npnHub Podcast - Neuroplasticity in Practice

What if your values are the secret to changing your brain? Discover how neuroplasticity, decision-making, mindfulness, and the science of value influence your thoughts, habits, and behaviour. Join Peter Demarest as he explores neuroaxiology and shares practical ways to break automatic patterns, make better choices, and create meaningful change in your life! 🔥 Dive Deeper into Applied Neuroscience – Join the npnHub Community: 👉 https://npnhub.com/ 📕 Highlights 🔹 Discover why the values we say we believe in don't always match our everyday behaviour. 🔹 Explore neuroaxiology and the connection between values, neuroscience, and neuroplasticity. 🔹 Learn how conscious decision-making and metacognition can help interrupt automatic habits. 🔹 Try a simple mindfulness exercise to strengthen self-awareness and create more value in your interactions. ➡️ Summary Do your values really drive your behaviour? In this fascinating conversation, Peter Demarest challenges the idea that our stated values always guide our choices. He explores how the brain evaluates what matters, why habits can override our intentions, and how value-based thinking may support intentional neuroplasticity. Peter introduces neuroaxiology, an approach connecting neuroscience with the study of value. He discusses the work of Robert S. Hartman, the importance of recognising our thinking biases, and how his Axiogenics approach uses goals, assessments, and deliberate practice to help people develop more constructive thinking habits. Discover the central question that guides his work: What choice can I make and action can I take in this moment to create the greatest net value? The episode also explores mindfulness, metacognition, and the power of recognising that we have choices. Peter shares a practical exercise called the "I, Me, My" game, designed to increase self-awareness and encourage more thoughtful communication. Whether you're a coach, therapist, leader, or simply curious about personal growth, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on values, habits, and the brain's capacity for change. ⏰ Timecodes 0:00 - Meet Peter Demarest 0:55 - Values & Neuroplasticity 1:28 - Why Values Don't Align 3:14 - How We Judge Value 5:14 - The Predictive Brain 6:43 - Value & Motivation 8:00 - Intentional Neuroplasticity 9:55 - What Is Neuroaxiology? 11:38 - Axiogenics Explained 12:12 - The Central Question 13:08 - Neuroaxiology in Therapy 14:47 - Three Steps to Change 17:42 - Breaking Automatic Habits 18:49 - Metacognition & Choice 19:36 - The Mindfulness Exercise 20:22 - Changing Communication 21:32 - Final Thoughts 👉 Did you enjoy this episode? Give us a thumbs up, share your biggest takeaway in the comments, and subscribe for more insights into applied neuroscience! 🚀 Follow Us on Social: 🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npnhub/ 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/94119966/ 🔹 Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557660620392&_rdc=1&_rdr# 📲 Explore the Practitioner Stack: https://npnhub.com/neuroplasticitynews/ 🔎 Browse Our Directory: www.neuroplasticians.com 🔥 Join the npnHub Community: 👉 https://npnhub.com/ ℹ️ About the npnHub Community: We unite experts and learners in applied neuroscience and acknowledge their expertise. We offer a vivid, fun, and professional environment to share, shine, and learn together for more impact and growth. Our advisory board sets the standards for the discipline of the npn Neuroplastician® and acknowledges experience and training in applied neuroscience. 📌 Podcast Disclaimer: https://npnhub.com/podcast-disclaimer/ #Neuroplasticity #Neuroaxiology #AppliedNeuroscience #Mindfulness #DecisionMaking #BrainRewiring #npnHub

