🔋Do You Believe These 10 Brain Myths? (ATP#25)

I love listicles. They’re easy to skim, have a clear structure, and provide a ton of information.

For today’s newsletter, it’s time to revisit the listicle format!

Here are 10 claims about the brain, fact-checked by a neuroscientist (yours truly).

Let’s dive in!

1. “I have a shorter attention span than a goldfish.”

This claim is scientifically unfounded. There’s no evidence that human attention spans have shortened.

What’s true: attention is and has always been limited. The problem is that with the presence of digital devices, we’ve fundamentally changed how we use it: We switch between tasks, notifications, browser tabs, and apps all the time.

What appears to be a shortened attention span is actually a result of bad habits that make it more difficult to focus on tasks.

The good news? You can retrain your attention. It’s hard, but it’s possible.

Try:

• 1 task at a time

• No distractions

• Phone in another room

2. “I need supplement x to boost my brain function.”

Let’s face it: Many supplements are a waste of money. Some might be beneficial, such as vitamin B12 for vegans or vitamin D for those who struggle to get enough natural sunlight.

However, most are not useful, and they won’t suddenly boost your brain function. I once heard the claim that most supplements are just expensive pee 😂, and it’s often true. The solution to better brain function can be much simpler, with one key aspect being your hydration levels.

Your brain is over 70% water, and even mild dehydration slows thinking, memory, and affects your mood.

Start there before wasting money on pills.

3. “I’ll sleep less to get more done.”

Sleep influences everything: memory, attention, decision-making, emotion regulation, appetite, and more. Plus: While asleep, your brain cleans itself to stay healthy, which could be key to preventing dementia and other problems.

Sacrificing sleep to get more done may work in the very short run, but in the end, it makes you LESS productive, not more. It just isn’t worth it.

4. “Stress is bad for me.”

Stress isn't inherently bad (or good).

The interesting thing about acute stress is that it has effects like energizing you or narrowing your focus. Mild to moderate stress is beneficial and helps you achieve optimal performance.

The key is viewing stress as energizing and enhancing rather than threatening. Studies on "stress-is-enhancing" mindsets show that viewing stress as beneficial rather than harmful can improve performance and reduce the adverse health effects of stress.

Still, chronic and excessive stress remains harmful and must be managed.

5. “I won’t leave my desk until I solve this problem.”

Bad idea. Breakthroughs often come after walking away.

Why? Taking breaks enhances creative problem-solving through your brain’s default mode network (DMN). The DMN becomes active during rest and mind-wandering, facilitating insight and creative breakthroughs.

Try:

• A walk

• A nap

• A shower

• Doing something “boring” or daydreaming

Walking away is a form of moving forward.

And especially walking has been shown to boost creative thinking.

6. “Health = nutrition + exercise + sleep.”

They’re essential, but one pillar is missing: social connection.

It’s one of the strongest predictors of long-term brain health, as shown by an influential meta-analysis. According to the results, loneliness is as risky as smoking up to 15 cigarettes/day.

Be aware, though: Loneliness and being alone are different things.

• Someone can be alone but not feel lonely.

• Someone can feel lonely and socially disconnected, although they’re surrounded by people.

What matters is the subjective feeling of loneliness and isolation.

7. “Comfort foods make me happy.”

In the very short term, they do. Comfort foods quickly activate your brain’s dopamine reward pathways and make you feel good.

But in the long term, they make you miserable. Studies show that regular consumption of highly processed foods is associated with increased depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction. Plus: The initial rewarding effects diminish over time due to increased tolerance.

8. “If it scares me, I shouldn’t do it.”

Fear is a survival mechanism. It’s your brain trying to keep you safe, but it can also hold you back from growth.

Not all fear reactions are signals to stop. They're signals to pay attention.

If you want to grow rather than only survive, you must step out of your comfort zone, even if it’s scary.

9. “Positive vibes only!!!”

When negative emotions must be suppressed, it’s called “toxic positivity”. That’s very different from real, genuine positivity and enjoyment.

Suppressing negative emotions has devastating health consequences:

• Short-term: Your body overreacts to stress.

• Long-term: Increased risk of anxiety, depression, & heart disease.

Research supports that accepting and processing negative emotions, rather than suppressing them, leads to better psychological and physical health outcomes.

10. “Multitasking makes me hyperproductive!”

No, it doesn’t. You can't do more than one cognitive task at a time. The human brain isn’t capable of that.

What feels like multitasking is actually rapid task switching. The switches are so quick that it feels like you’re doing several tasks at once, but you’re not.

And: Each switch costs you cognitive resources and depletes them more quickly than when you focus on a single task. Task-switching increases errors, reduces efficiency, and accelerates cognitive fatigue.

Single-tasking wins, every time.

Wrapping up

Brain myths spread because they sound catchy. But science tells a different story. Be careful about what claims you believe in!

That’s it for today!

And now?

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Until next time!

Best wishes,

Patricia (Dr. Schmidt) from creatorschmidt.com.

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Ok, and writing this P.S. just reminded me of this song: 😉