Building Your Best Brain

Sylvie Lahaie
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Self-Improvement

Using science, practical tools, cutting-edge research and human experience to empower you to have the healthiest and happiest brain. Tune in to learn the what, why and how to empower yourself to build to your best brain.

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    Ep 44 - The Part of Neuroplasticity Everyone Overlooks

    Welcome to Building Your Best Brain, the podcast where we explore neuroscience-backed principles to help you build resilience, regulate stress, and show up as the fullest version of yourself. It is an exciting time because we are starting on episode two of this new series on this podcast all about the balanced brain! Not a perfect brain that never comes across any obstacles but a brain that is flexible, resilient and able to come to a balanced place more easily.  Neuroplasticity is a big part of that flexible balanced brain! We are focusing on the most underrated part of neuroplasticity, your brain's ability to change and rewire, that literally no one talks about which is … patience!  We cover; What neuroplasticity is and is not  How neuroplasticity changes  How does patience play an important role  If you'd like to explore these topics further, join me for my free Pick My Brain webinar series, where we dive deeper into the neuroscience and practical application of these concepts and answer your questions live. Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to connecting with you in the next episode. Want to Go Deeper? Join me live for a free webinar by joining my newsletter and staying tuned for the next Pick My Brain session. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to discover where your brain is currently at—and what steps can help you move to the next level. Additional Resources   Ep 43 - The Balanced Brain Series: The Neuroscience Behind Bordeom    Ep 27 – The Stress Circuit You've Never Heard Of (But It Runs Everything)    Ep 17 - Brain FUNdamentals - What I Wish Everyone Knew  Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  2. Jul 9 ·  Video

    Ep 43 - The Balanced Brain Series: The Neuroscience of Boredom

    Welcome to Building Your Best Brain, the podcast where we explore neuroscience-backed principles to help you build resilience, regulate stress, and show up as the fullest version of yourself. It is an exciting time because we are starting a new series on this podcast all about the balanced brain! Not a perfect brain that never comes across any obstacles but a brain that is flexible, resilient and able to come to a balanced place more easily.  We are focusing on boredom! We cover; What boredom looks like in our brain  How to integrate boredom into your life  What do to when you resist boredom If you'd like to explore these topics further, join me for my free Pick My Brain webinar series, where we dive deeper into the neuroscience and practical application of these concepts and answer your questions live. Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to connecting with you in the next episode. Want to Go Deeper? Join me live for a free webinar by joining my newsletter and staying tuned for the next Pick My Brain session. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to discover where your brain is currently at—and what steps can help you move to the next level. Additional Resources Ep 42 — Four Lessons That Made Finishing My PhD Surprisingly Enjoyable  Ep 27 – The Stress Circuit You've Never Heard Of (But It Runs Everything)  Ep17 - Brain FUNdamentals - What I Wish Everyone Knew  Beaty RE, Benedek M, Wilkins RW, Jauk E, Fink A, Silvia PJ, Hodges DA, Koschutnig K, Neubauer AC. Creativity and the default network: A functional connectivity analysis of the creative brain at rest. Neuropsychologia. 2014 Nov;64:92-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.09.019. Epub 2014 Sep 20. PMID: 25245940; PMCID: PMC4410786. Baird B, Smallwood J, Mrazek MD, Kam JW, Franklin MS, Schooler JW. Inspired by distraction: mind wandering facilitates creative incubation. Psychol Sci. 2012 Oct 1;23(10):1117-22. doi: 10.1177/0956797612446024. Epub 2012 Aug 31. PMID: 22941876.  Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  3. Jun 24 ·  Video

