229: Dr. Adam Gazzaley: How To Stay Focused In the Digital Age Of Distraction

Have you ever entered a room and forgot what you went in there for? Or opened your refrigerator and forgot what you needed? In today's episode with Dr. Adam Gazzaley we explore the science behind why this happens and how you can take cognitive control of your brain to improve your attention, working memory, goal management and productivity as he discusses his book: The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World. Listen now for more!     Brief Bio: Dr. Adam Gazzaley obtained an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, completed Neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and postdoctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at University of California, Berkeley. He is now Professor in Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco and the Founder / Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center engaged in technology creation and scientific research. He designs and develops novel brain assessment and optimization tools to impact education, wellness, and medicine practices. His research and perspectives have been consistently profiled in high-impact media, such as The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Discover, Wired, PBS, NPR, CNN and NBC Nightly News. He wrote and hosted the nationally televised PBS special "The Distracted Mind with Dr. Adam Gazzaley", and co-authored with Dr. Larry Rosen the MIT Press book: "The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World". Dr. Gazzaley has received many awards and honors, most recently the 2015 Society for Neuroscience – Science Educator Award.   In this episode, you'll learn: Why self-help is not enough (09:57)   How our brains can stop us from achieving our goals (14:08) Understanding working memory (16:30) 5 ways to reduce social media distractions and be more productive (25:30) The truth behind technology and its effect on the brain (31:43) 5 Pillars of brain health (37:41) The benefits of stepping outside your comfort zone (50:06) Why it is okay to be bored (54:25) How to be less dependent on your smartphone (58:37)   Resources: The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World  MIT Press   Connect with Adam: Website Twitter   Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. If you have any questions (or would like answers to hear previously submitted voicemail questions!), head on over to the ASK TED section. If you're tired of following a fitness routine, eating healthier foods, and not be seeing the weight come off the way you hope, take my FREE Quiz now and find out how to fix that today. Until next time! Ted