AYP Spike

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...

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. I...

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...

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 h...

This week Adam and Andy worries. Why we worry, how it can feel – and crucially what we can do to manage them. We also discuss why brains hate change, and how to deal with specific types of worries and changes – especially those you can't immediately solve. 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/...

This week Adam and Andy talk "optimization-maxxing" – the practice of controlling your life and environment to make sure that you achieve all your goals, be they fitness, academic or career. Is there neuroscience to back up this trend – and should Stephen Bartlett's omission about alcohol stop us as well? Full Stephen Bartlett Clip: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HgoTCKECHEM Diary Of A CEO Youtube...

This week Adam and Andy... are off! So enjoy this cut together of some key actionable neuroscience insights, along with some funny moments over the last six months. Think of it like 'That's what I call music', but for our neuroscience podcast! 👀 EPISODES FEATURED: Truthiness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT4cCoGjGrM Planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB6IA6ZNDM8 Self Improvement & D...

This week Adam and Andy break down how to build an effective sleep routine with sleep hygiene – and why it's VITAL you do. 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=g_rt06Ri8yc Sleep Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj6AIFOsIm0 --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:25 - Intro & waffle (...

On this week's episode Adam and Andy are joined by James Feist, a Postgraduate Associate at the University of Chichester to discuss everything from his PhD Research, and the daily habits and routines that help him get everything done. We Read Your Comments!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_rt06Ri8yc --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:25 - Intro & waffle (ft. James Intro & Marathon chat) 05:13...

This week Adam and Andy talk about the profound neuroscience effects of breakups and heartbreak. They discuss the nucleus accumbens, our brains models and how to move on from even the most devastating break up. 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=g_rt06Ri8yc --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip...

This week Adam and Andy are joined by fellow AYP Consultant Hannah Warner-Swann to discuss exam anxiety and how to overcome it through quick, actionable neuroscience. Watch the latest 'Comments Corner': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qNF-eWalZ0 Watch our episode on Music (also featuring Hannah): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeQphR6un7s Watch our episode on Learning: https://www.youtube.com/wa...

This week Adam and Andy talk through the neuroscience of self-improvement and self control. Comments Corner 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbIqbEE7V2k Adam's Marathon Vlog: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9s3IhjGpku4 --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:23 - Intro & waffle (ft. post Marathon injuries) 05:43 - DISCLAIMER: It's different for everyone! 06:16 - Overview (Striatum and Dopamine Systems)...

This week, Adam and Andy walk through Action Your Potential's famous 12 Rocks of Well-Being. Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od3V-YjttzA Watch our episode on Sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj6AIFOsIm0 Watch our episode on Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeQphR6un7s Watch our episode on Exercise, Social Health & Community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C...

Now this is a special one... this week Adam and Andy are delighted to be joined by Alice May Fontecilla from Run The Lanes (A social community run club) and the FMG Project (A charity supporting disadvantaged young-people through sport and exercise. Join as Adam, Andy and Alice walk through the profound impact movement and community have on our brains. Find out more about Run The Lanes: https://ru...

This week Adam and Andy do their utmost to make 'Planning' cool again – because your brain certainly needs it. We also discuss our uncomfortable MRI experiences, and debut another new segment! We Read Your Comments!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mjtkg0YuyA Read "It works because it's real. It has to be real.": https://actionyourpotential.substack.com/p/it-works-because-its-real-it-has --- Chap...

This week, after much teasing... Adam and Andy finally delve into just a few of the profound effects sleep has on our brain – and why you need to get more of it. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:18 - Intro & (ft. Show Updates and a possible retraction) 03:45 - Sleep Overview 05:10 - Salience v Repetition 09:29 - Sleep as a PED 13:03 - Memory 16:01 - Andy's Society Bits 'n' Bobs (and knick-nacks)...

This week Adam and Andy discuss the genuinely crazy neuroscience behind 'Truthiness' and why it's so so important that we manage what we are repeating to our brains. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 0:29 - Intro & Waffle (ft. Andy's amazing strength & 'being scienced on') 05:04 - What is 'truthiness'? 10:20 - What we tell ourselves 17:14 - What other people tell us 21:55 - Social Media & The...

This week, Adam and Andy discuss the neuroscience that underpins a lot of self improvement. From the striatum to the mesolyombic and mesocortical dopamine systems – we got it covered! --- Chapters: 0:00 - Clip 0:55 - Intro & Waffle (inc. Bonnie the dog!) 06:56 - Overview 12:16 - The Striatum (what even is that?) 16:19 - Prove it to yourself 21:10 - Dopamine (The Mesolimbic and Mesocortical Sys...

As Spring finally approaches, Adam and Andy are joined by AYP Coach Hannah to discuss the amazing impact that music has on our brain, and why it's so vital we listen to it every day. --- Chapters: 0:00 - Clip 01:10 - Intro & Waffle (inc. Giraffes?) 06:47 - Why is music good for your brain? 09:59 - Novelty 10:36 - Dysregulating vs Relaxing 13:52 - Music Tastes 15:23 - Crying is good! 23:00 - Mu...

This week – as February half term is behind us – Adam and Andy delve into the neuroscience of learning and how to build an effective study routine. --- Chapters: 0:00 - Clip 01:19 - Intro & Waffle 03:45 - Learning Overview 07:47 - Salience v Repetition 12:40 - Is your brain a muscle? 15:33 - Sleep 17:18 - Glutamate Buildup 20:07 - Study Motivation 23:40 - Habits & Rewards 28:00 - Outro ---...

Have human beings evolved badly for modern societies? In this episode, Adam and Andy debut a new feature – Comment Corner – and discuss the profound ways the society doesn't work with our natural biorhythms – and what we can do about it. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:12 - Intro & Waffle (ft. Valentines day & football... ) 05:30 - Comments Corner Debut! 06:54 - Should we have evolved better...

Social media is not a social health substitute! This week, Adam and Andy break down social health, social media and why it's absolutely vital for our brains that we maintain and put effort into fulfilling relationships with the people we love. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:56 - Intro & Waffle (ft. Weather hatred & Butlins) 05:20 - Overview 06:30 - Mental Health vs Social Health 10:07 - Soc...

The sad news is, your brain isn't 'meant' to be happy. That doesn't mean we can't be though. This week, join Adam and Andy as they breakdown what happiness is and how we can find pockets of it in every day. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 01:06 - Intro & Waffle (ft. fatigue & builders) 03:45 - Is happiness real? 07:57 - A cycle of cynicism vs an open mind 11:30 - Human's negative bias 16:05 - M...

There's a lot of woo-woo, guff and nonsense out there pretending to be neuroscience. Some of it even serves as the foundation for international blockbuster films! So today, with the help of our CEO – Andrew Wright – Adam and Andy debunk some of the most popular neuroscience myths. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Clip 00:47 - Intro & Waffle (ft. heavy sarcasm & weather chat) 03:01 - Neuroscience vs N...

On this bluest of Mondays, join Adam and Andy as they break down the myth of the 'most depressing day of the year' and how we can always change our brain, body and minds even when we are struggling. --- 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 th...