoming huge obstacles. What she's learned from these stories is that perspective can make all the difference. In the last episode of a series on miracles and giving, Kelli shares the incredible story of how a child born without a lower jaw thought outside the box to realize his life's dream as a musician.

In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are once again joined by Kelli Davis from The Children's Miracle Network for a discussion on miracles. Kelli shares an unbelievable story of how a young boy with a congenital heart defect inspired a famous baseball player to create his own miracle, which had reverberations that changed lives and gave hope to many who didn't have it before.

In her work with The Children's Miracle Network, Kelli Davis brushes shoulders with high-profile celebrities on a regular basis. These interactions have resulted in some surprising lessons about what makes people truly happy. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, and Kelli describe what egoistic altruism is, and Kelli tells a heartwarming story of what happened when a famous superhero actor visited a children's hospital.

Miracles occur every day. Some are major life changes, while others are smaller and may even go unnoticed at first. Learning to recognize life's miracles and use them to bring purpose in your life can be one of the most efficient paths towards a fulfilled life. In this week's series of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are joined by Kelli Davis from the Children's Miracle Network to discuss miracles and giving. This episode focuses on how charity can give your life purpose.

Children tend to have highly suggestible brains, which makes them all the more vulnerable to some of the negative messaging in society, most often found on certain social media platforms. So due to their easily influenced brains, is it best to just keep kids away from hypnosis until their brains have developed properly? In the fourth and final episode in a series on hypnosis, Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, and Dr. Jeffrey Zeig give their surprising views when it comes to medical hypnosis and children.

Medical hypnosis can be used to help different people in different ways, from something like quitting smoking all the way to treating multiple-personality schizophrenia. However, some people are affected more strongly than others. In fact, it's been estimated that although about 85% of us can be hypnotized, only about 15% are able to go into a deep trance. In this episode of the podcast, Daniel and Tana Amen are joined by Dr. Jeffrey Zeig for an in-depth discussion on the ways in which hypnosis can positively impact lives.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to hypnosis. Often the word itself invokes mental images of movie villains forcing innocents to carry out some diabolical plan against their will. But is this level of suggestion scientifically possible? Is it merely a sham? Or can it actually help people? In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are again joined by Dr. Jeffrey Zeig to shine some scientific light on some of the common myths surrounding hypnosis.

A famous psychotherapist, Milton Erickson, explored the concept of utilization, which involves using the reality of your situation to help you, rather than merely analyzing it. It is with this concept in mind that Erickson found the technique of hypnosis to be particularly useful, especially to those with infirmities and other similar predicaments. In the first episode of a series on hypnosis, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are joined by Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, founder of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, for a discussion on hypnosis, and how Zeig's interactions with his mentor opened his eyes to the concept of arousal states.

In the final episode of a week-long series on nutrition, Tana Amen is once again joined by Mareya Ibrahim, the "Fit Foodie." In this final episode, Mareya gives some of the top tips from her new book "Eat Like You Give a Fork" to arm you with the proper information and motivation to start the process of changing your eating habits for a healthier brain and a healthier life.

Have no illusions, adopting healthy eating habits is no simple task. With the messaging we're constantly being shoveled from the food industry and even social media, acquiring a healthy body and mind can seem out of reach. But there are ways to find motivation that work for you. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Tana Amen and "Fit Foodie" Mareya Ibrahim give you practical tips you can use to integrate a healthier nutrition routine.

Life is hard enough, so when you throw in the idea of changing your eating habits to be healthier, it can feel downright overwhelming. The good news is that nobody's perfect, and the switch to healthier foods is rarely an overnight transformation. In this episode, Tana Amen is again joined by Mareya Ibrahim for a conversation on how the right foods (and mindset) can help shift you towards a healthier lifestyle.

