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@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How to Train Your Brain To Shut Off Negativity #neuroscientist #negativity #brainpower #rajshamani #figuringout
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drsaharyousef
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How to Train Your Brain To Shut Off Negativity #neuroscientist #negativity #brainpower #rajshamani #figuringout
Comment ‘BRAIN’ and we’ll personally DM you the full conversation. Could you go one full day without checking your phone? In today’s episode, we sit down with @drsaharyousef cognitive neuroscientist at UC Berkeley for a practical, science-backed conversation on how to train a sharper, calmer, more focused brain. Here’s what we discussed: -Why Your Phone Makes You Less Focused: How simply having your phone nearby can affect your attention, even when you aren’t using it. -The Myth of Multitasking: Why constantly switching between tasks can hurt your focus and productivity. -Why You’re Always Busy but Never Done: The hidden habits that keep you occupied without helping you make meaningful progress. -How to Stop Burning Out: Sahar’s 3-break framework for working with your brain instead of constantly pushing against it. -The Impact of Short-Form Scrolling: How excessive scrolling may affect attention, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. Catch the full episode here: YouTube Channel: Raj Shamani Spotify Channel: Raj Shamani Figuring Out Until then, keep figuring out! 🚀 #rajshamani #figuringout
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Comment ‘BRAIN’ and we’ll personally DM you the full conversation. Could you go one full day without checking your phone? In today’s episode, we sit down with @drsaharyousef cognitive neuroscientist at UC Berkeley for a practical, science-backed conversation on how to train a sharper, calmer, more focused brain. Here’s what we discussed: -Why Your Phone Makes You Less Focused: How simply having your phone nearby can affect your attention, even when you aren’t using it. -The Myth of Multitasking: Why constantly switching between tasks can hurt your focus and productivity. -Why You’re Always Busy but Never Done: The hidden habits that keep you occupied without helping you make meaningful progress. -How to Stop Burning Out: Sahar’s 3-break framework for working with your brain instead of constantly pushing against it. -The Impact of Short-Form Scrolling: How excessive scrolling may affect attention, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. Catch the full episode here: YouTube Channel: Raj Shamani Spotify Channel: Raj Shamani Figuring Out Until then, keep figuring out! 🚀 #rajshamani #figuringout
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About What Happened When She Tested Raj’s Brain Focus #brainfocus #multitasking #neuroscience #rajshamani #figuringout
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drsaharyousef
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About What Happened When She Tested Raj’s Brain Focus #brainfocus #multitasking #neuroscience #rajshamani #figuringout
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About What’s Different Between Your Brain And A Billionaire’s Brain? #neuroscience #billionairebrain #rajshamani #figuringout #podcast
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@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About What’s Different Between Your Brain And A Billionaire’s Brain? #neuroscience #billionairebrain #rajshamani #figuringout #podcast
Are you watching this on the toilet? I can’t believe I’m typing this, but a 24 year old man scrolled for 30 minutes, stood up, and collapsed. He's now paralyzed!!! Doctors are calling it BATHROOM SCROLL SYNDROME. I can’t make this stuff up. This is ridiculous. Stop taking your phone to the bathroom and SHIT IN PEACE. Here’s the scientific publication link for the article called: Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12407481/ And one called: Toilet seat syndrome: renal failure, perineal gangrene, and sciatic neuropathy [https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(00)00752-X/fulltext](https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(00)00752-X/fulltext) And even a CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/health/phones-on-toilet-wellness WE NEED TO DO BETTER!!
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Are you watching this on the toilet? I can’t believe I’m typing this, but a 24 year old man scrolled for 30 minutes, stood up, and collapsed. He's now paralyzed!!! Doctors are calling it BATHROOM SCROLL SYNDROME. I can’t make this stuff up. This is ridiculous. Stop taking your phone to the bathroom and SHIT IN PEACE. Here’s the scientific publication link for the article called: Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12407481/ And one called: Toilet seat syndrome: renal failure, perineal gangrene, and sciatic neuropathy [https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(00)00752-X/fulltext](https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(00)00752-X/fulltext) And even a CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/health/phones-on-toilet-wellness WE NEED TO DO BETTER!!
