3d ago · Video

The Neuroscience of Novelty – Why You’re Never Satisfied

Why does getting the thing you wanted never make you as happy as you thought it would? This week it's just the two of us on the sofa, digging into one of the most useful ideas in neuroscience: novelty. Your brain is a survival machine caught between two drives — it craves safety and routine, but it's also wired to constantly seek out the new. Understand that tug-of-war and you start to see it everywhere: in your goals, your spending, your scrolling, and in why "I'll be happy when…" is such a trap. In this episode we get into: – The safety vs novelty battle running quietly in your brain – Why it's neurochemically impossible to be happy all the time – How the "what's next?" instinct stops you enjoying what you've already got – Happiness as a skill: gratitude, noticing & "glad" journalling – How social media hijacks your novelty-seeking circuits – Why comparison is the fastest route to feeling worse If you're enjoying the show, the best thing you can do is subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. 📩 andrewwright@aypuk.com ☕ ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast –––––––––––––––––––– CHAPTERS 00:00 – Cold open – happiness isn't a destination 00:26 – Welcome back – clocks, gloom & winter 01:33 – Your body clock – the suprachiasmatic nucleus 01:54 – This week: the neuroscience of novelty 02:30 – Safety vs novelty – the brain's balancing act 03:37 – Why seeking newness kept us alive 04:30 – "What's next?" – why we're never content 05:33 – New trainers, new trousers & teenage status 07:00 – A Spurs-sized tangent (sorry) 09:33 – Why constantly chasing is damaging 11:27 – Ambition vs appreciation 12:40 – Your brain is not a happiness machine 15:00 – Happiness is a skill – gratitude & journalling 17:50 – Money, social media & comparisonitis 21:20 – Catch the thought & wrap-up –––––––––––––––––––– One Brain At A Time breaks down the neuroscience of being human — how your brain works, and how to work with it. Hosted by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Brought to you by Action Your Potential — Building Better Humans Since 2018.

Nov 2 · Video

No Ice Baths, No 4am: The Habits That Actually Work

Ever feel like the people giving you advice have it all figured out? This week, we pull back the curtain – and we really don't. Adam and Andy drop the "experts" act and get honest about the actual habits they're each working on right now – the ones going well, and the ones they still wrestle with. No 4am ice baths, no productivity-maxing, no manosphere nonsense. Just two people applying the neuroscience to their own messy, real lives. Adam shares how he's taken back control of his phone (every single notification off), and the brutally specific way he schedules his running, gym and study around dark, cold mornings. Andy opens up about shifting his perspective out of low moods using a daily gratitude practice (GLADEN), and the simple, achievable exercise rule that works precisely because it isn't punishing. Running through all of it: the idea that this stuff is hard, that we don't always get it right, and that the only thing that matters is the progress you make – with a bit of grace – every single day. Don't put anyone on a pedestal. We're all just working on it. We want to hear from you! Don't hesitate to email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcastChapters 00:00 - Clip 00:52 - Intro (ft. "are we AI?") 02:40 - Why we practise what we preach (no pedestals) 04:06 - We're not productivity-maxing (ft. Rob Beckett) 07:07 - Adam's problem: managing your phone 09:00 - The fix: turn off every single notification 12:10 - Andy's two: shifting perspective & exercise 12:47 - Gladden: the daily gratitude practice that rewires your bias 17:00 - A simple, achievable exercise rule (and why strict fails) 19:18 - Why noticing gets easier the more you do it 21:30 - Adam's fix: scheduling runs, gym & study around a busy life 23:30 - Plan it or it won't happen (ft. the Sunday routine sort) 24:50 - It's about consistency & grace, not perfection 25:57 - Outro This podcast will change your life, if you let it. Welcome to One Brain At A Time, an Action Your Potential podcast. At the top of your neck you have the most powerful processing device in the known universe. But no-one's ever told you how it works... until now. Each Monday, Action Your Potential consultants Adam Wright and Andy Feist strip away the jargon and break down the neuroscience into practical tools you can apply straight away. Entertaining, evidence-based, and 100% woo-woo free. That's a guarantee. Want to learn more about the work we do at AYP? Find out more on our website! 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.atatime 📲 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_brain_podcast?igsh=MTdxMmVvMndoeDNydg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 📬 Subscribe to the AYP Newsletter: https://substack.com/@actionyourpotential One Brain At A Time is written and presented by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Production from Adam Wright and Andy Feist. One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Oct 26 · Video

