3d ago

Your Attention Span Is a Skill – Here's How to Train It

Think you've got no attention span? You're probably wrong – and this episode explains why. Adam and Andy are actionable neuroscientists – they take what we actually know about the brain and turn it into things you can do something with. Every week on One Brain at a Time they break down the neuroscience behind everyday life and make it genuinely useful. This week, it's just the two of them on attention. They get into what's actually happening in your brain when you focus, why it's genuinely hard work, and why an attention span is a skill you build – not a thing you're born with or lose. Along the way: where the real problem lies (short-form video, not "the modern world" in general), why kids have always struggled to focus, dopamine as a finite resource you can rinse in a single morning, why multitasking doesn't exist, and the simple, unglamorous fixes that actually work – starting with controlling your environment. New here? This is a good one to start with. Made it to the end and consider your attention span boosted. 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 00:49 - Just us two today 01:47 - Attention spans are under threat 02:26 - What attention actually is 04:37 - It's a skill – you have to work at it 07:20 - The real problem: short-form video 14:57 - Attention is a bundle of skills 19:15 - Dopamine: a finite resource 21:46 - How to build it: control your environment 28:51 - Multitasking isn't real 36:37 - 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. 📧 Email us questions at adamwright@aypuk.com. 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Jul 27

Two Brain Myths You Probably Still Believe

Are you a visual learner? Does your brain stop changing at 25? Short answer: no, and absolutely not. Myth Busting is back. Adam and Andy are joined by Andrew Wright – CEO of Action Your Potential – to take two of the most stubborn brain myths going and pull them apart. First up: learning styles. Why learning is automatic and happening to you constantly, why enjoying a format isn't the same as needing it, why the belief itself is the dangerous bit (say you can't learn that way and you won't), and why multisensory encoding is what builds a memory that sticks. Then the big one: the idea that your prefrontal cortex clicks into place at 25 and that's you, done. What neuroplasticity really is, what happens to the visual cortex when someone goes blind, why executive function is a skill you practise rather than a birthday present, how bilingualism can push dementia back a decade – and why "I'm just the sort of person who…" is one of the laziest sentences going. If you believed either of these, you're not an idiot. There's a kernel of truth in every myth, and being able to change your mind is one of the best signs you've still got one. Email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast --- Chapters 00:00 - Clip 01:01 - Who's Andrew? Action Your Potential explained 03:09 - MYTH 1: You're a visual / auditory / kinaesthetic learner 06:57 - The fish that only learned by ear (and died) 12:16 - Preference isn't limitation – encode it 3 ways 16:31 - MYTH 2: Your brain is finished at 25 22:36 - Going blind & the takeover of the visual cortex 24:02 - Executive function is a skill, not a birthday 27:43 - Bilingualism could push dementia back 10 years 30:32 - Changing your mind proves you still have one 34:15 - Outro (ft. the wet matrix) --- 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, AYP 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. 👀 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.atatime 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_brain_podcast 📬 Newsletter: https://substack.com/@actionyourpotential Written and presented by Adam Wright & Andy Feist. Intro music: "Happy Life" by Fredji. An Action Your Potential production.

Jul 20

She Did a PhD and an Iron Man – Here's How Her Brain Coped

What does it actually take to do an Iron Man – while finishing a PhD at the same time? In this episode, Adam and Andy sit down with the show's very first official SCPWILUT guest (Super Cool People Who I Look Up To) – Dr. Hannah Ashby – who completed one of the toughest Iron Mans on the circuit as her first ever triathlon, marathon, road race AND open water swim… all while wrapping up four years of PhD research into molecular virology research into MPOX (monkeypox). Mad. We want to hear from you! Email the show: adamwright@aypuk.com Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast --- Chapters 00:00 - Clip 01:39 - Intro & the 3 types of episode (ft. the SCPWILUT acronym) 02:54 - Meet Hannah: a virology PhD & a debut Iron Man 04:28 - What actually IS an Iron Man? 05:58 - Her first EVER triathlon, swim, road race & marathon 06:33 - Training 12–15 hours a week around a PhD 07:27 - Why do it? Proving beyond the limits of your capability 08:57 - The psychological battle vs the physical one 09:31 - Racing for your future self 10:21 - Goal setting: far, mid & near goals 14:01 - The time commitment nobody sees 16:58 - Habits, neuroplasticity & removing the second choice 17:59 - Start somewhere: brick by brick & self-kindness 19:23 - Rewards – how your brain actually builds habits 21:45 - Dr. Ashby & the micro-habits behind the title 24:29 - Andy's return to the gym: the barriers are LOUD 25:36 - Your brain isn't a happiness machine 26:07 - Just put your shoes on & go 28:01 - The streak trap: social media & habits 29:16 - Zoom out, zoom in: beating the overwhelm 30:37 - Why starting something new feels so isolating 31:33 - The PhD: what is molecular virology? (MPOX explained) 32:49 - How Hannah fell into it (ft. a missed grade) 34:07 - The right mindset beats the right skills 35:11 - Setbacks & why your path is meant to deviate 37:16 - The trap of dwelling on 'what could have been' 38:01 - Injury, losing your speed & rebuilding the love 38:43 - Resilience, self-belief & the next door 39:13 - What's next? Running up a mountain for fun 41:00 - The neuroscience of pain becoming pleasure 41:30 - 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. If you want to learn more about the work we do at AYP, you can find out more information on our website! 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.podcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Jul 13