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organizations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How to Train Your Brain To Shut Off Negativity #neuroscientist #negativity #rajshamani #rajelevates #brainpower #rajshamani #figuringout
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@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organizations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How to Train Your Brain To Shut Off Negativity #neuroscientist #negativity #rajshamani #rajelevates #brainpower #rajshamani #figuringout
How much content do you consume every day? 10 Reels? 50? 100? Or endless? Now ask yourself a harder question: How much of it do you actually remember? On the podcast, cognitive neuroscientist @drsaharyousef challenged us to remember the last 3 Reels we scrolled. Most people can’t. And according to neuroscience, that’s a bigger problem than it sounds. Because if information doesn’t stay in your memory, it doesn’t become learning. That’s the trap of endless scrolling. Every swipe feels productive. Every Reel feels informative. Every video feels like you’re gaining knowledge. But when your attention is constantly jumping from one thing to the next, very little gets stored, retained, or applied. The result? You consume more than ever before, yet struggle to remember what actually mattered. The goal isn’t to watch less content. The goal is to consume content that stays with you long after you’ve closed the app. Watch the full conversation with Dr Sahar Yousef here👇
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How much content do you consume every day? 10 Reels? 50? 100? Or endless? Now ask yourself a harder question: How much of it do you actually remember? On the podcast, cognitive neuroscientist @drsaharyousef challenged us to remember the last 3 Reels we scrolled. Most people can’t. And according to neuroscience, that’s a bigger problem than it sounds. Because if information doesn’t stay in your memory, it doesn’t become learning. That’s the trap of endless scrolling. Every swipe feels productive. Every Reel feels informative. Every video feels like you’re gaining knowledge. But when your attention is constantly jumping from one thing to the next, very little gets stored, retained, or applied. The result? You consume more than ever before, yet struggle to remember what actually mattered. The goal isn’t to watch less content. The goal is to consume content that stays with you long after you’ve closed the app. Watch the full conversation with Dr Sahar Yousef here👇
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How To Rewire Your Brain For Self-Belief #neuroscientist #neuroscience #selfbelief #rajshamani #figuringout
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@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How To Rewire Your Brain For Self-Belief #neuroscientist #neuroscience #selfbelief #rajshamani #figuringout
Attentional Redirection: Your brain can tell you all kinds of stories: you’re not good enough, you’re a victim, you’re a failure. When self-defeating or negative stories are coming up for you, that is when you need to tell your brain to SHUT UP, and then redirect your attention to where YOU want it to be. Ask yourself: “What’s the story YOU want to live?” “Who am I?” “What’s possible for me?” MAKE YOUR OWN STORY. This is something you need to return to every day. Yes, every day. And when you catch yourself back in the negative story, redirect your attention again. Remember, anything is possible.
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Attentional Redirection: Your brain can tell you all kinds of stories: you’re not good enough, you’re a victim, you’re a failure. When self-defeating or negative stories are coming up for you, that is when you need to tell your brain to SHUT UP, and then redirect your attention to where YOU want it to be. Ask yourself: “What’s the story YOU want to live?” “Who am I?” “What’s possible for me?” MAKE YOUR OWN STORY. This is something you need to return to every day. Yes, every day. And when you catch yourself back in the negative story, redirect your attention again. Remember, anything is possible.