Why does the brain resist change, and what can we do to encourage more creative thinking? Kevin Chesters, author of The Creative Nudge, explores how neuroscience, neuroplasticity and simple creative habits can help us challenge familiar patterns, overcome fear and approach problems differently. Kevin explains how biology, social pressure, conformity and cognitive biases can keep us attached to familiar routines. He also shares practical “creative nudges” designed to interrupt habitual thinking and make experimentation feel more accessible. In this conversation, you’ll discover: 🔹 Why the brain naturally prefers familiarity and predictable routines 🔹 How small creative nudges can help break established patterns 🔹 Why fear, conformity and loss aversion can limit creativity and innovation 🔹 How leaders can create environments where experimentation and original thinking thrive Whether you’re a coach, entrepreneur, educator or leader, this episode offers an encouraging reminder that creativity isn’t a rare talent. It’s a skill that can be strengthened through curiosity, practice and a willingness to think differently. Learn more and join the npnHub community: https://npnhub.com/

Why is staying calm so difficult when emotions take over? Award-winning coach educator Susan Britton explores how neuroscience-based coaching can help us manage stress, communicate more effectively and build lasting emotional resilience. Susan explains how the brain’s fight-or-flight response affects thinking, decision-making and relationships. Using her Red Zone and Blue Zone framework, she reveals how self-awareness, curiosity and self-compassion can help us move from automatic reactions towards clearer, more intentional responses. In this conversation, you’ll discover: 🔹 Why emotional regulation becomes more difficult when the brain is under pressure 🔹 Practical micro and macro strategies for moving from reactivity towards curiosity and compassion 🔹 How novelty, emotional resonance, association, repetition and psychological safety support neuroplasticity 🔹 Why sleep, movement, nutrition, social connection and purposeful curiosity are essential foundations for brain health Whether you’re a coach, leader, educator or practitioner, this episode offers practical insights for managing emotional reactions, improving communication and supporting sustainable behaviour change. Learn more and join the npnHub community: https://npnhub.com/ Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical or mental health advice. Full disclaimer: https://npnhub.com/podcast-disclaimer/

What if greater clarity, resilience and personal growth came not from pushing harder, but from strengthening the connection between your brain and body? In this conversation, Arrow Gonsalves shares her journey into Tao Healing Arts and explores how mindful movement, breathing and self-awareness may support stress resilience, emotional wellbeing and neuroplasticity. Arrow introduces the Taoist principle of Wu Wei, or effortless action, alongside Dan Tian breathing and energy cultivation. She also explains her “hardware and software” approach, combining physical movement and nervous-system regulation with focused attention, intention and self-observation. In this conversation, you’ll discover: 🔹 How Tao Healing Arts combines movement, breathing and self-awareness 🔹 The connection between Wu Wei, relaxed focus and flow states 🔹 How abdominal breathing can support greater body awareness 🔹 Arrow’s approach to health, focused attention and stress resilience 🔹 Practical ways to bring greater balance into everyday life A thoughtful exploration of ancient Taoist wisdom, the brain-body connection and more sustainable approaches to personal growth. Learn more and join the npnHub community: https://npnhub.com/ Disclaimer: This episode is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The traditional healing practices and perspectives discussed are not substitutes for professional medical or therapeutic advice. https://npnhub.com/podcast-disclaimer/

Why do capable, experienced people sometimes struggle to think clearly when the pressure is on? In this conversation, Shelley Goldstein explores how neuroscience-based preparation can help us communicate with greater clarity, confidence and authenticity during high-stakes moments. She explains why preparing the message alone may not be enough and why we also need to train for the pressure surrounding it. From reframing stress and using if/then planning to practising under pressure, Shelley shares practical ways to build more useful responses. She also explores storytelling, body language and how creating a personal “story bank” can give us something familiar and authentic to draw on when nerves take over. In this conversation, you’ll discover: 🔹 Why we should train for pressure rather than only preparing the message 🔹 How if/then planning can help when something unexpectedly goes wrong 🔹 Why building a story bank can improve confidence and clarity 🔹 How repeated practice can create more useful neural pathways 🔹 Why authentic connection often matters more than trying to perform perfectly A practical conversation about preparing deeply, building confidence and communicating naturally when the moment matters most. Learn more and join the npnHub community: https://npnhub.com/