The following resources for informational purposes only. They are not intended to replace professional advice or care. Please ask your health provider (therapist, physician, nutritionist, etc) to make sure the ideas below are right for you.
Positive Psychology is the branch of psychology studying how people thrive. The link below will take you to an online Positive Psychology class by Tal Bin Shahar, PhD at Harvard University, Open Course, teaching the concepts and application of this field.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg9esVacXkzYczOgcGpf5Iji38-BVQ1zs&si=zI4k2fxic5rsQFHy
Thinking of your personality as a system of parts is an intuitive way to notice and work with our difficult thoughts, feelings, urges. An example of this is a part of us that may crave chocolate, and another part criticizing it for this. Each part likely has its own thoughts, feeling, and urges. Or you many have felt a powerful part of you that is wise, compassionate, skillful, and courageous, even in difficult, overwhelming situations. Although I don't do therapy or work with trauma, I find this vocabulary and concept effective in coaching.
Richard Schwartz is the pioneer of Internal Family Systems (IFS) model and author of self-help book:
Below is a link to a video explaining the vocabulary and concepts of parts in IFS.
Mindfulness meditation can strengthen our ability to remain in a grounded, calm, and clear state of mind, even when we feel pain, chaotic, and distressed. This state of mind can enable us to respond to the most difficult experiences with our wisest self. It can also activate the parasympathetic system, which helps our body and mind recover, rejuvenate, and relieve pain.
Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn is the pioneer of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and author of self-help books such as:
Below is a link to a mindfulness meditation by Jon Kabat Zinn.
As humans, we have the ability to regulate each others emotions. An example of this is when a child is crying and the mother holds and soothes the child. This ability can be turned inward, by noticing and attending to our own difficult emotions.
Chris Germer is the pioneer and author of the self-help book:
Below is a link to a Mindfulness Self Compassion meditation on working with difficult emotions by Chris Germer.
https://youtu.be/cD1sW115w5w?si=B8I2cHIan-BJXUq4
The link below is to a questionnaire to see how much Mindfulness Self Compassion you already possess.
The following video's are interviews of experts on how to improve our brain with inexpensive or free widely accessible tools. Andrew Huberman and Steven Bartlett are two of my favorite hosts for the wide range of experts from different academic disciplines.
Nutrition Source, at Harvard University is a leading authority on food and nutrition knowledge, providing science-based guidance for healthy living. It is a good source of comprehensive nutrition information through timely articles and FAQ’s, while recipes and tools, including The Healthy Eating Plate, facilitate the translation of food and nutrition knowledge into daily practice. They appear to be independent, clear, and unbiased content—free from industry influence or support.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/
Fasting - Satchin Panda PhD, Regulatory Biology Laboratories at Stalk Institute for Biological Sciences discusses how intermittent fasting (Time Restricted Fasting) to improve health, mood, cognitive performance, and longevity.
https://youtu.be/7R3-3HR6-u4?si=cHji-eThUWzIwZJa
Sugar Spikes & Brain Pathology - Christopher Palmer MD, Harvard Psychiatrist describes his observation that a high sugar diet (frequent glucose spikes) are associated with mood and cognitive disorders, I don't advocate ketosis as he does, but do advocate eating a minimally processed diet with carbs that have a low to moderate glycemic load.
https://youtu.be/3GVInaBCn_c?si=9erTcRcjs7jj_mTB
Glycemic Load - Table of foods and their glycemic loads by Oregon State University, Micronutrient Information Center
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/glycemic-index-glycemic-load#glycemic-load
Cardio Exercise Improves Learning & Memory - Andrew Huberman, PhD, Neuroscientist at Stanford.
https://youtu.be/f1QrZlfOTWE?si=5AcsdcDgd6eer_hr
Cardio Workout - Here is a full body cardio workout for home by Caronline Girvan. You just need a mat and sneakers. For me, it is great way to improve mood and energy when I don't feel like going to the gym. Please use discretion, smaller range of motion, and listen to your body to prevent injuries.
https://youtu.be/kZDvg92tTMc?si=GY2BsmIVKsYClbFD
Sleep - According to Mathew Walker, PhD, sleep researcher at the University of California Berkley, adequate and quality sleep is the biggest attenuator of aging and brain disorders. Below is a link to his recommendations on how to do this.
Below are free or inexpensive psychological tests you can take to learn more about yourself. The list is continuously updated.
Personality Tests
Big 5 - https://bigfive-test.com/
As a source of intellectual-enrichment, here are free lectures from some of the worlds best universities by some of the most brilliant minds.
Harvard University - https://pll.harvard.edu/catalog/free
Stanford University - https://online.stanford.edu/free-courses
Yale University - https://oyc.yale.edu/courses
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - https://ocw.mit.edu/search/?f=Lecture%20Videos
University of California Los Angeles - https://www.youtube.com/@UCLACourses/playlists
University of California Irvine - https://www.youtube.com/@UCIOpen/playlists
Howard Hughes Medical Institute - https://www.youtube.com/@biointeractive/playlists
University College London - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/events/medical-sciences-lecture-series