Why You Feel Anxious for No Reason

Ever felt anxious for absolutely no reason you can put your finger on? There's a good chance your brain is doing something called rumination – and once you understand it, it loses a lot of its power. This week Adam and Andy get into the neuroscience of rumination: why your brain replays old experiences, and why it drags the feelings along with them. Adam opens up about something that happened to him this week – sitting with friends, pizza, a great evening, and yet gripped by anxiety he couldn't explain. The culprit? A TV show (The Traitors) he'd watched the same time last year, during a hard patch. We get into why memories aren't just facts – they're snapshots of experience that store the emotional response too – why the same thing happens with the change of seasons or the anniversary of losing someone, and the role dreams play in quietly "sanitising" our most difficult memories. Most importantly: why noticing it is the first step, why you should give yourself grace rather than fight it, and how to process it in a healthy way instead of bottling it up. You're not crazy, and you're not alone. Everyone's brain does this. We want to hear from you! Don't hesitate to email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast --- Chapters 00:00 - Clip 01:04 - Intro (ft. a year of the podcast & the day-oners) 02:33 - What rumination actually is 03:30 - Models, uncertainty & why your brain replays the past 04:40 - Adam's story: anxious at pizza night (ft. The Traitors) 05:20 - Memories are snapshots – they store the feeling too 06:48 - Anniversaries, grief & why retired teachers still dread September 09:44 - Why it's so hard to spot in the moment 11:30 - Salience: why some memories hit harder 13:40 - Rumination, dreams & crying at 4am 15:43 - You're not crazy – and you're not alone 16:38 - What to do: insight, grace & talking about it 18:35 - Lean in, don't bottle up (maladaptive vs healthy coping) 21:34 - Outro --- This podcast will change your life, if you let it. Welcome to One Brain At A Time, an Action Your Potential podcast. At the top of your neck you have the most powerful processing device in the known universe. But no-one's ever told you how it works... until now. Each Monday, Action Your Potential consultants Adam Wright and Andy Feist strip away the jargon and break down the neuroscience into practical tools you can apply straight away. Entertaining, evidence-based, and 100% woo-woo free. That's a guarantee. Want to learn more about the work we do at AYP? Find out more on our website! 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.atatime 📲 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_brain_podcast?igsh=MTdxMmVvMndoeDNydg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 📬 Subscribe to the AYP Newsletter: https://substack.com/@actionyourpotential One Brain At A Time is written and presented by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Production from Adam Wright and Andy Feist. One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Oct 19 · Video

How to Run Without Breaking Your Body | The Neuroscience of Running ft. Joe Tinsley (Pt.2)

