How To Train Your Mind: The surprising benefits of play
How to get the most out of your mind, learn faster and raise your productivity, by having more fun
Turns out you don't learn faster when you're stressed, you learn faster when you're happy! So let's talk about treating your brain like a friend, not a factory worker.
Muscles respond to stress with pretty linear upgrades; brains don’t. Brains upgrade through meaning, novelty, and attention—especially when something feels like play. That’s why memory champions don’t “grind” digits: they build absurd stories and mental rooms and suddenly their recall looks like magic. Same with skills.
Stress is useful—but mostly as a signal: “avoid that.” If you want real output, your job is to become a better teacher to yourself: make the hard thing interesting enough that you’ll come back tomorrow.
Turn one task into a game (score it, time it, level it up).
Find the “fun entry point” and start there, not with drills.
Reduce stress friction: smaller reps, better cues, better environment.
Listen in—and pick one thing to make genuinely enjoyable today.
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Learn about the evolving story of the human species and our ideas told in chronological order. The podcast is full of fun facts, surprising stories and philosophical insights.
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Growth Mindset Psychology:
Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Training Your Mind - Have we got it wrong
01:03 Who Is Sam Harris?
02:30 Alan Watts - Work Is Play
03:28 Memory Champions
04:17 Rapid Transformation
06:03 Fundamental Differences Between Brains and Muscles
10:09 The Different Responses to Stress
11:40 Good vs Bad Teachers
13:31 Gamifying Boring Tasks
14:47 Alexander the Great and Conquering
16:47 How to Enjoy Exercise
17:56 Make Hard Things Enjoyable
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