    Ep 42 — Four Lessons That Made Finishing My PhD Surprisingly Enjoyable

    Welcome to Building Your Best Brain, the podcast where we explore neuroscience-backed principles to help you build resilience, regulate stress, and show up as the fullest version of yourself. Today's episode is a timely story from my own life: the journey of writing and submitting my PhD thesis in neuroscience. While this episode may resonate with anyone currently working on a thesis or major project, it's really about something much bigger. It's about the limiting thoughts we tell ourselves, the scripts we inherit from our environment, the beliefs that keep us stuck, and what it actually takes to move through overwhelm without burning out. In this episode, I share four lessons that not only made writing my thesis possible, but surprisingly enjoyable. My invitation to you is simple: choose one lesson that resonates and experiment with applying the accompanying tool in your own life. Pay attention to what changes. Chances are, your brain will respond differently than you expect. I'd love to hear what stood out to you. Leave a comment, question, or curiosity below. Reflection and discussion are some of the most powerful ways to deepen learning and create lasting change. If you'd like to explore these topics further, join me for my free Pick My Brain webinar series, where we dive deeper into the neuroscience and practical application of these concepts and answer your questions live. Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to connecting with you in the next episode. Want to Go Deeper? Join me live for a free webinar by joining my newsletter and staying tuned for the next Pick My Brain session. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to discover where your brain is currently at—and what steps can help you move to the next level. Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  4. Jun 3

    Ep 41 — Surprising Ripple Effect of Stress Regulation

    Welcome back to the Building Your Best Brain podcast! This week's episode is the final installment (for now) of our Inside-Out Brain series, where we've been exploring the science behind how our internal brain activity influences the people and world around us. We're ending on one of my favorite topics: the stress response. In this episode, we dive into how your stress response impacts not only you, but also the people around you in ways you may not expect. We explore how stress can spread through social interactions, how our nervous systems influence one another, and why learning to regulate your stress may be one of the most powerful ways to support the well-being of those around you. In this episode, we cover: How regulating your stress can help regulate the people around you What the stress response actually is Micro-expressions and how stress shows up on our faces Physiological synchrony and nervous system co-regulation Why your internal state influences your relationships more than you may realize Leave a comment, question, or curiosity below. Asking questions and reflecting on what you've learned is one of the best ways to deepen understanding and create lasting change. If you'd like to dive deeper into these topics, join me for my free Pick My Brain webinar series, where we explore these concepts in more detail and answer your questions so you can better integrate them into your everyday life. Have a wonderful day, and I look forward to connecting with you next time. Want to Go Deeper? Join me live for a free webinar by joining my newsletter and staying tuned for the next Pick My Brain session. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to discover where your brain is currently at—and what steps can help you move to the next level. Additional Resources Ep 37 – The Inside-Out Brain: Your Body's Hidden Influence Ep 20 – Chronic Stress & Your Brain: What I Wish Everyone Knew Physiological Synchrony Review Paper (The review paper is currently behind a paywall. If you'd like a copy, send me an email at hello@synapticsylvie.com.) Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  5. May 27

    Ep 40 — Thoughts as Broadcasts

    Hi curious friends, welcome back to the Building Your Best Brain podcast! This week's episode is a special one because it gives you a sneak peek into my free Pick My Brain webinar series. This session was a mix of live and previously submitted questions all centered around how our thoughts impact not only our own brain activity, but also the people around us. We explore the neuroscience behind thoughts, perception, emotional regulation, communication, and the subtle ways our internal world shapes our external experiences. If you are curious to get your questions answered, deepen your understanding, and learn how to integrate this information in a way that best fits your life, goals, and brain — I would love to have you join the next session. Add your email to be notified about the date and time of the next Pick My Brain webinar. Wishing you a lovely week, and I look forward to connecting with you soon for the next (and likely final) episode in the Inside-Out Brain series. Want to Go Deeper? Join me LIVE for a free webinar by joining my newsletter list for updates on the next Pick My Brain session. If you are looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to understand where your brain is currently at — and how to move to the next level. Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  6. May 12

    Ep 39 - Can People Feel What You're Thinking?

