Ready to begin or deepen your meditation practice? Join Dan Harris and world-class meditation teachers on the 10% with Dan Harris app here: https://app.danharris.com/membership --- To celebrate 10 years of this podcast, Dan sat down with two of the world's leading neuroscientists to compile a definitive, practical list: the top 10 science-backed things you can actually do to keep your brain healthy, sharp, and resilient. Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami and one of the world's leading researchers on attention and mindfulness. Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a professor of neural science and psychology at NYU and the author of *Good Anxiety*. Together they walk through all 10 tips — and the science behind each one. The top 10 tips they cover: 1. **Understand your brain can change** — neuroplasticity isn't just a buzzword, it's the foundation of everything else 2. **Meditate** — the three types (focused attention, open monitoring, loving kindness) and the minimum effective dose for strengthening attention: 12 minutes, four days a week 3. **Exercise** — 10 minutes of walking improves mood and anxiety; 45-minute aerobic sessions 2-3 times a week produce structural brain changes 4. **Sleep** — why you literally cannot biohack your way out of chronic sleep deprivation, and how to get more of it 5. **Connect** — loneliness is a biological stressor; social connection is one of the most powerful tools for brain health 6. **Stop multitasking** — it's a myth; what you're actually doing is task-switching, and it depletes your attention 7. **Practice meta awareness** — pay attention to your attention, moment by moment 8. **Harness anxiety** — how to turn your "what if" list into a productivity superpower, and why anxiety isn't the enemy 9. **Build mental white space** — why letting your mind meander (not just meditate) is essential for mood and problem-solving 10. **Believe your brain can change** — the difference between intellectually understanding neuroplasticity and actually living like it's true --- Subscribe to watch more 10% Happier videos: https://www.youtube.com/tenpercenthappier Follow Dan Harris on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/danharris/ https://www.tiktok.com/@danbharris https://www.facebook.com/DanHarrisABC https://twitter.com/danbharris https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-harris-91ba5716b/ --- Timestamps: 0:00:00 Introduction: a 10th anniversary special 0:01:00 Tip 1: Neuroplasticity — your brain is not fixed 0:04:00 The other way to hear this: I'm tired of optimization 0:09:00 Tip 2: Meditate — the flashlight, floodlight, and juggler 0:18:00 The minimum effective dose: 12 minutes, four days a week 0:20:00 Tip 3: Exercise — every time you move, your brain gets a bubble bath 0:23:00 The spin class study: what it actually takes to grow brain cells 0:25:00 How to stick with it: fun, short, communal 0:27:00 Tip 4: Sleep — the overnight neural maintenance your brain requires 0:30:00 Dan's father, sleep apnea, and dementia 0:32:00 You cannot biohack your way out of chronic sleep deprivation 0:34:00 Practical sleep tips: screen hygiene, wind-down rituals, sleep pressure 0:35:00 Tip 5: Social connection — loneliness as a biological stressor 0:37:00 Can loving kindness meditation reduce loneliness? The pandemic study 0:38:00 How meditation amplifies the benefits of exercise and sleep 0:45:00 Tip 6: Stop multitasking — it's task-switching, and it drains you 0:49:00 Tip 7: Meta awareness — pay attention to your attention 0:54:00 Tip 8: Harness anxiety — joy conditioning and the what-if list 0:57:00 Two-step move: remember why you care, then make an action plan 1:00:00 How chronic anxiety can damage the brain 1:01:00 Gratitude and generosity as anxiety reducers 1:03:00 Tip 9: Build mental white space — let the mind meander 1:07:00 Tip 10: Believe your brain can change — agency vs. understanding 1:09:00 Amishi's final word on neuroplasticity --- #neuroscience #mentalhealth #meditation --- This episode is sponsored by: **Gainbridge** — Guaranteed-rate financial products with no hidden fees. Learn more at https://www.gainbridge.com **Warby Parker** — Prescription glasses, contacts, and sunglasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier **BetterHelp** — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier