Thanks for stopping by. Below you can find more details on some of the steps from my Most Days routines. As a scientist I’ve always appreciated a deeper level of understanding and nuance, so if that’s what interests you too, then you’ve come to the right place. In general I’ve found that a lot of intelligent people don’t just want to be told a list of things to do, they want to understand why. And if you clicked on the link to get here, that probably means you.
And if you’d like to learn more about the routines, find out additional helpful steps, or even just understand the neuroscience behind them, then check out my bestselling book The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time. And for a more practical approach there’s The Upward Spiral Workbook. I also encourage you to sign up for my mailing list to get more useful tips, articles, and videos (to the right if you’re on a computer or at the bottom of the page if you’re on a mobile device).
Keep reading below for more helpful details on my Most Days routines. Enjoy!
Wakeup time and bedtime
Ideally you wakeup time and bedtime should be about 8 hours apart from each other. If that doesn’t work with your schedule though, that’s ok. The amount of sleep you get is less important than the quality of your sleep (which is affected by several other factors here). And not every needs the same amount of sleep. But if you’re getting less than 7 then you’re probably pushing it. But you can always experiment to see what works best for you.
You don’t have to go to bed at exactly the same time every night, but there should be a time you think of as your bedtime. It’s ok to vary a little bit on some nights, but you should go to bed at that time on most days.
Being consistent allows you to take advantage of your internal clock — your circadian rhythms. Your brain will release melatonin about 30 minutes before your bedtime, and if you go to sleep around that time then the sleep will be more restful and restorative than if you went to bed earlier or later.
Get some sunshine
Sunlight helps regulate your brain’s internal clock, and contributes to improved sleep quality. It’s particularly important to be in a brightly lit environment when you wake up so that your brain knows to start the day. And try to be in a brightly lit environment throughout the day, even if you can’t go outside. But if you can, take some occasional breaks to walk outside.
Practice gratitude
There are many ways to practice gratitude, but one of the most straightforward is a gratitude journal. Before you go to bed write down 3-5 things big or small that you appreciated about the day or that you’re glad are in your life. Maybe they’re things you did that day, or just things you have, or people in your life. It could be something you accomplished, or even just the fact that you had lunch. Don’t overthink it. Just write it down.
Importantly, it’s ok if these things don’t make you feel grateful. The goal is simply to acknowledge the positive things in your life. You can acknowledge that you’re glad you have running water, even if it doesn’t overwhelm you with a warm fuzzy feeling.
Research shows that practicing gratitude in this way makes it easier to experience positive emotions, feel closer to others, and even improve sleep quality. This is because affects numerous brain regions and chemicals, like key parts of the brain’s emotional circuitry and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
Another great way to practice gratitude is to write a thank-you letter. Explain what the person did and how you benefitted from it and how much it meant to you. Even if you don’t send it, you can still get the benefits of gratitude.
Accomplishing an item on your to-do list
Completing something, even a small accomplishment, releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which helps you feel good. Sometimes we have so much to do that we just end up worrying about everything we have to do and don’t actually accomplish anything. Even if you can’t do everything, you CAN usually do something, and that’s better than nothing.
More coming soon …
I’ll be adding more content, so check back soon. In the meantime, check out my TEDx Salon talk on strengthening brain circuits to build greater resilience.