Brain Resource Center

Two week challenge complete! ✔️

Thank you all for joining us. We hope you’ve enjoyed these activities for the past two weeks and that they’ve had a positive impact on your mental health. Our goal for this challenge was to not only encourage you all to prioritize your mental health but also to show you simple steps you can take to boost your mood and relieve some stress. We hope you adopt and regularly engage in these activities.

If you would like more serious and professional help for your mental health, please give us a call and visit us at the Brain Resource Center. We offer a safe space for you to voice your concerns/goals and collaborate with a neuropsychologist to create a personalized treatment plan. We treat a variety of conditions such as adhd, anxiety, depression, brain injury, brain fog, covid brain, fibromyalgia, insomnia, etc. Even if you don’t have any of these conditions, you can still visit us to optimize your brain function and performance. There’s always room for improvement and anyone with a brain will benefit from brain training.

☎️Call us at (212) 877-2130
📧[email protected]
📍Visit us on the UWS, NY

Declutter your space → declutter your mind

Having a clean space can have a significant impact on our mental health. Our brain likes order and organization. Clutter and mess overwhelms the brain and increases cognitive overload, thereby hindering our ability to focus and process information. It also decreases our efficiency at getting things done.

The last activity of our two week mental health challenge is to tidy our home. In doing so, we are taking control over our environment and creating a healthier space for ourselves. You don't necessarily have to deep clean your entire house today. Start simply with cleaning your desk or workspace and slowly tackle other areas of your home. A fresh start for the new month!

If you have pets, you already know this: their companionship enhances our mental health, improves our physical health, and enriches our lives. Interacting with animals boosts our mood and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.

Spend some extra time with your furry companions today! For non-pet owners, did you know watching videos of animals can have a similar stress-reducing and mood-boosting effect?

TGIF!
To celebrate your hard work this week, we hope you take the time today to do something fun! Too often, our hobbies are put on the back burner because we don't have enough time, we're too tired, or we don't feel like it's "productive."

But finding time for our interests and pleasures is an important part of maintaining/improving our mental health. Losing interest in things you normally enjoy doing is one of the first and most common signs of mental conditions like depression.

Engage in a hobby today or something that brings you joy. You deserve it!

Whether you're working from home or back in the office, a lot of us are spending the day being sedentary. Did you know sitting for long periods of time significantly increases your risk of many diseases and early death?

Even if you regularly exercise, it's important to reduce excessive sitting as much as you can. You cannot offset 10 hours of stillness with 1 hour of exercise.

We encourage you to be more conscious of how much you're sitting and finding ways to incorporate movement throughout the day. Every 30 minutes, get up and move your body for 5 minutes. Try stretching, taking the stairs, walking around, go on a coffee run, or even just standing. Our favorite activity is having an impromptu dance party! Play your favorite song and dance it out!

It's no secret that sleep is closely connected to our mental and physical health. There's a bidirectional relationship: sleep disturbances can lead to poor mental health → mental health conditions can exacerbate sleep issues.

But a recent study showed that going to bed one hour earlier and waking up one hour earlier significantly reduces your risk of depression.

In addition to improved mental health, better sleep can boost your cognitive functions (memory, learning, attention), your resistance to stress, your mental clarity and overall brain performance.

For today's activity, we encourage you to sleep earlier than you normally do, whether it's 30 minutes, an hour or two earlier, and adopt good sleep hygiene. Restorative sleep is vital to your health, don't sacrifice it!

The world can always use a little more kindness so today’s activity is to carry out an act of kindness. This can be as simple as giving a compliment, buying someone a cup of coffee, checking in on loved ones, making a donation, etc. However you choose to show kindness, the more, the better!

The act of kindness will not only benefit the recipient but you and your mental health as well. Practicing kindness can activate the reward/pleasure systems in your brain and trigger the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Plus, the release of oxytocin boosts our sense of connection to those around us.

P.S. Remember to be kind to yourself too!

Got the Monday blues? Try laughing!
Laughter really can be the best medicine. There are many health benefits such as reduced cardiovascular disease, increased mood, better memory, and even a longer life!

Go on and try to laugh today–not just a “ha ha” chuckle–but a deep belly laugh that’ll leave you in tears. Laughter is seriously contagious so it’ll be easier to laugh if you see/hear someone else laughing too. You can check out laughter yoga and classes, watch a funny video, or joke around with your friends.