Everyone assumes we adapt to screens with practice. The reading research says the opposite has happened. A meta-analysis in Educational Research Review pooled 54 studies covering 171,055 people, comparing how well the same material was understood on paper versus on a screen. Paper won, which by now is not surprising. What should be surprising is what the authors found when they sorted the studies by publication year: the paper advantage GREW over time rather than shrinking! It was worse under time pressure, and it showed up for informational and expository text while disappearing for narrative. Stories survive the screen. Twenge's 2026 analysis of PISA scores across 36 countries found that after 2012, math, reading and science scores fell, and they fell hardest in the countries where students spent the most leisure time on devices during the school day. Loneliness at school climbed on the same map, steeply in the high-device countries and hardly at all in the low-device ones. But the mechanism underneath all of it is neuroplasticity, and neuroplasticity has no memory of what it did last year. It gives you back whatever you keep asking it for. That's why this is not a life sentence for anyone. Read one hard thing on paper this week. Under no time pressure. See what happens
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Everyone assumes we adapt to screens with practice. The reading research says the opposite has happened. A meta-analysis in Educational Research Review pooled 54 studies covering 171,055 people, comparing how well the same material was understood on paper versus on a screen. Paper won, which by now is not surprising. What should be surprising is what the authors found when they sorted the studies by publication year: the paper advantage GREW over time rather than shrinking! It was worse under time pressure, and it showed up for informational and expository text while disappearing for narrative. Stories survive the screen. Twenge's 2026 analysis of PISA scores across 36 countries found that after 2012, math, reading and science scores fell, and they fell hardest in the countries where students spent the most leisure time on devices during the school day. Loneliness at school climbed on the same map, steeply in the high-device countries and hardly at all in the low-device ones. But the mechanism underneath all of it is neuroplasticity, and neuroplasticity has no memory of what it did last year. It gives you back whatever you keep asking it for. That's why this is not a life sentence for anyone. Read one hard thing on paper this week. Under no time pressure. See what happens
Most people think that attentional training or meditation involves having NO thoughts or that the exercise is holding attention the entire time. So the second their mind drifts off to their inbox, or to something someone said, they decide they are “bad at this” and stop. The REP that makes your attention network STRONGER ISSSS the CATCHING of your attention and then REDIRECTING it back. If you were able to focus the whole time and it was easy, how would you be “training” anything? Your attention drifts, you notice it drifted, you walk it back. If your mind never wandered, you would not be doing anything at all!! You cannot curl a weight without lowering it first. So when it wanders forty times in ten seconds, that is forty reps. Congratulations, that was a set! Pick your thing. Coffee, your breath, a plant. Notice the drift. Walk it back. I'll see you back here tomorrow.
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Most people think that attentional training or meditation involves having NO thoughts or that the exercise is holding attention the entire time. So the second their mind drifts off to their inbox, or to something someone said, they decide they are “bad at this” and stop. The REP that makes your attention network STRONGER ISSSS the CATCHING of your attention and then REDIRECTING it back. If you were able to focus the whole time and it was easy, how would you be “training” anything? Your attention drifts, you notice it drifted, you walk it back. If your mind never wandered, you would not be doing anything at all!! You cannot curl a weight without lowering it first. So when it wanders forty times in ten seconds, that is forty reps. Congratulations, that was a set! Pick your thing. Coffee, your breath, a plant. Notice the drift. Walk it back. I'll see you back here tomorrow.