Why Your Brain Shuts Down When You're Sick

What actually happens to your brain when you get ill? Turns out, far more than just feeling rubbish. In this episode, Adam and Andy are joined again by Hannah Warner Swann – to break down the neuroscience of illness, inflammation, and emergence. We get into why inflammation can cross the blood-brain barrier and shut your thinking down, what sickness behaviours are and why your body forces them on you, and why pain isn't technically a real thing – it's your brain making a very educated guess. We also get into consciousness as a controlled hallucination, depression as a biological defence mechanism, evolution and why you're not actually built for efficiency, and why diversity is one of the greatest strengths of the human species. Yah, it's a big one. 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 00:37 - Intro (ft. Hannah's back & talking slower) 01:23 - What is emergence? Mind, body & brain explained 04:13 - How neuroscience has changed in one lifetime 05:01 - The topic: what illness does to your brain 05:58 - Inflammation – your body's hand grenade 07:28 - How inflammation crosses into the brain 08:28 - Sickness behaviours – why you go quiet & withdraw 13:57 - Self-compassion & listening to your body 16:30 - Body and brain are the same thing 17:17 - Consciousness as a controlled hallucination 18:25 - Pain isn't real – it's a prediction! 19:02 - Depression as a defence mechanism 22:00 - Why we don't understand our own bodies 26:39 - You are a survival machine 27:03 - Evolution isn't about efficiency 28:43 - The two cavemen & stress 30:24 - Neurodiversity – everyone's brain is different 31:34 - 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. If you want to learn more about the work we do at AYP, you can find out more information on our website! 📧 Email us questions at adamwright@aypuk.com. 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.podcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 6

Waterstones Bookseller on What Reading Does to Your Brain (It's More Than You Think)

What actually happens in your brain when you read? Turns out, quite a lot! This week Adam and Andy are joined by Phil – senior bookseller at Waterstones Brighton – for a proper deep dive into why reading might be the most underrated thing you can do for your brain. We get into attention span, flow state, dopamine, empathy, why books almost always beat the film adaptation, and why it is absolutely never too late to become a reader. Phil also shares his own reading origin story – spoiler: it involves a newborn and a lot of sleepless nights – and drops some brilliant book recommendations along the way. Whether you're a lifelong bookworm or someone who hasn't picked up a book since school, this one's for you. Visit Waterstones Brighton: https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/brighton-clock-tower Listen to the 'Blabbing With Booksellers' Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/24wFbwqlIp9lpqYZjeKm8D 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 01:25 - Intro & waffle (ft. stalking Phil in Waterstones) 02:25 - Meet Phil — bookseller, actor, voice actor 03:04 - Why reading is so good for your brain 05:07 - Andy discovers books (better late than never) 07:12 - Phil's reading origin story — holding a newborn at 3am 09:30 - Reading as attention span training 12:05 - Flow state, escapism & why reading feels blissful 15:48 - The neuroscience of empathy & seeing through someone else's brain 19:31 - Books vs. film adaptations — why books always win 23:00 - Why reading feels passive (and why that's wrong) 24:28 - Dopamine, TikTok & why your brain wants the phone instead 27:30 - The satisfaction of finishing a book 29:10 - Brandon Sanderson, Stormlight Archive & deep character arcs 32:00 - Reading & mental health representation in fiction 35:44 - Why hyped books disappoint — the neuroscience of expectation 39:00 - Book recommendations from Phil 42:00 - It's never too late to become a reader 45:58 - 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. If you want to learn more about the work we do at AYP, you can find out more information on our website! 📧 Email us questions at adamwright@aypuk.com. 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.podcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production.

