Nawyki, które niszczą twój mózg. Jak umysł wpływa na zdrowie? Stres vs. nuda II Joanna Wojsiat #84

Summary

Neurobiologist and biochemist Joanna Wojsiat explains that the brain is the physical organ, while the mind is the subjective experience the brain produces—our perceptions, emotions, memories, sense of self, and awareness. Because they are closely connected, mental habits and life conditions can affect brain and bodily health, while caring for the body can support mental well-being.

The conversation focuses on chronic stress, boredom, nature, and constant stimulation. Wojsiat’s central message is to care for the mind as deliberately as we care for the body—and to begin with basic needs rather than reaching immediately for supplements or complicated fixes.

Key wellness and self-care strategies

• Check the basics first: Ask whether you are getting enough sleep, eating nourishing food, staying hydrated, moving your body, and spending time outdoors.
• Notice signs of ongoing stress: These can include poor sleep or waking during the night, persistent fatigue, irritability, stronger emotional reactions, difficulty concentrating, reduced creativity, and physical complaints. Stress may become so familiar that it feels normal.
• Don’t mistake exhaustion for a life crisis: When tired and stressed, people may feel that everything is wrong or want to leave a relationship or job. Wojsiat suggests first considering whether depletion is affecting that judgment.
• Allow unstructured downtime: Take occasional breaks without assigning yourself a goal or task. Boredom and quiet time may give the brain a rest from planning and constant decision-making, and create room for reflection, autobiographical memory, and creative connections.
• Spend attentive time in nature: Even a nearby park can help; Wojsiat recommends around 30 minutes when possible. Engage your senses—notice birds, trees, smells, and other living things—and, if you can, put your phone away. Quiet, biodiverse settings may be especially restorative.
• Use small, realistic changes to reduce overstimulation: Constant notifications, noise, scrolling, and tailored digital content keep demanding attention. Build moments of respite rather than trying to change everything at once.
• Choose active, analog activities sometimes: Handwriting, making things by hand, reading, or other creative pursuits can offer an alternative to passive screen use and help preserve independent thinking.
• Direct attention intentionally instead of seeking a “dopamine detox”: Dopamine is necessary for normal functioning. The suggestion is to be more mindful about what captures attention and where you seek motivation and enjoyment.
• Make room for relationships and meaningful activity: Social connection, a sense of purpose, and activities that are not driven solely by pressure or productivity are presented as important parts of well-being.
• Treat a positive outlook as one influence, not a cure-all: Wojsiat discusses research linking a more positive attitude with fewer apparent cognitive symptoms in some people despite Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. This is not presented as a guarantee or a substitute for medical care.

Wojsiat also notes that prolonged stress can affect emotional regulation, motivation, cognition, and bodily systems, including immune, digestive, and metabolic processes. The discussion emphasizes that mind and body are not separate, while avoiding the idea that stress alone explains every illness.

Presenters and sources mentioned

• Presenters: Patrycjusz Wyżga (host) and Dr. Joanna Wojsiat (guest).
• Book discussed: Na zdrowy umysł. Jak dbać o mózg w świecie nadmiaru by Joanna Wojsiat.
• People and works referenced: Professor Jerzy Vetulani; Thomas Nagel’s essay What Is It Like to Be a Bat?; Henry David Thoreau’s Walden; Andrzej Dragan; Richard Dawkins; Kasia Simonienko; Professor Sławomir Murawiec; Paweł Boguszewski; and Michael Easter.
• Research and fields mentioned: Neuroscience, lifestyle medicine, psychoneuroimmunology, ecopsychiatry/ecopsychology, therapeutic ornithology, and research published in Scientific Reports.