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Reclaim Your Brain summary

Name: Reclaim Your Brain
Rating: 4.3 (274 reviews)
Author: Joseph A. Annibali

Joseph A. Annibali

How to Calm Your Thoughts, Heal Your Mind and Bring Your Life Back Under Control

4.3 (274 ratings)

16 mins

Brief summary

Reclaim Your Brain by Joseph A. Annibali is a guide to conquering anxiety, depression, and stress with practical techniques and scientific insights. It helps us understand our brain, teaches us how to regulate our emotions, and encourages us to reconnect with the world around us.

Topics

Mental Health Stress Reduction

Table of Contents

Reclaim Your Brain
Summary of 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Take control of your life by better balancing your brain.

Do you sometimes feel that your brain is buzzing, or that you’re far too excited to focus on one single task? Do you feel driven by impulses, such as buying things you can’t really afford? Or do you suffer from bouts of depression?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then chances are your brain is out of balance. The human brain is a miraculous organ, yet it is easily disturbed ‒ anything from poor sleep, or overstimulation to painful experiences can upset its fragile balance. And basically, an unbalanced brain spells trouble.

In these blinks you’ll learn holistic ways to rebalance your brain and address all the things that might ail you, from random moments of chaotic thoughts to crushing self-doubt.

In these blinks, you’ll also discover

what Mr. Spock and your brain have to do with addiction;
why some students can do homework with a TV on at full volume; and
how to turn off your brain’s amygdala without surgery.

A healthy brain has a good balance between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system.

The human brain is probably the most complex organ in the world. Fortunately, you don’t need a PhD to grasp a basic understanding of how it works!

You just need to know two key areas: the prefrontal cortex, or PFC, and the limbic system.

The PFC, which is the brain’s most recently evolved region, serves as the control center. It’s responsible for complex tasks like organization, impulse control, motivation and problem solving.

The PFC is particularly important in managing negative thoughts and emotions, because it helps you analyze them. That’s why a well-functioning PFC is crucial to living a positive life. If a person’s behavior was guided solely by their PFC, on the other hand, they’d be like the Star Trek character Mr. Spock: perfectly logical and fully in control of all emotions or urges.

The second key brain area is the limbic system, the emotional center and one of the oldest parts of the brain. The PFC is tasked with keeping it under control.

The limbic system, also called the primal brain, is further divided into four main parts: the basal ganglia, the anterior cingulate, the amygdala and the thalamus. It’s responsible for our most basic survival needs, like escaping predators.

So when you encounter something threatening, like a lion, your amygdala sets off an alarm that tells you to fight it or run away: a fight-or-flight reaction.

These emotional reactions helped our ancestors survive, but they can go too far in the modern world. If your amygdala takes over your PFC, you won’t be able to calm down or think rationally. Negative emotions like anxiety and fear will take over instead.

So in order for your brain to function well, you need a healthy balance between your PFC and limbic system. Let’s take a closer look at how that can go wrong.

Every brain needs a unique amount of stimulation in order to work well.

Imagine a company that’s headed by an exhausted and overworked CEO, who can’t be fired or replaced. How could the company ensure the CEO stays awake? How about hiring a mariachi band to play in their office all night? That would definitely stimulate them!

That’s sort of how various factors stimulate different brain regions. A person with ADHD, for example, has an underactive prefrontal cortex. It needs to be stimulated, just like the CEO needs to be stimulated by the mariachi band to stay awake. That’s why people with ADHD seek out certain kinds of unusual stimulation.

Brain imbalances can lead to addiction, but motivational interviewing can help.

Have you ever craved alcohol when you felt overwhelmed, knowing it would calm you down? This impulse might seem benign, but it could over time turn into a debilitating addiction.

Addictions often result from brain imbalances. The author had a client named Jill who suffered from an overactive limbic system that left her constantly anxious and stressed. To cope, she smoked marijuana.

Mindful meditation can calm you down and helps to rebalance your brain.

You might be wondering: How can I rebalance my brain on my own? The good news is that you don’t always need drugs, but can balance your brain with mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a state in which you are conscious of your thoughts, your emotions and your place in the world – without judging yourself. You can practice mindfulness by taking the time to meditate.

Negativity is rooted in how the human brain is wired and manifests itself in many ways.

When was the last time you received an unexpected phone call and immediately assumed the worst? This isn’t unusual, as the human brain is hardwired to be more sensitive to negative stimuli.

The brain is divided into two hemispheres, each specializing in different tasks. The left hemisphere oversees logic and language, while the right hemisphere is more responsible for sensory experiences, such as looking at a photograph.

Challenge negative assumptions by writing down your thoughts and personal stories.

We all tell ourselves stories about who we are and what the world around us is like. Unfortunately, these stories are often negative and inaccurate.

Negative thinking has a big impact on how we view ourselves. The author had a client named Carl who struggled with issues of self-esteem and had problems with his job as an accountant. No matter how hard he tried, he was constantly disorganized, losing documents or forgetting to charge clients on time.

Improve your closest relationships by challenging the roles you and your partner play in them.

If your personal life plays out like a narrative essay, with beginning, middle and end, then relationships represent dramatic plot points in your overall story.

You and your partner have to play the right roles in this story if you want to be happy. People naturally play roles with their partner, which is fine – as long as the roles aren’t based on inferior or superior statuses.

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What is Reclaim Your Brain about?

Reclaim Your Brain (2015) is about how imbalances and quirks in the human brain can lead to serious problems such as anxiety, depression or addiction. These blinks explain the biological roots of these problems and what you can do to overcome them to get your brain back in check!

Reclaim Your Brain Review

Reclaim Your Brain (2015) is an insightful book that explores the powerful connection between brain health and overall well-being. Here's why this book is worth your time:

It offers a holistic approach to brain health, providing practical strategies that can be easily incorporated into daily life.
Backed by scientific research and personal anecdotes, the book sheds light on the impact of stress and lifestyle on brain function, empowering readers to make positive changes.
The author's engaging storytelling captivates and motivates readers, ensuring that the topic of brain health remains interesting and relevant.

Best quote from Reclaim Your Brain

If the limbic system is too strong and/or the PFC is too weak, you have an individual who is ruled by her passions and urges.

—Joseph A. Annibali

Who should read Reclaim Your Brain?

Students of psychology, psychiatry or general medicine
Anyone suffering from stress or anxiety
People in recovery or still struggling with addiction

About the Author

Joseph A. Annibali is the chief psychiatrist at Amen Clinics, located outside Washington, D.C. Annibali is also a leading expert in the use of single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) brain imaging in treating neuropsychiatric problems associated with Lyme disease.

Categories with Reclaim Your Brain

Psychology Mindfulness & Happiness

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