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Understand Your Brain, Upgrade Your Life | Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

Jan 23, 2023 1h 1m 25 insights
<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p><em>---</em></p> <p><br /></p> <p>The better you understand your brain – and the more effectively you can work with it – the happier and healthier you will be. This is the central contention of today's extraordinary guest, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and she makes this assertion based on two levels of deep expertise. First, Dr. Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist. Second, back in the '90s, she experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write or recall any of her life. She later recovered, but that experience, which you will hear her describe in riveting detail, gave her incredible insight into how the brain works. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>She wrote a massive best-selling book called, <a href="https://www.drjilltaylor.com/my-stroke-of-insight/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>My Stroke of Insight</em></a>, which she has now followed up with a book called, <a href="https://www.drjilltaylor.com/whole-brain-living/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Whole Brain Living</em></a>, where she lays out exactly how to understand your brain and how to work with it.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Dr. Taylor's personal story and how her life has changed post-stroke</li> <li>The marvels of the human brain</li> <li>The differences between the brain's two hemispheres </li> <li>How our society is skewed towards the left hemisphere and how living too much in the left hemisphere can burn us out</li> <li>The brain's "four characters" and how to work with these characters through a practice she calls "The Brain Huddle" </li> <li>The differences and similarities between "The Brain Huddle" and another practice we've talked about before on this show called, "RAIN"</li> <li>And she describes a tool for understanding your emotions called, "The 90-Second Rule"</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jill-bolte-taylor-552" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/jill-bolte-taylor-552</a></p>
Actionable Insights

1. Apply the 90-Second Rule

When you feel triggered, observe the physiological response of the emotion, knowing it will naturally flush through your body in less than 90 seconds if you don’t compulsively re-up it with continued left-brain thinking.

2. Practice Brain Huddle Frequently

Practice the B.R.A.I.N. huddle (Breath, Recognize, Appreciate, Inquire, Navigate) 20 or 30 times a day, every time you think about it, to enable all four of your brain characters to participate effectively.

3. Identify Your Brain’s Characters

Learn to recognize the four distinct character profiles within your brain (Left Thinking, Left Emotional, Right Emotional, Right Thinking) to better understand your internal states and behaviors.

4. Let All Brain Characters Vote

Treat your ‘Helen’ (Left Thinking) character as a valuable tool, but ensure it is not the sole decision-maker; instead, allow all four brain characters to ‘vote’ in your choices for balanced living.

5. Choose Present Moment Peace

Consciously choose to bring your mind to the present moment, approaching life with curiosity instead of judgment, to find peace and refuel your mental energy.

6. Prioritize Self-Care & Refueling

Dedicate time to refuel by being present with your body, asking what you need, ensuring adequate sleep and movement, and engaging in playful interactions with loved ones.

7. Consciously Choose Your State

Recognize that you have the power to consciously choose, moment by moment, who and how you want to be in the world by embodying a specific brain character.

8. Strengthen Desired Brain Circuits

Repeatedly engage in desired mental circuits and practices, as this strengthens the neural pathways through neuroplasticity, eventually making them automatic habits.

9. Shift Characters with Brain Huddle

When you notice you’re in an undesirable character state, use the brain huddle to consciously shift into a more appropriate character to better engage with and enjoy the present moment.

10. Understand Your Brain Better

Better understanding how your brain works allows you to work with it more effectively, leading to increased happiness and health.

11. Balance Brain Hemispheres

Avoid burnout by balancing time spent in the left hemisphere (ego, past/future focus) with time in the right hemisphere (interconnection, awe, present moment awareness).

12. Cultivate Inner Peace for Influence

Strive to cultivate a personal state of peace, as this allows you to bring regulation and peacefulness to every situation and interaction you engage with.

13. Be True to Your Bliss

Commit to being true to your personal bliss and passions, as living from this authentic space allows you to bring nourishment and support to all that you love.

14. Take Total Accountability

Take total emotional and cognitive accountability for who you are and your actions, recognizing this as a crucial step in personal evolution.

15. Set Boundaries with Characters

When others engage from a controlling or emotionally disharmonious state (character one or two), set boundaries by declining to engage unless they can meet you in a more peaceful and beautiful space.

16. Engage with Present People

Prioritize engaging with people who are willing to be in the present moment, and consciously limit your own time spent dwelling on the past or future.

17. Observe Your Character Choices

Consciously observe the choices you make, the amount of time you spend embodying each of your four brain characters, and how others respond to or are attracted to those different aspects of yourself.

18. Practice with Untriggered Character Two

Practice engaging with your ‘character two’ (the emotional, fight-flight part of your left brain) when it is not triggered, making it easier to bring all four characters online during stressful moments.

19. Focus on Breath (Brain Huddle)

As the first step of the brain huddle, focus on your breath to anchor yourself in the present moment, as breathing only occurs in the now, shifting your mind from past or future concerns.

20. Recognize Active Brain Character

As the second step of the brain huddle, identify which of your four brain characters (Left Thinking, Left Emotional, Right Emotional, Right Thinking) is currently dominant or has initiated the need for the huddle.

21. Appreciate All Brain Characters

As the third step of the brain huddle, acknowledge and appreciate that all four of your brain characters are present, regardless of which one initiated the huddle, and check in with each of them.

22. Inquire & Choose Character

As the fourth step of the brain huddle, ask yourself which of your four brain characters you consciously choose to embody in the current moment, considering the situation and your desired outcome.

23. Navigate Moment by Moment

As the fifth step of the brain huddle, continuously navigate your experience moment by moment, making informed choices based on the input and perspectives of all four parts of your brain as life constantly changes.

24. Value Rest, Avoid Burnout

Do not take pride in functioning on minimal sleep, as this burns down your system and limits possibilities; prioritize rest to maintain energy.

25. Cultivate Brain Curiosity

Become fascinated with how your brain creates your perception of reality and how its cells organize information, as this curiosity can be an advantage in understanding and personal growth.