What does it actually take to run 100K through the night — and how do you do it without destroying your body? This is Part 2 of our conversation with Joe Tinsley — Brighton running influencer, ultra-runner and all-round lovely human. (If you missed Part 1, go back and start there.) This week Joe drops an exclusive on his next challenge, and we get into the stuff nobody posts about: injuries, overtraining, and learning to actually listen to your body. In this episode we get into: – Joe's next race: a brutal winter Backyard Ultra (6.7K every hour, through the night) – Why a bit of boredom is good for you — and the multitasking myth – The real physical toll of ultra-running – Managing injuries: Achilles, hips, knees & the dreaded fat pad – What pain you can run through — and what means stop right now – Interoception: tuning into your body's signals – Why running belongs to everyone, gatekeeping be damned Huge thanks to Joe for coming on — go give him a follow. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Joeruns Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_tinsley_?xtok=YTZ5ZDlkMGQwdmxm If you're enjoying the show, the best thing you can do is subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. 📩 andrewwright@aypuk.com ☕ ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast –––––––––––––––––––– CHAPTERS –––––––––––––––––––– 00:00 – Cold open – the real cause of running injuries 00:55 – Welcome back to Part 2 01:23 – Boredom, mindfulness & the multitasking myth 02:52 – Exclusive: Joe's next race (a winter Backyard Ultra) 03:23 – What on earth is a Backyard Ultra? 04:23 – Training for 100K+ weeks 05:27 – The real physical toll of ultra-running 08:14 – The messages that make it all worth it 09:08 – Adam's comeback & the comparison trap 10:47 – Managing injuries – Achilles, hips & knees 13:13 – What pain you can (and can't) run through 16:00 – Meet the fat pad & fatigue vs injury 18:48 – Against gatekeeping – running for everyone 21:28 – Proving it to yourself & goodbye to Joe –––––––––––––––––––– One Brain At A Time breaks down the neuroscience of being human — how your brain works, and how to work with it. Hosted by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Brought to you by Action Your Potential — Building Better Humans Since 2018.

Oct 12 · Video

Flow State, Dopamine & the Runner’s Brain | The Neuroscience of Running ft. Joe Tinsley (Pt.1)

What actually happens in your brain when you run for 16 hours straight? This week we're joined by the one and only Joe Tinsley — Brighton-based running influencer, full-time content creator, and the man who's racked up two 100Ks, a handful of ultras and back-to-back marathons this year alone (Berlin and the Manchester half in the same week… casually). Joe only started running two and a half years ago, after a mate bet him a pint he couldn't finish a half marathon with no training. He won the pint. The rest is history. It's such a good conversation we've split it into two — this is Part 1. In this episode we get into: – How a £3 pint turned into an ultramarathon habit – Why self-doubt never fully goes away (and why that's okay) – Flow state, and the two dopamine systems behind it – The pleasure–pain seesaw, and why the hard thing pays you back – How endurance rewires your sense of what "hard" even means – Executive function: the focus, attention & resilience running builds – BDNF, your brain's own fertiliser, and why movement makes you learn faster Part 2 drops next Monday — subscribe so you don't miss it. If you're enjoying the show, the best thing you can do is subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. 📩 andrewwright@aypuk.com ☕ ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast Check out Joe: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Joeruns Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_tinsley_?xtok=YTZ5ZDlkMGQwdmxm CHAPTERS –––––––––––––––––––– 00:00 – Cold open – 16 hours on the Isle of Wight 01:27 – Welcome ft. Joe Tinsley (& why it's a two-parter) 02:56 – Meet Joe – two 100Ks, ultras & back-to-back marathons 04:30 – How it started – the pint-bet half marathon 06:07 – Self-doubt & proving it to yourself 07:45 – Why the marathon is the victory lap, not the race 10:30 – Flow state & your two dopamine systems 12:12 – When flow doesn't come (intervals & the watch) 14:32 – Most runs aren't fun – but you feel good after 15:48 – How endurance rewires your sense of "hard" 18:29 – Executive function – focus, attention & resilience 19:29 – The pleasure–pain seesaw 21:14 – Running without music & the power of presence 23:05 – BDNF – your brain's own fertiliser 24:45 – Wrap & part two next Monday –––––––––––––––––––– One Brain At A Time breaks down the neuroscience of being human — how your brain works, and how to work with it. Hosted by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Brought to you by Action Your Potential — Building More Insightful Brains Since 2018.