Jun 29

How Neuroscience Is Changing What Happens in Schools

What does it actually take to build a great school? Not just good exam results – but a place where kids genuinely thrive. This week Adam and Andy are joined by Mark Wignall, a former headteacher with 36 years in education, to talk values over rules, the attendance crisis, marginal gains in the classroom, and why understanding your brain might be the most important lesson schools aren't teaching. If you need any specific help with this, don't hesitate to email the show adamwright@aypuk.com We Read Your Comments!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:50 - Intro & waffle (ft. the heatwave & cold pan nonsense) 01:57 - Meet Mark Wignall – 36 years in education 02:53 - What Action Your Potential does & why small changes matter 05:50 - Mark's career journey to headteacher 07:00 - What makes a great school? 09:30 - Exam results vs. the whole child 11:20 - Building a school around values 13:38 - School as a community – it takes everyone 14:47 - Values over rules: building behaviour into the brain 17:09 - The kindness & compassion curriculum 19:50 - Marginal gains & the Team Sky parallel 21:14 - Does the 1% approach actually work in schools? 23:10 - Ofsted & why inspection misses the point 24:09 - The attitude shift — parents & schools 25:49 - Post-austerity & the collapse of support services 26:14 - The attendance crisis 28:00 - Why kids build up school in their heads (& how the brain does it) 30:01 - Neuroscience as an icebreaker — not a blame game 31:27 - What school actually teaches you (beyond the subjects) 32:00 - The power of doing things you don't love 32:24 - Emergence claxon 🚨 34:07 - 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. If you want to learn more about the work we do at AYP, you can find out more information on our website! 📧 Email us questions at adamwright@aypuk.com. 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.podcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 22

University Professor On How We Actually Learn Language (It's Not How You Think)

This week Adam and Andy are joined by Professor Jessica Horst of The University of Sussex to discuss everything from early childhood language learning, to gamification and how we actually learn the meaning of words. If you need any specific help with this, don't hesitate to email the show adamwright@aypuk.com. We Read Your Comments!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast -- 00:00 - Clip 01:08 - Introduction 02:25 - Meet Professor Jessica Horst (Word Lab, Sussex) 03:00 - Jessica's backstory & how she got into research 05:19 - Are kids actually word learning wizards? 06:43 - How word learning really works 08:07 - The moment Jessica questioned everything 12:05 - Associative learning & the giraffe example 13:56 - The role of intention & process of elimination 17:28 - Sleep, memory consolidation & learning 19:37 - The 12 Rocks & revision habits 21:13 - Retrieval beats multiple choice 23:52 - Gamification — helpful or a shortcut? 26:12 - Board games, board design & what actually works 28:26 - Researching kids — the creative challenge 31:03 - Storybooks, toys & getting kids to reveal what they know 33:06 - When should my kid say their first word? 36:33 - Variability, late talking & not panicking 38:08 - Language, isolation & why kids sleep so much 40:09 - What's next at the Word Lab 42:31 - 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. If you want to learn more about the work we do at AYP, you can find out more information on our website! 📧 Email us questions at adamwright@aypuk.com. 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.podcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 15

How Neuroscience-Informed Coaching Will Change Your Life

This week Adam and Andy are joined by Ian Swingler, Action Your Potential Strategic Growth and Quality Development Lead to talk about coaching – specifically how our neuroscience informed coaching can transform outcomes for everyone from students, to CEOs and kids. Find out more about our coaching on our website: https://www.actionyourpotential.org/ If you need any specific help with this, don't hesitate to email the show adamwright@aypuk.com We Read Your Comments!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= Buy us a Coffee!: https://ko-fi.com/onebrainpodcast --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:25 - Introduction to Ian 02:19 - How our neuroscience coaching works. 04:39 - How it helps in schools 07:49 - You can change your circumstances 11:56 - How we are perceived 17:52 - Empowerment through neuroscience (You have to want it) 21:29 - Why you need coaching 27:40 - We apply it – and you should too. 31:36 - Change your perspective 35:36 - What neuroscience WE'VE applied recently 40:45 - Outro (ft. Producer Dogs) --- 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. Subscribe today wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on Youtube. If you want to learn more about the work we do at AYP, you can find out more information on our website! 📧 Email us questions at adamwright@aypuk.com. 👀 Watch our episodes on our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OneBrainPodcast 📲 Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@one.brain.podcast 📲 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. Intro Music: “Happy Life” by Fredji (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvQ-5RCt9xs&list=PLfP6i5T0-DkK-1uhfhicxlQ2FJwbuA7uU&index=26). One Brain At A Time is an Action Your Potential production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One Brain At A Time

Your Attention Span Is a Skill – Here's How to Train It

Two Brain Myths You Probably Still Believe

She Did a PhD and an Iron Man – Here's How Her Brain Coped

Why Your Brain Shuts Down When You're Sick

Waterstones Bookseller on What Reading Does to Your Brain (It's More Than You Think)

How Neuroscience Is Changing What Happens in Schools

University Professor On How We Actually Learn Language (It's Not How You Think)

How Neuroscience-Informed Coaching Will Change Your Life

About

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One Brain At A Time

Episodes

Your Attention Span Is a Skill – Here's How to Train It

Two Brain Myths You Probably Still Believe

She Did a PhD and an Iron Man – Here's How Her Brain Coped

Why Your Brain Shuts Down When You're Sick

Waterstones Bookseller on What Reading Does to Your Brain (It's More Than You Think)

How Neuroscience Is Changing What Happens in Schools

University Professor On How We Actually Learn Language (It's Not How You Think)

How Neuroscience-Informed Coaching Will Change Your Life

About

Information