    Welcome back to Build Your Best Brain — where neuroscience meets real life so you can show up as your fullest, happiest, and most empowered self. We took a little break… but we are back and continuing our Inside-Out Brain Series — exploring the science of how your inner world shapes your outer reality. In today's episode, we go even deeper into one of the most powerful forces shaping your relationships, career, and daily interactions: your thoughts… and how they may be influencing the way others respond to you. This episode is packed with fascinating neuroscience, practical insight, and empowering tools you can apply to communication, leadership, family, finances, and beyond. In this episode, we unpack: How my own thought patterns have sabotaged presentations, opportunities, and career growth  What neuroscience reveals about neural synchrony, brainwave entrainment, and how our brains influence one another   Practical ways to use this science to your advantage in everyday life And most importantly… This is not an invitation to judge yourself. This is an invitation to get curious… and realize just how powerful you truly are. If this episode sparks thoughts, questions, or curiosities, leave a comment below. Chances are, if you're wondering it, someone else is too. Additional Resources:   Ep 36 – The Inside-Out Brain: How Your Inner World Shapes Your Outer World   Want to Go Deeper? Join me LIVE for a free webinar by enrolling in my newsletter list for date and time here. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to understand where your brain is currently at — and how to move to the next level. Curious about diving more into the neuroscience articles I mentioned? Here is the meta study for brain entrainment and Uri Hasson lab.  Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  7. Apr 16

    Ep 38 - How Beliefs Rewire the Brain (and Influence Others)

    Welcome back to Build Your Best Brain — where neuroscience meets real life, and where you learn how to actually use your brain to feel better, think clearer, and live more intentionally. This month, we're continuing our Inside-Out Brain series — exploring how your inner world shapes your outer reality. In today's episode, we take it even deeper… into the biology of belief — and how the beliefs you hold don't just live in your mind, but actively shape your brain activity, your body, and how others respond to you. Here's what we're getting into today: • A personal example from my own life on how my beliefs showed up in my dating life • The science behind the placebo and nocebo effects, and what they reveal about the brain's ability to create real physiological change • How classical conditioning wires beliefs into the brain over time • The specific brain regions involved when beliefs are reinforced or updated • How to begin building new beliefs using evidence-based rewiring, rather than forcing positivity This episode is really about shifting the way you relate to your beliefs and recognizing how much power they have over your reality.  Not by "faking it till you make it" — but by bringing awareness to what's already there, and creating a sense of lightness and openness around it. Because change doesn't happen through pressure — it happens through understanding. If something in this episode resonates, I'd love to hear from you — feel free to reach out or share your reflections. And if you want to go deeper, make sure you're on my email list for access to free live Pick My Brain sessions where we unpack your questions and apply this work in real time. Additional Resources:   Ep 27 – The Stress Circuit You've Never Heard Of (But It Runs Everything)   Ep 23 - Words can be Your Wand or Your Sword - What is the Difference in Your Brain?    Ep 13 - Stress is not all BAD for your brain and here is WHY Want to Go Deeper? Join me LIVE for a free webinar by enrolling in my newsletter list for date and time here. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to understand where your brain is currently at — and how to move to the next level. Curious about diving more into the neuroscience of the placebo effect? Here is a review paper that covers some of the studies we unpacked here.  Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

  8. Apr 7

    Ep 37 - The Inside-Out Brain: Your Body's Hidden Influence

    Welcome back to Build Your Best Brain — where neuroscience meets real life, and where you learn how to actually use your brain to feel better, think clearer, and live more intentionally. This month, we're dismantling the idea that we're powerless to our environment. We're exploring the inside-out brain — how your inner world shapes the outer one — and today, we're taking it a step further by looking at how your body influences the brains of the people around you. Here's what we're getting into today: • A real example of how my body state completely changed how people responded to the same behavior • What happens in the brain when we read someone's posture, tone, or facial expressions • How to use small shifts in your own body to influence your environment in a healthy, grounded way If something in this episode hits home, message me — I love hearing your reflections. And if you want deeper support, make sure you're on my email list for access to free weekly webinars where we unpack your questions live. And in the next episode, we'll dive even deeper into how to integrate this science into your day-to-day life so these concepts actually change how you feel. Want to Go Deeper? Join me LIVE for a free webinar by enrolling in my newsletter list for date and time here. If you're looking to improve your stress regulation, take my quiz to understand where your brain currently at — and how to move to the next level. Curious about diving into mirror neurons? Here is a review paper that covers some of the studies we unpacked here.  Let's Connect 📱 Instagram & TikTok — @synaptic.sylvie 🎥 YouTube — Synaptic Sylvie 🌐 Website — synapticsylvie.com

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Using science, practical tools, cutting-edge research and human experience to empower you to have the healthiest and happiest brain. Tune in to learn the what, why and how to empower yourself to build to your best brain.

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