Most people's concept of a healthy nutrition strategy has been distorted by the food industry's messaging tactics. Luckily, we have real nutrition educators such as Tana Amen and this week's guest, Mareya Ibrahim, AKA the "Fit Foodie." In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Tana and Mareya share some of the lessons they learned while on a cooking reality show, as well as a few other proper nutrition strategies you can implement in your family's routine.

People with attention deficit disorder are routinely prescribed Ritalin and stimulants to help them deal with their focus issues. But because there are 7 different types of ADD, all with their own characteristics, what can help one person can make another person suffer even more! Thankfully, in this episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana shed some light on some of the various factors involved in ADD, as well as some of the natural treatment methods that can be safely explored to find what works best for you.

9 times out of 10, a psychiatrist will prescribe anti-anxiety medications to a patient struggling with anxiety without first trying more natural methods of treatment. If you or someone you love is having anxiety issues, you should look at the least harmful options first. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen give their advice on the surprisingly effective treatment methods for anxiety that don't involve resorting to medication.

For some people, antidepressants can help improve the quality of life. For others, it only makes things worse. In the second episode of the "Skills or Pills?" series, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen tackle depression. They discuss at what point antidepressants are a reasonable choice, and when other natural methods should be tried, such as exercise, nutrition, mediation, or supplements.

The usage of pain medication can be a helpful tool in coping with an injury or illness, but the fact is, some people really need pain meds and some really don't. Add to the equation the various side effects and potential for addiction, and this delineation becomes even more critical. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen introduce the concept of "Skills or Pills?" to illustrate when it may be necessary to use pain medication, and when you can utilize other, more natural techniques to help get you through the painful times.

This past week of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast has explored the concept of daddy issues, with Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen describing the many ways that it can affect a child. In the final episode of the series, the Amens give you tips for preventing these issues from developing in your own children.

It's been said that one's perception becomes one's reality. If that's true, could it be that some of our earliest memories are in fact fabrications of our own making? In the third episode of a series based on daddy issues, this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast deals with the memories we hold on to from our pasts, and how sometimes in reality they may not be exactly what we remember them.

This week's series of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast is all about daddy issues. In this episode, Dr. Amen and Tana Amen explore the ways a father's brain health issues can affect his children. Whether a father suffers from OCD, Depression, ADD, or certain other genetic vulnerabilities, it's important to look not only at how these conditions affect the father, but also how they shape the behavior of future generations.

The relationship a child has with their father is extremely important to their early development. An abnormal or nonexistent relationship with their dad can have detrimental effects on how they end up developing relationships with others. In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss the family dynamics that tend to cause daddy issues.

Although CBT for insomnia is the most effective treatment method for sleep-related issues, for some people it may not be enough. Certain supplements and medications can certainly help, but it's important to be armed with the right information. In the last episode of this series on sleep issues with Dr. Shane Creado, Dr. Amen and Tana Amen fill you in on the proper supplements and meds (and dosages!) you should be using to get those Z's.

You may be surprised to learn that the gold standard for treatment of insomnia doesn't cost a thing. So what is CBT for insomnia? In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are again joined by Dr. Shane Creado for an extended look into this treatment modality, and what makes it so effective.

Although there are a multitude of factors as to why you're not getting proper sleep, the standard treatment method is to just throw medication at the problem and hope it goes away, rather than look for the underlying cause. In the second episode of a series on sleep disorders, Dr. Amen and Tana Amen are again joined by sleep expert Dr. Shane Creado. In this episode, Dr. Creado discusses the common underlying factors to look for when assessing your own sleep issues.

Recent studies have shown that people who sleep less hours per night often develop health issues at a significantly higher rate than those that get the required amount. So how bad is it to try to get by on less sleep? In this series of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen are joined by sleep specialist Dr. Shane Creado for an overview of common sleep issues, as well as practical advice to get you sleeping soundly through the night.

In this episode of The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen wrap up their discussion on nutrition from the Amen Clinics company-wide presentation. Here you will learn the final nutrition guidelines you can use to properly arm you against the weapons of mass destruction out there that try to destroy your health and well-being.