View low solar angle sunlight in the morning and evening, as this is most effective for setting your circadian clock, enhancing alertness, and synchronizing your internal state with the external world due to specific yellow-blue contrasts.
Prioritize great sleep, quality nutrition, good social interactions, and avoiding chronic stress, as these foundational practices modulate brain function and are crucial for overall mental health, physical health, and performance, especially for those with TBI.
Modulate your dopamine system by not rewarding yourself on a regular basis but instead using a schedule of random intermittent reward, which is the best schedule for maintaining motivation and preventing dopamine depletion.
Aim for 1-2 grams of EPA essential fatty acids per day, as there is significant data on its valuable role in TBI recovery and it can function as an antidepressant, showing efficacy comparable to SSRIs in clinical trials.
To prevent myopia (nearsightedness) caused by excessive close-up viewing, ensure you get at least 10 minutes of long-distance viewing (longer than 10 feet away) for every 30 minutes of close-up viewing, and aim for two hours of outdoor sunlight exposure daily.
Consume four servings a day of fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, or kombucha, as this practice encourages a healthy gut microbiome, which in turn improves overall well-being and immune system function by supporting neurotransmitter precursors.
For high-intensity behaviors like ice baths or sauna, use them less often for greater impact, as consistent daily use can lead to diminishing returns and adaptation; for example, specific sauna protocols can yield significant growth hormone release when done intensely but infrequently.
Deliberately spike adrenaline through methods like cold showers (by making water colder, staying longer, or moving limbs) or cyclic hyperventilation (Wim Hof breathing) to create an opportunity to maintain mental clarity while experiencing high physiological arousal, thereby strengthening mind-body control.
After a period of high stress, engage in adrenaline-spiking behaviors as you taper out of the stressful period, rather than immediately transitioning to purely relaxing activities, as adrenaline can temporarily suppress innate immune responses.
For individuals older than 40, view red light at a distance of about two feet for 1-2 minutes a week, ideally within the first three hours of waking, to improve mitochondrial function in photoreceptors and potentially reverse some forms of age-related vision loss and macular degeneration.
If your schedule is inconsistent (e.g., due to shift work), combine multiple physiological anchors—light exposure, temperature changes (cold to wake, hot to sleep), exercise, food intake, and social engagement—into a 1-2 hour window for a few days to help your internal clocks adjust.
To gain the full benefits of sauna, aim for temperatures between 80-100 degrees Celsius (176-210 Fahrenheit), as typical infrared saunas may not reach sufficient heat for optimal effects.
When facing challenging tasks, imagine the people (or animals) you love and who have supported you, as this can help you approach hard things from a place of love and provide a powerful internal motivation.
If dealing with TBI, explore hyperbaric chamber therapy under the guidance of a skilled physician, as it shows encouraging data for improving brain function by hyperoxygenating the brain and enhancing sleep quality for repair.
Unless specifically prescribed for severe dysbiosis, avoid high-dose, refrigerated probiotics, as they can sometimes lead to brain fog and other issues.
In cases of severe agitation, obsession, or inability to sleep due to high dopamine, a psychiatrist may prescribe a very low dose of a dopamine receptor blocker (e.g., haloperidol) as a potent clinical tool, but this should only be done under strict medical supervision.
After experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it is critical to avoid any subsequent head injuries to prevent further damage.