Beliefs and their connection with Wellbeing - on Mind the Gap Show - A podcast co-hosted by Sanah Anand and Harmeet Anand

Episode Summary: In this episode, we talk about Beliefs and their connection with wellness. Co-hosting this audio show Sanah who is a budding neuroscientist and Harmeet an executive wellbeing coach, share from their lives what they understand about how beliefs shape well-being and health outcomes,

Topics Discussed:

• Why beliefs matter - how is it connected to faith
• What is the Placebo effect
• How the environment plays a role in shaping and re-shaping our beliefs

Resources Mentioned:

• The Biology of Belief- Bruce Lipton
• When the Body Says No- Gabor Maté
• The Power of the Placebo Effect- https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect
• Belief and Faith- Placebo Effects in the Context of Religious Beliefs and Practices: A Resting-State Functional Connectivity Study (Schienle et al., 2021) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351359656_Placebo_Effects_in_the_Context_of_Religious_Beliefs_and_Practices_A_Resting-State_Functional_Connectivity_Study
• Known Placebo is Just as Effective- Labeling of Medication and Placebo Alters the Outcome of Episodic Migraine Attacks (Kam-Hansen et al., 2015) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4005597/#:~:text=The%20placebo%20effect%20was%20significant%20under%20each,of%20placebo%20and%20medication%20during%20migraine%20attacks.

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Science of Stress and its Effective Management - on Mind the Gap Show - A podcast co-hosted by Sanah Anand and Harmeet Anand

Episode Summary: In this episode, we dive into the science behind stress, good stress and bad stress, chronic and acute stress, and the role of emotions especially the emotion of "acceptance" when it comes to stress management. Co-hosting this audio show Sanah who is a budding neuroscientist and Harmeet is an established executive coach share from their lives how they understand stress, help others cope with stress and help themselves recognize their patterns of stress.

Topics Discussed:

• Acute and chronic Stress
• What is good and bad stress?
• Healthy and unhealthy ways to manage stress
• Centring, exercise, emotions - the role in managing stress

Resources Mentioned:

• When the Body Says No - by Gabor Maté
• Practice of Centring: https://strozziinstitute.org/centering-the-unity-of-action-and-being/
• Cultural Differences in Emotional Suppression- Culture shapes electrocortical responses during emotion suppression (Murata et al., 2013) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3682443/
• Breathwork to Reduce Stress- Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal (Balban et al., 2023) https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(22)00474-8?trk=organization_guest_main-feed-card_feed-article-content
• Chronic Stress and Neurodegeneration- NMDA Receptor Activation and Calpain Contribute to Disruption of Dendritic Spines by the Stress Neuropeptide CRH (Andres et al., 2013) https://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/43/16945.short
• Exercise Promotes Neuronal Growth- Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (Sleiman et al, 2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4915811/
• Estrogen's Neuroprotective Effects- Interactions between estradiol, BDNF and dendritic spines in promoting memory (Luine and Frankfurt, 2014) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3597766/

Instagram handle - mindthegap.show and Website : www.coach4max.com

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"Why Practice Matters" on Mind the Gap Show - A podcast co-hosted by Sanah Anand and Harmeet Anand

Episode Summary: In this episode, we discuss the role of "Practice" and the ways to remain consistent with practice. Co-hosting this audio show Sanah who is a budding neuroscientist and Harmeet is an established executive coach share from their lives about practices, how to continue on the path to growth, the role of perfectionism, types of perfectionism, reasons why we habitually procrastinate. From their own lives, they share actionable insights on how to break bigger goals down to smaller practices and counter the boredom that comes with practices.

Topics Discussed:

• Different Kinds of Practices
• Procrastination and stress
• Perfectionism - the good and the bad
• Moods conducive for being on the path of success

Resources Mentioned:

• Procrastination in College Students: Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress, and health (Tice and Baumeister, 1997) https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/230062/original/procrastinating.pdf
• Self Oriented vs. Socially Prescribed Perfectionism: Relationship among perfectionism, academic procrastination and life satisfaction of university students (Capan 2010) https://www-sciencedirect-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S1877042810017167?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-7&rr=8be33b7778b52f03
• Supported by Neuroimaging: The Neural Basis Linking Achievement Motivation With Procrastination: Left Precuneus Connectivity With Right Anterior Cingulate Cortex (Li et al., 2021) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Li-Yuhua-2/publication/354004356_The_Neural_Basis_Linking_Achievement_Motivation_With_Procrastination_Left_Precuneus_Connectivity_With_Right_Anterior_Cingulate_Cortex/links/615f080d50be5507289a74e6/The-Neural-Basis-Linking-Achievement-Motivation-With-Procrastination-Left-Precuneus-Connectivity-With-Right-Anterior-Cingulate-Cortex.pdf
• Instagram handle - mindthegap.show and website www.coach4max.com

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Music by Jay Someday

Episode Summary: This episode explores Intentions and their significance. Co-hosting this audio show Sanah - a budding neuroscientist and Harmeet - an executive coach, share from their lives what makes intentions distinct from purpose, how our brain works when it comes to goal-defined behaviour,

Topics Discussed:

• What is the distinction between purpose and intentions
• Why 'setting intentions' matter
• What do people struggle with most while setting their goals?
• The "approach versus avoidance" behaviour from the neuroscience perspective
• Role of visualization and emotions - in moving us towards our goal
• Differences between thoughts and beliefs, and where do beliefs stem from
• Distinct ways in which Gen Z versus Gen X perceive the world

Resources Mentioned:

• Double-blind test of the effects of distant intention on water crystal formation (Radin, Masaro Emoto, et al., 2006)
• The Willpower Instinct- Kelly McGonigal
• Execution and Motor Imagery- Motor imagery and action observation: cognitive tools for rehabilitation (Mulder 2007)

Website : www.coach4max.com and Instagram handle: mindthegap.show

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Music by Jay Someday

Wisdom and Science behind Authentic Purpose on Mind the Gap Show - A podcast co-hosted by Sanah Anand and Harmeet Anand

Episode Summary: This episode dives into what is "Purpose", how to find it and how to be on it. Co-hosting this audio show Sanah - a budding neuroscientist and Harmeet - an established executive coach, share from their lives what purpose means, what is genius, and how to stay on purpose.

From their own lives, they share actionable insights on self-leadership, how to uncover one's genius, the role practice plays in being in the flow, and the critical role of developing a growth mindset.

Topics Discussed:

• What is Authentic Purpose?
• Kronos Time versus Kairos Time
• How our brain behaves when we experience flow state
• Role of practice, attachment to purpose versus letting go of outcomes
• What is the default mode network versus the pre-fontal cortex?
• Neuroscience around the mindsets that help or deter us in continuing on purpose
• Fixed mindset and Growth mindset neuroscience

Resources Mentioned:

• The Element by Ken Robinson
• Building a Flow State: Creative flow as optimized processing: Evidence from brain oscillations during jazz improvisations by expert and non-expert musicians (Rosen et al., 2024) https://www-sciencedirect-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0028393224000393?via%3Dihub
• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset- Neural Correlates: The matter of motivation: Striatal resting-state connectivity is dissociable between grit and growth mindset (Meyers et al., 2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5040906/
• Default Mode vs. Executive Control Network: Default and Executive Network Coupling Supports Creative Idea Production (Beaty et al., 2015) https://www-nature-com.ccl.idm.oclc.org/articles/srep10964#:~:text=This%20antagonistic%20relationship%20is%20thought,of%20the%20default%20mode%20network
• Instagram handle - mindthegap.show and website www.coach4max.com

Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use some inspiration to find their purpose and live on it intentionally

Music by Jay Someday