Oct 5 · Video

Video Games Are Great – Until They're Not (ft. Game Designer) (Pt.2)

Gaming can be genuinely good for your brain – we said so last week. But there's a flip side, and it's worth talking about honestly This is part two of our conversation with game designer Pavel Tomasik (Mimesis Studios). If you haven't heard part one, start there – this won't make much sense without it We get into the cynical side of the industry: how some games (loot boxes, "ultimate team", free-to-play mobile titles) are engineered like gambling to hook your reward system rather than to be fun, and why kids should never be near that. Pavel makes the case for intrinsic fun (Minecraft, Lego) over extrinsic reward-farming, and we land on the real takeaway: balance. Games are a brilliant, safe space – Adam shares how they got a shy teenager through school – but they can't replace real-world connection, physical activity, or the awe you only get from touching grass. Everything in moderation. Even art galleries. That's it for Pavel (for now). Find out more about Mimesis: https://mimesis-studios.com https://indie.mimesis-studios.com https://www.instagram.com/mimesis_studios/ We want to hear from you! Don't hesitate to email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcastChapters 00:00 - Clip 00:34 - Recap & why we split this into two 01:23 - The caveat: games are designed to be addictive 04:45 - Why games are only interesting because of everything else 07:50 - You don't get awe from a game (touch grass) 08:11 - The cynical stuff: loot boxes, mobile & gambling 10:04 - Intrinsic vs extrinsic: Minecraft, Lego & real fun 12:00 - Everything in moderation (even art galleries) 13:08 - Games as a safe space – and its limits 16:32 - Adam's shy years & why you're not "just shy" 18:30 - Balance: why overdoing it kills the joy 20:41 - Meet Mimesis Studios & goodbye to Pavel This podcast will change your life, if you let it. Welcome to One Brain At A Time, an Action Your Potential podcast. At the top of your neck you have the most powerful processing device in the known universe. But no-one's ever told you how it works... until now. Each Monday, Action Your Potential consultants Adam Wright and Andy Feist strip away the jargon and break down the neuroscience into practical tools you can apply straight away. Entertaining, evidence-based, and 100% woo-woo free. That's a guarantee. 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.atatime 📲 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_brain_podcast?igsh=MTdxMmVvMndoeDNydg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 📬 Subscribe to the AYP Newsletter: https://substack.com/@actionyourpotential One Brain At A Time is written and presented by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Production from Adam Wright and Andy Feist. One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Sep 28 · Video

Can Gaming Be Good for Your Brain? (ft. a Game Designer) (Pt.1)

We spend a lot of time telling kids to get off the Xbox and do their homework. But what if gaming is genuinely good for your brain? This week Adam and Andy are joined by Pavel Tomasik – game designer and co-founder of Mimesis Game Studios – for part one of a two-part deep dive into play, gaming, and why your brain needs it more than you think. We get into play as a genuine brain need (it's one of our 12 Rocks of Wellbeing), why games are a uniquely safe space to explore ideas, roles and consequences, and why the decades-old moral panic about "violent games" quietly ignores how creative, social and profound gaming can be. Pavel gets into what games can do that no film or novel can – handing you real agency rather than passive watching – and we celebrate the narrative games that genuinely move people (It Takes Two, Split Fiction). Plus Adam's confession about the game designer he almost became, and the real friendships that games built for both him and Andy. Find out more about Pavel & Mimesis: https://mimesis-studios.com https://indie.mimesis-studios.com https://www.instagram.com/mimesis_studios/ It's a big one – so big we split it in two. Part two lands next Monday. We want to hear from you! Don't hesitate to email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcastChapters 00:00 - Clip 00:19 - Intro & meet game designer Pavel Tomasik 02:20 - Why your brain needs to play 03:15 - Games as a safe space to explore 07:00 - The moral panic about "violent games" 11:03 - What games do that films and books can't 15:40 - Narrative games worth your time 18:20 - The real friendships games build 22:17 - Gaming, escapism & genuine connection 23:55 - Outro (part two next week!) This podcast will change your life, if you let it. Welcome to One Brain At A Time, an Action Your Potential podcast. At the top of your neck you have the most powerful processing device in the known universe. But no-one's ever told you how it works... until now. Each Monday, Action Your Potential consultants Adam Wright and Andy Feist strip away the jargon and break down the neuroscience into practical tools you can apply straight away. Entertaining, evidence-based, and 100% woo-woo free. That's a guarantee. Want to learn more about the work we do at AYP? Find out more on our website! 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.atatime 📲 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_brain_podcast?igsh=MTdxMmVvMndoeDNydg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 📬 Subscribe to the AYP Newsletter: https://substack.com/@actionyourpotential One Brain At A Time is written and presented by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Production from Adam Wright and Andy Feist. One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Sep 21 · Video

