Rewire Your Brain: Think Your Way to a Better Life

can be
, not
is
. That ’ s because a healthy diet only lays the 
foundation. You can rewire your brain and build on this foundation 
by changing your behavior and your thoughts.
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117
T
im came to see me for help with his insomnia. He said, “ I hear 
that you help people get their brains back into sync. Mine is way 
out of sync. ” He had been experiencing increased stress at work and 
at home. His company was downsizing, which meant that he had 
to do the work of two people. He dared not complain, because the 
last thing he wanted to do was to draw attention to himself and be 
targeted in the next round of layoffs. 
Even worse, his pay had been cut by 10 percent. This enraged his 
wife, because she had to go back to work so that they could pay the 
college tuitions for their two daughters. The added tension in 
the house spilled over into the evening when he tried to relax in order 
to go to sleep. 
Tim looked both sleep - deprived and physically tense during our fi rst 
session. I asked him how he was coping with all the stress at work. 
“ I can ’ t keep myself focused and awake, ” he replied. “ Five cups 
of coffee in the afternoon just doesn ’ t cut it. ” He told me that he 
spent his evenings on the computer searching for jobs, just in case 
he was laid off. 
6 
Healthy Habits: 
Exercise and Sleep
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118 Rew i r e
Yo u r
B r a i n
Though in his mid - forties, Tim looked to be in his mid - fi fties and 
carried quite an abdominal bulge. When I expressed concern about his 
health, he responded, with a sarcastic laugh, “ That ’ s the last of my wor-
ries. I need to get myself off this sinking ship. My health can wait. ”
When I suggested that improving his health might help him to 
get off the sinking ship, he almost jumped out of the chair and left 
my offi ce. 
Tim refl ected on his options for a few moments, then shrugged 
his shoulders to indicate that he would make an effort. We started 
exploring ways that he could promote better sleep. The fi rst thing 
he wanted was sleep medication. When I told him about all the side 
effects of these medications, which include diffi culty concentrat-
ing the next day, he said, “ I need sleep! What am I supposed to do? 
Drinking two glasses of wine doesn ’ t seem to help. ”
When I asked if he woke up in the middle of the night only to 
fi nd it diffi cult to get back to sleep, he looked at me, perplexed, and 
asked, “ How did you know? ”
“ That ’ s a hallmark symptom of drinking alcohol in the evening, ”
I informed him. 
“ So what am I supposed to do? ” he asked, exasperated. 
“ Let ’ s start by stopping the things that make your insomnia worse. ”
I told him that the coffee in the afternoon and the alcohol in the 
evening had to go. In addition, his computer use in the evening had 
to be curtailed. 
“ Get real! ” he exclaimed, shaking his head. 
I explained that his brain was picking up the light signals from 
the computer through his retina, and that these light signals were 
tricking his brain into functioning as if it were daytime rather than 
nighttime, suppressing the production of the sleeping hormone 
melatonin. He looked less perplexed and more curious. 
Next I told him that he needed to promote a cooler body temper-
ature during the night. One powerful way to do that, and burn off 
the extra cortisol that was circulating in his system, was to exercise 
three to six hours before he went to sleep. 
“ But I ’ m too exhausted at the end of the day! ” he protested. 
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H e a l t hy H a b i t s : E xe r c i s e a n d S l e e p
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I explained that he would get an antianxiety benefi t from the exer-
cise as well as a boost of energy reserve for the next day. He would 
be far more energized and focused, and his stress tolerance would be 
greatly enhanced. 
“ What about rewiring my brain? ” he asked, as if we had planned 
to simply put a bandage on his problems. 
“ Exercise and sleep not only get you back into a healthy cycle but 
also go a long way to set up the conditions for neuroplasticity and 
neurogenesis, ” I concluded. 
In today ’ s fast - paced society, we have developed habits like Tim ’ s 
that make neurogenesis and neuroplasticity less possible. We exer-
cise far less and consume far more calories than our ancestors did. 
Meanwhile, we have also increased our consumption of trans - fatty 
acids and saturated fats. In short, we are growing fatter, thus con-
tributing to the sleep problems. This alarming trend — combined 
with the world of commuter traffi c and multitasking with text mes-
saging, constant cell phone calls, e - mails, and sensationalistic media 
bombardment — adds up to an increase in cortisol levels that is 
having a corrosive effect on the brain. The effects of insomnia and 
being out of shape are taking their toll.
Exercise and the Brain 
Getting in shape always sounds good in theory, but engaging in regu-
lar exercise is too often relegated to something you do only when it ’ s 
convenient. In this section I ’ ll explain why it should be structured 
into your day as a must. There is no better way to jump - start neuro-
plasticity and neurogenesis. 
Exercise provides an immediate treatment for the physical and 
emotional symptoms associated with stress. Exercise relaxes the rest-
ing tension of muscle spindles, and this breaks the stress - feedback 
loop to the brain. By breaking up this stress - feedback loop, you cue 
your brain that your body isn ’ t stressed anymore, so it must be okay 
to relax. 
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120 Rew i r e
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Exercise was once thought to benefi t health simply because it 
helped circulation and the heart. In recent years, researchers have 
not only confi rmed that initial belief but have also shown that exer-
cise pumps more oxygen through the brain, which increases the 
health of the small blood vessels called capillaries. 
Exercise promotes lower blood pressure by increasing the effi -
ciency of the cardiovascular system. As the heart rate increases 
a hormone called