Scrolling is producing measurable brain atrophy in areas tied to self-awareness and cognitive control, and the research shows it goes in both directions. Two habits that are actually reversing it: a phone parking lot that keeps the device out of sight for dedicated blocks every day, and finite scrolling sessions that cut the infinite feed off before it cuts into the brain. #SaharYousef #BecomingSuperhuman #DigitalWellbeing
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Scrolling is producing measurable brain atrophy in areas tied to self-awareness and cognitive control, and the research shows it goes in both directions. Two habits that are actually reversing it: a phone parking lot that keeps the device out of sight for dedicated blocks every day, and finite scrolling sessions that cut the infinite feed off before it cuts into the brain. #SaharYousef #BecomingSuperhuman #DigitalWellbeing
1. FRICTION. Milyavskaya and Inzlicht followed students across a whole semester with repeated check-ins. Effortful resistance was consistently UNRELATED to whether people hit their goals. What predicted success was running into fewer temptations in the first place. Discipline mostly looks like a life with less to resist in it. 2. INBOX FIRST. Two million standardized tests, 570,000 Danish schoolkids. Every hour later in the day a test was taken cost about 0.9% of a standard deviation in performance. When your brain feels like a clean slate, don't muddy it with other people's noise. Focus on YOUR SIGNAL FIRST. 3. TASK SWITCHING. Sophie Leroy called it ATTENTION RESIDUE. When we switch tasks, part of our attention stays welded to the last thing, and it is worse when you leave it unfinished, which is exactly what every email you read and don't answer is. In a two-week trial, capping email at three checks a day with alerts off took 124 adults from about 12 checks to about 5, and their daily stress dropped. 4. PEAK WINDOW. Researchers tested athletes' endurance at six different times across the day. Performance swung by as much as 26% depending on when they were tested. The single best predictor was hours since their natural wake time. Your peak travels with your biology, not with the office schedule. You can figure out your chronotype at [www.mychronotype.com](https://www.mychronotype.com/) (code "drsahar" bypasses the paywall and lets you get it for free)
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1. FRICTION. Milyavskaya and Inzlicht followed students across a whole semester with repeated check-ins. Effortful resistance was consistently UNRELATED to whether people hit their goals. What predicted success was running into fewer temptations in the first place. Discipline mostly looks like a life with less to resist in it. 2. INBOX FIRST. Two million standardized tests, 570,000 Danish schoolkids. Every hour later in the day a test was taken cost about 0.9% of a standard deviation in performance. When your brain feels like a clean slate, don't muddy it with other people's noise. Focus on YOUR SIGNAL FIRST. 3. TASK SWITCHING. Sophie Leroy called it ATTENTION RESIDUE. When we switch tasks, part of our attention stays welded to the last thing, and it is worse when you leave it unfinished, which is exactly what every email you read and don't answer is. In a two-week trial, capping email at three checks a day with alerts off took 124 adults from about 12 checks to about 5, and their daily stress dropped. 4. PEAK WINDOW. Researchers tested athletes' endurance at six different times across the day. Performance swung by as much as 26% depending on when they were tested. The single best predictor was hours since their natural wake time. Your peak travels with your biology, not with the office schedule. You can figure out your chronotype at [www.mychronotype.com](https://www.mychronotype.com/) (code "drsahar" bypasses the paywall and lets you get it for free)
Some of the most successful people approach obstacles with a very different assumption: there is a way through, and they’re capable of finding it. They WILL find it. Where someone else sees a reason to stop, they see a problem they can work on. There’s a concept in psychology called SELF-EFFICACY: your belief in your ability to carry out the actions a particular challenge requires. It helps explain why feeling capable matters for effort and persistence. Bandura, 1977 Think about the difference between approaching a problem with “There’s nothing you can do” versus “There’s something here you can learn to do and you’re going to figure it out.” The first approach feels like a WALL and the second one gives you a reason to look for a door, build a door, or honestly, BREAK THE F@%CKING WALL. And this carries into the way you see yourself. When “following through” and PERSISTING is part of who you believe you are, taking the next step becomes a way of living up to that identity. Each time you do it, you give yourself more evidence. You don’t have to be a billionaire to start approaching challenges this way. You can practice asking what’s possible, what you can learn, and always, “what’s the next step?” Which is why I keep asking people what story they’re running on. That story can shape what they’re willing to attempt, and how they respond when it gets difficult. So…who do you think you are?
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Some of the most successful people approach obstacles with a very different assumption: there is a way through, and they’re capable of finding it. They WILL find it. Where someone else sees a reason to stop, they see a problem they can work on. There’s a concept in psychology called SELF-EFFICACY: your belief in your ability to carry out the actions a particular challenge requires. It helps explain why feeling capable matters for effort and persistence. Bandura, 1977 Think about the difference between approaching a problem with “There’s nothing you can do” versus “There’s something here you can learn to do and you’re going to figure it out.” The first approach feels like a WALL and the second one gives you a reason to look for a door, build a door, or honestly, BREAK THE F@%CKING WALL. And this carries into the way you see yourself. When “following through” and PERSISTING is part of who you believe you are, taking the next step becomes a way of living up to that identity. Each time you do it, you give yourself more evidence. You don’t have to be a billionaire to start approaching challenges this way. You can practice asking what’s possible, what you can learn, and always, “what’s the next step?” Which is why I keep asking people what story they’re running on. That story can shape what they’re willing to attempt, and how they respond when it gets difficult. So…who do you think you are?