In a digitally connected world, we know it’s nearly impossible to completely abstain from using our devices. So instead, we encourage you to reduce your screen time, especially on your phone. Spending excessive time on our screens means that we have less time to engage in healthier habits and behaviors that promote our physical and mental health. Take advantage of this Sunday to spend time with others, relax, and do something fun without your screens!

Often, we check our phones or mindlessly scroll simply out of boredom. Try being more conscious about when and how often you pick up your phone. Is there a reason you need to use your phone right now? Can you accomplish the task without using your phone? Do you have to bring your phone with you at all times? You can also set time limits on your apps–try your best not to hit the “ignore limit” button!

One of the best times to reduce your screen time is an hour or two before going to sleep. The stimulation and exposure to blue light can suppress your melatonin levels, prevent you from falling asleep, and reduce your quality of sleep.

Happy Saturday! Take advantage of the warm spring weather this weekend and go out for a walk! If you can, stop by a park or somewhere with greenery.

Studies show that going outside, being in nature, getting fresh air and sunlight can boost your mood and improve mental health. Walking reduces stress hormones and releases endorphins while also increasing blood flow throughout your body.

It’s a relatively easy way to get exercise, decompress, and clear your mind. Invite a friend to join and you can get a little bit of socialization too!

One way to optimize your brain performance is by giving your brain the nutrients it needs!

Try incorporating more brain-boosting snacks throughout the day. For example, blueberries, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, whole grains, hard-boiled eggs, etc.

As a bonus challenge: try making a brain-healthy meal. For instance, cook a dish that incorporates fatty fish (salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, etc), leafy greens, avocado, and/or olive oil. Your brain and your stomach will thank you!

Our brain has a negativity bias—we are more impacted by negativity than positivity. It's easier to notice negative stimuli and we tend to fixate/dwell on them. This is because, from an evolutionary standpoint, being more attentive to negative threats was a survival and safety tool.

But an overemphasis on negativity doesn't serve us well. It impacts our mental health, our cognitive functions, our performance, and our relationships with others.

One way to combat this negativity bias is by being more conscious about it and looking for the good instead. Give extra attention to the positive things, no matter how little they are. In doing so, you are rewiring your brain to give more weight to positivity than negativity.

Take a moment to think of a few things, people, or situations you are grateful for today. It’s best if you write them down on a piece of paper.

What went well for you today?
What are some things that you are grateful for but sometimes take for granted?
Who has helped/supported you recently?

We all know the benefits and importance of drinking water yet so many of us don’t meet the recommended daily intake!

75-80% of our brain is made of water so even mild dehydration can have a serious effect on our cognitive function and performance.

For today’s activity, we encourage you to be more intentional about increasing your water intake throughout the day.

If you want a bonus challenge, try drinking water as your only beverage today. That means no caffeine, alcohol, juices, etc. Let us know your experience!

Today’s activity is to call a friend. Sure, texting may be easier but calling/videochatting offers more meaningful connection and emotional support.

Studies show that having a strong social circle and support system is associated with better physical and mental health.

Take a moment today to call a friend and check in, catch up, or vent. We guarantee you’ll feel better afterwards!

Join us on our 2 week mental health challenge, where we participate in a different stress-reducing activity each day. We would love to hear about your experiences with each activity so please feel free to comment!

To kick off the week and our mental health challenge, let’s set some mental health goals.

Please set at least one short-term goal and one long-term goal in regards to your mental health. For example, what aspects of your mental health would you like to improve? What are small things you hope to achieve today, this week, or by the end of this challenge? Looking ahead, what are some larger goals you want to achieve in the next couple of months or by the end of the year?

How Neurofeedback Can Help You

Looking for a non-invasive, medication-free way to improve your brain health? Try neurofeedback!
It can help with long COVID, ADHD, anxiety, brain injuries and more.

How Neurofeedback Can Help You It may help with brain trauma, ADHD, long COVID, and dementia.

It’s !
One of our goals is to educate and encourage you all to prioritize brain health. This is more paramount now than ever before. With the right care, brain training, and therapy, you can get your optimize your brain for a happier and healthier mind & body.

Brain Resource Center is here to help you achieve better brain health and performance! Ready to start? Give us a call at 212-877-2130.

Covid Patients May Have Increased Risk of Developing Mental Health Problems

More research "strengthens the case that...COVID is leaving people at greater risk of common mental health conditions."
We encourage you to be proactive with your mental health. Give us a call (212) 877-2130 and let us help you take care of your brain!

Covid Patients May Have Increased Risk of Developing Mental Health Problems A new, large study found that in the year after getting Covid, people were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders they hadn’t had than people who didn’t get infected.