Why Your Habits Fall Apart in Winter (And How to Fix It)

You built the habit over summer. Now it's dark earlier and the whole thing's falling apart. That's not a willpower problem – it's completely normal, and there's a fix. This week Adam and Andy get into something we usually skip over: not building good habits, but keeping them alive when the seasons turn and your whole routine gets upended. We get into why adaptability matters more than rigid structure this time of year, the difference between your non-negotiables (the things you protect no matter what) and your negotiables (the things that can flex), and why the trick is being flexible about when you do something rather than whether you do it at all. We talk sleep as the one habit to guard above all, why one broken routine can topple the whole tower, the winter vitamin D dip that quietly drains your motivation, and the single easiest change that takes the pressure off: making your goals weekly instead of daily. (70,000 steps a week, not 10,000 a day.) It all comes down to one word: sustainability. We want to hear from you! Don't hesitate to email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast --- Chapters 00:00 - Clip 00:59 - Intro (ft. the equinox & slipping into the darkness) 03:00 - Building habits is one thing – keeping them is another 04:40 - The power of adaptability (the opposite of what we preach) 06:04 - Summer freedom vs the return of structure 07:31 - Give yourself grace: everyone's finding their feet 09:00 - Why neuroscience shouldn't feel robotic 10:11 - Sleep: the one rock of wellbeing to guard above all 16:09 - Non-negotiables vs negotiables 18:18 - Flexibility in WHEN, not whether 19:00 - Andy's non-negotiables 23:32 - Don't let one broken habit topple the whole tower 28:40 - Winter, less sunlight & the vitamin D / dopamine dip 31:38 - Sustainability & consistency are what actually matter 34:31 - Outro (ft. Big Granola, please sponsor us) --- This podcast will change your life, if you let it. Welcome to One Brain At A Time, an Action Your Potential podcast. At the top of your neck you have the most powerful processing device in the known universe. But no-one's ever told you how it works... until now. Each Monday, Action Your Potential consultants Adam Wright and Andy Feist strip away the jargon and break down the neuroscience into practical tools you can apply straight away. Entertaining, evidence-based, and 100% woo-woo free. That's a guarantee. Want to learn more about the work we do at AYP? Find out more on our website! 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.atatime 📲 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_brain_podcast?igsh=MTdxMmVvMndoeDNydg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr 📬 Subscribe to the AYP Newsletter: https://substack.com/@actionyourpotential One Brain At A Time is written and presented by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Production from Adam Wright and Andy Feist. One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

One Brain At A Time

The Neuroscience of Novelty – Why You’re Never Satisfied

No Ice Baths, No 4am: The Habits That Actually Work

Why You Feel Anxious for No Reason

How to Run Without Breaking Your Body | The Neuroscience of Running ft. Joe Tinsley (Pt.2)

Flow State, Dopamine & the Runner’s Brain | The Neuroscience of Running ft. Joe Tinsley (Pt.1)

Video Games Are Great – Until They're Not (ft. Game Designer) (Pt.2)

Can Gaming Be Good for Your Brain? (ft. a Game Designer) (Pt.1)

Why Your Habits Fall Apart in Winter (And How to Fix It)

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One Brain At A Time

Episodes

The Neuroscience of Novelty – Why You’re Never Satisfied

No Ice Baths, No 4am: The Habits That Actually Work

Why You Feel Anxious for No Reason

How to Run Without Breaking Your Body | The Neuroscience of Running ft. Joe Tinsley (Pt.2)

Flow State, Dopamine & the Runner’s Brain | The Neuroscience of Running ft. Joe Tinsley (Pt.1)

Video Games Are Great – Until They're Not (ft. Game Designer) (Pt.2)

Can Gaming Be Good for Your Brain? (ft. a Game Designer) (Pt.1)

Why Your Habits Fall Apart in Winter (And How to Fix It)

About

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