The machinery really is the same underneath habits and addictions. Researchers, Everitt and Robbins, spent decades mapping this, and their model proposed three stages: goal-directed action —> habit —> compulsion / addiction. Our behaviors begin with prefrontal control then move towards the striatum in the brain, and then there is loss of top-down inhibitory control. This is when a behavior becomes automatic! So, when something is a habit, WE’RE ON OUR WAY to an automatic behavior (or an addiction). The cue-and-craving loop underneath both really is neutral. It's the same process and the same "wiring" that has someone reaching for a drink at 6pm vs. reaching for their running shoes or a book.
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The machinery really is the same underneath habits and addictions. Researchers, Everitt and Robbins, spent decades mapping this, and their model proposed three stages: goal-directed action —> habit —> compulsion / addiction. Our behaviors begin with prefrontal control then move towards the striatum in the brain, and then there is loss of top-down inhibitory control. This is when a behavior becomes automatic! So, when something is a habit, WE’RE ON OUR WAY to an automatic behavior (or an addiction). The cue-and-craving loop underneath both really is neutral. It's the same process and the same "wiring" that has someone reaching for a drink at 6pm vs. reaching for their running shoes or a book.
Forty seconds of looking at concrete made them worse. 150 students on a deliberately mind-numbing task, then a 40-second break looking at a picture of a concrete city rooftop. The other half of the students looked at the SAME rooftop covered in a greenery and flowers. The concrete group came back about 8% WORSE. The greenery group came back about 6% better. The only variable was what was the CONTENT in front of their eyes for forty seconds. It was a photograph, by the way. Nobody went outside. So the version you just did, looking at something green on a phone, is the ACTUAL intervention! Try to get some nature videos in your scrolling sessions as a starting point.
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Forty seconds of looking at concrete made them worse. 150 students on a deliberately mind-numbing task, then a 40-second break looking at a picture of a concrete city rooftop. The other half of the students looked at the SAME rooftop covered in a greenery and flowers. The concrete group came back about 8% WORSE. The greenery group came back about 6% better. The only variable was what was the CONTENT in front of their eyes for forty seconds. It was a photograph, by the way. Nobody went outside. So the version you just did, looking at something green on a phone, is the ACTUAL intervention! Try to get some nature videos in your scrolling sessions as a starting point.
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How Your Brain Decides What Opportunities You Notice #neuroscientist #neuroscience #opportunities #rajshamani #figuringout
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drsaharyousef
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About How Your Brain Decides What Opportunities You Notice #neuroscientist #neuroscience #opportunities #rajshamani #figuringout
Your identity might be the reason you keep failing. The way you see yourself influences the actions you take. If you keep thinking “I’m lazy,” “I’m not disciplined,” or “I always quit,” you may keep acting in ways that reinforce those beliefs Most people try to change by saying “I need more discipline.” “I need more confidence.” “I need to stop procrastinating.” But lasting change happens when your beliefs and behaviors start working together. Here’s a simple 7-step framework to rewire your identity: 1. Notice your self-talk - Pay attention to the labels you repeatedly use about yourself. 2. Question the belief - “I’m not disciplined” is a belief, not a permanent fact. 3. Choose a better identity - Try: “I’m becoming someone who keeps promises to myself.” 4. Connect identity to behavior - Ask: “What would this person do today?” 5. Collect evidence - Every time you take the right action, you give yourself proof that you can change. 6. Repeat the behavior - One action won't transform your identity. Repetition builds stronger patterns. 