AN OPEN MYND
This is An Open MYND — MY(NDY's) blog where neuroscience meets real talk, and nobody's asking you to meditate on a mountaintop. I write about the messy, funny, human side of mental fitness and the science behind how you can make your brain work for you, not against you.
Prefer to watch instead of read? Catch me on YouTube at Your Brain, Explained, where I break it all down one episode at a time.
The Moving Day Survival Guide: How to Brain-Hack Your Way Through Stress
We moved from Philly to South Carolina in seven days during a snowstorm. While pregnant. And we didn't just survive, we thrived. The secret? We treated ourselves like Bernadoodles named Potato. Here is the science of why "Self-Bribery" is actually your best Mental Fitness tool.
Win the Moment: A Better Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions for Mental Fitness
New Year’s resolutions often feel overwhelming and hard to sustain. This post introduces a simpler, more effective approach: “Win the Moment.” By focusing on one small, intentional action at a time, you can reduce pressure, build mental fitness, and create real momentum that lasts beyond January.
Survival Mode vs. Thriving: How to Take Back Control of Your Mind
Your brain is wired to survive, but you’re capable of so much more. This post explores how, even in stressful or uncertain moments, mental fitness helps you consciously choose your emotions, shift your mindset, and move from simply surviving to truly thriving.
AI and Mental Fitness: How to Get Your Head Around This Thing!
AI is changing how we think, work, and learn, but how do you actually make sense of it? This post breaks down AI through the lens of mental fitness, helping you move past overwhelm, understand its real impact, and use it as a tool for growth instead of fear.
The Ultimate Wish List = Facts + Emotions!?
What if your wish list isn’t just about what you want, but how you want to feel? This post explores the powerful connection between facts and emotions, showing how combining both can improve decision-making, build mental fitness, and help you create a life that actually feels good—not just looks good.
How MYNDY Started: My Obsession With a Problem
What starts as frustration can turn into obsession, and eventually, innovation. This post shares the story behind MYNDY, exploring how a personal struggle with focus, stress, and ineffective solutions led to building a new approach to mental fitness that actually works in real life.
The Skier’s Dilemma.
What do you do when you’re halfway through something hard and want to quit? This story-driven post explores the “Skier’s Dilemma”, those moments of fear, self-doubt, and pressure, and how mental fitness helps you stay calm, rebuild confidence, and keep moving forward when it matters most.
Conquer Your To-Do List: Less Stress, More Action!
Your to-do list might be stressing you out more than helping you. This post breaks down the hidden psychology behind unfinished tasks and shows how a simple, focused system can reduce overwhelm, improve mental fitness, and help you take meaningful action every day.
Don't Let "Ghosts" Haunt Your Life: Making the Invisible, Visible!
We all have “ghosts”—the invisible thoughts, emotions, and communication gaps that quietly shape our lives. This post explores how mental fitness helps you make the invisible visible, so you can better understand yourself, improve relationships, and stop letting hidden patterns run the show.
If we’re doing life correctly, do we need vacation?
Do we really need vacations, or are they just a temporary fix for a life that’s out of balance? This post explores the real benefits of taking time off, from boosting creativity to reducing stress, while challenging the idea that a once-a-year break can replace a consistent mental fitness practice.