Sending you our warmest wishes for health and happiness this holiday season. Cheers to more brain health and wellness in 2022!

Surgeon General Warns of Youth Mental Health Crisis

"The United States surgeon general on Tuesday warned that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the challenges experienced by their generation, including the coronavirus pandemic."

It is paramount, now more than ever, to prioritize brain health and mental wellness. Please reach out for help if you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health issues. Call us at (212) 877-2130.

Surgeon General Warns of Youth Mental Health Crisis The coronavirus pandemic intensified a rise in adolescent depression, anxiety and mental health distress that was underway before the spring of 2020.

How Psychologists Can Help Treat Chronic Pain

Painkillers are not the only option for treating chronic pain.
There are other alternatives such as CBT and neurofeedback/biofeedback, which we offer at Brain Resource Center. These interventions can be effective at significantly alleviating and reducing pain.
Call us at (212) 877-2130 to schedule an appointment!

How Psychologists Can Help Treat Chronic Pain As doctors and patients worry about the effects of painkillers, therapists are finding they can be a powerful salve for suffering.

PTSD is a common mental health condition veterans experience when they return home. Brain maps reveal excessive cortical activation in the brains of those with PTSD. Essentially, the fear network in the brain is dysregulated and overactivated.

At Brain Resource Center, we use neurofeedback to retrain the brain and correct this overactivation. When used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy, many PTSD symptoms can be alleviated.

We thank all veterans, active service members and their families for their service and we are here to support you. Please reach out to us if you are experiencing PTSD or other mental health struggles.

Smart headbands claim to make people calmer. Do they work?

Neurofeedback is effective at reducing stress and improving brain function. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND visiting us, where you work with an experienced neuropsychologist to create neurofeedback protocols designed specifically for your brain.

We do not recommend using headbands like these and they are not a substitute for visiting a mental health professional.

"The headbands encourage people to work towards "norms" for an average brain...This can leave some people feeling over or under stimulated after using them - perhaps because their brains don't quite fit the 'average' brain."

Your brain activity is unique, your treatment should be too. Call us at 212-877-2130.

Smart headbands claim to make people calmer. Do they work? Devices that measure brainwaves are increasingly being used by athletes to improve their performance.

Mental health is an integral part of overall health and we strive towards the protection, promotion and restoration of mental health for all.

Brain Resource Center is a safe space for you to voice your concerns/goals and collaborate with a neuropsychologist to optimize your brain performance and improve your mental health.

Call us at (212) 877-2130 and let's embark on the journey towards a healthier and happier brain!

Perspective | Psychotherapy never cleared my ‘brain fog’ and mental health woes. So I tried neurofeedback.

"Before neurofeedback, my brain felt swollen and dim, as if submerged in a foggy cloud of confusion. The relief I got from neurofeedback was like a deep cleaning for my brain that I never got from traditional therapy."

"After completing about 20 sessions, I had another EEG scan that showed some real neurological changes from my earlier scan that gave me a sense of empirical and quantitative evidence for the subjective feeling I was experiencing."

Call us at (212) 877-2130 to learn how neurofeedback can help you!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/neurofeedback-brain-fog-mental-health/2021/09/17/d05e849a-e4e4-11eb-8aa5-5662858b696e_story.html

Perspective | Psychotherapy never cleared my ‘brain fog’ and mental health woes. So I tried neurofeedback. Most people, even many doctors, haven’t heard much about the treatment and it hasn’t been subjected to rigorous clinical tests. But it has given me relief.

How therapy, not pills, can nix chronic pain and change the brain

New research provides further evidence that medication-free, psychological treatment can significantly reduce chronic pain. The treatment involves rewiring neural pathways and training the brain, which is precisely what we do at Brain Resource Center.

CALL US TODAY AT (212) 877-2130.

How therapy, not pills, can nix chronic pain and change the brain A new, CU Boulder-led study provides strong evidence that a psychological treatment can provide effective and lasting relief for chronic pain, which affects one in five Americans. The treatment also appears to quiet regions of the brain that generate chronic pain.

One of the biggest misconceptions about concussions is that all you need is a few days of bedrest in a dark room and you'll be fully recovered.

Too often, concussions are brushed off as mild injuries that aren't worth going to the doctor for. But concussions—no matter how mild—are still a form of brain injury. For many, they can result in long-lasting, debilitating symptoms.

We're here to help. Instead of just waiting for the symptoms to go away, our active, individualized approach helps you recover and restore your brain to optimal functioning. Call us today at (212) 877-2130.