7. Use an If–Then plan - “IF it is 9 AM, THEN I put my phone away and start working.” Comment "HABITS" and I'll share The Art of Habits guide with you. [rewire your identity, identity change, how to change your identity, self identity, identity based habits, behavior change, self talk, limiting beliefs, personal growth, build confidence, become more disciplined, habit formation, identity and behavior, evidence based identity, if then planning, implementation intentions, self improvement, psychology of habits, change your beliefs, personal development] #Identity #IdentityShift #Habits #HabitBuilding #BehaviorChange SelfImprovement PersonalDevelopment Discipline Confidence Mindset Psychology Productivity SelfDevelopment ElevatedPath how to rewire your identity, how to change your identity, how to change your self image, how to build a new identity, identity based habits explained, how to become more disciplined, how to become more confident, how to change limiting beliefs, how your beliefs affect behavior, how to change your behavior, identity and habit formation, how to build confidence through action
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drsaharyousef
Your identity might be the reason you keep failing. The way you see yourself influences the actions you take. If you keep thinking “I’m lazy,” “I’m not disciplined,” or “I always quit,” you may keep acting in ways that reinforce those beliefs Most people try to change by saying “I need more discipline.” “I need more confidence.” “I need to stop procrastinating.” But lasting change happens when your beliefs and behaviors start working together. Here’s a simple 7-step framework to rewire your identity: 1. Notice your self-talk - Pay attention to the labels you repeatedly use about yourself. 2. Question the belief - “I’m not disciplined” is a belief, not a permanent fact. 3. Choose a better identity - Try: “I’m becoming someone who keeps promises to myself.” 4. Connect identity to behavior - Ask: “What would this person do today?” 5. Collect evidence - Every time you take the right action, you give yourself proof that you can change. 6. Repeat the behavior - One action won't transform your identity. Repetition builds stronger patterns. 7. Use an If–Then plan - “IF it is 9 AM, THEN I put my phone away and start working.” Comment "HABITS" and I'll share The Art of Habits guide with you. [rewire your identity, identity change, how to change your identity, self identity, identity based habits, behavior change, self talk, limiting beliefs, personal growth, build confidence, become more disciplined, habit formation, identity and behavior, evidence based identity, if then planning, implementation intentions, self improvement, psychology of habits, change your beliefs, personal development] #Identity #IdentityShift #Habits #HabitBuilding #BehaviorChange SelfImprovement PersonalDevelopment Discipline Confidence Mindset Psychology Productivity SelfDevelopment ElevatedPath how to rewire your identity, how to change your identity, how to change your self image, how to build a new identity, identity based habits explained, how to become more disciplined, how to become more confident, how to change limiting beliefs, how your beliefs affect behavior, how to change your behavior, identity and habit formation, how to build confidence through action
The story you tell yourself about your habits and behavior matters more than most people realize. Researchers had people pick a health goal and gave them a script for the moment temptation showed up. One group told themselves "I can't do that." The other group told themselves "I DON'T do that." Over ten days, eight out of ten in the "I don't" group stuck with the goal. In the "I can't" group, one out of ten did. Over ten days, EIGHT out of ten in the "I don't" group stuck with the goal. In the "I can't" group, ONE out of ten did. It’s a small study, but a striking split. "I can't" is a rule someone imposed on you, and you spend the whole day negotiating with it. "I don't" is a description of WHO YOU ARE, so there is nothing to negotiate. In my classes we call these Identity-Based-Beliefs, or IBBs. YOU NEED TO HAVE ONE FOR EVERY HABIT. A person who doesn't smoke is not white-knuckling their way past a cigarette. They just AREN’T a smoker. For me, I DON’T drink. There is no willpower or deliberation. It is just simply not something I do. Ever. End of story. This is what I mean about the story you tell yourself around the rep. The words you use when you describe yourself doing the thing. So try it in both directions. Before the rep, "I'm someone who does this. I do this because I value ___" After the rep, name what just happened out loud: I did this because I value ____ and now I am a more ___ person because of it. Not "I should be doing this more." Has anyone ever started or ended a habit this way? Patrick & Hagtvedt (2012), Journal of Consumer Research
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4w ago
drsaharyousef
The story you tell yourself about your habits and behavior matters more than most people realize. Researchers had people pick a health goal and gave them a script for the moment temptation showed up. One group told themselves "I can't do that." The other group told themselves "I DON'T do that." Over ten days, eight out of ten in the "I don't" group stuck with the goal. In the "I can't" group, one out of ten did. Over ten days, EIGHT out of ten in the "I don't" group stuck with the goal. In the "I can't" group, ONE out of ten did. It’s a small study, but a striking split. "I can't" is a rule someone imposed on you, and you spend the whole day negotiating with it. "I don't" is a description of WHO YOU ARE, so there is nothing to negotiate. In my classes we call these Identity-Based-Beliefs, or IBBs. YOU NEED TO HAVE ONE FOR EVERY HABIT. A person who doesn't smoke is not white-knuckling their way past a cigarette. They just AREN’T a smoker. For me, I DON’T drink. There is no willpower or deliberation. It is just simply not something I do. Ever. End of story. This is what I mean about the story you tell yourself around the rep. The words you use when you describe yourself doing the thing. So try it in both directions. Before the rep, "I'm someone who does this. I do this because I value ___" After the rep, name what just happened out loud: I did this because I value ____ and now I am a more ___ person because of it. Not "I should be doing this more." Has anyone ever started or ended a habit this way? Patrick & Hagtvedt (2012), Journal of Consumer Research
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About Why Most People Fail Their Goals According To Neuroscience. #neuroscience #neuroscientist #brainfocus #rajshamani #figuringout
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3w ago
drsaharyousef
@drsaharyousef is a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies how the brain affects the way we work, focus, learn, and manage our energy. Her work focuses on translating neuroscience and cognitive science into practical strategies that people can use in their everyday lives. She is particularly known for exploring productivity, attention, burnout, focus, and the science behind how people perform at their best. Rather than treating productivity as simply doing more, Sahar looks at how understanding the brain can help people work more effectively while protecting their mental energy and ability to recover. Through her teaching, research, and work with organisations, Sahar helps people understand the science behind distraction, multitasking, breaks, and sustainable performance. Her approach combines neuroscience with practical tools designed to help people build better focus, manage their energy, and create healthier ways of working. In Today’s Episode, She Talks About Why Most People Fail Their Goals According To Neuroscience. #neuroscience #neuroscientist #brainfocus #rajshamani #figuringout

Sahar Yousef (@drsaharyousef) Instagram Stats & Analytics

Sahar Yousef (@drsaharyousef) has 467K Instagram followers with a 5.24% engagement rate over the past 12 months. Across 141 posts, Sahar Yousef received 2.50M total likes and 49.5M impressions, averaging 17.7K likes per post. This page tracks Sahar Yousef's performance metrics, top content, and engagement trends — updated daily. To benchmark @drsaharyousef against other accounts, use Socialpruf's Instagram competitor analysis tool.

Sahar Yousef (@drsaharyousef) Instagram Analytics FAQ

How many Instagram followers does Sahar Yousef have?+
Sahar Yousef (@drsaharyousef) has 467K Instagram followers as of October 2026.
What is Sahar Yousef's Instagram engagement rate?+
Sahar Yousef's Instagram engagement rate is 5.24% over the last 12 months, based on 141 posts.
How many likes does Sahar Yousef get on Instagram?+
Sahar Yousef received 2.50M total likes across 141 posts in the last 12 months, averaging 17.7K likes per post.
How many Instagram impressions does Sahar Yousef get?+
Sahar Yousef's Instagram content generated 49.5M total impressions over the last 12 months.
Can I compare Sahar Yousef with other Instagram accounts?+
Yes. Add @drsaharyousef to a competitor set with Socialpruf's Instagram competitor analysis tool and benchmark it side by side with any other public accounts on views, engagement rate and follower growth, with history back to each account's first post.