Behaviors

Divide the day into three phases relative to waking: phase 1 = 0–8 hours after waking, phase 2 = 9–14/15 hours after waking, phase 3 = 16–24 hours after waking. Place habits into phases based on the state required rather than rigid clock times.

Use broader phases of the day rather than insisting on exact clock times, because rigid timing may reduce long-term adherence through context dependence.

Make sure you are well fed enough entering phase 3 that hunger does not wake you.

General recommendation that a healthy life should include exercise as a core piece of the puzzle.

For material you really need to learn or remember, read from paper, books, or printed materials rather than a smartphone; broadening the visual window is recommended for key information and comprehension.

If you must read on a device, use a larger screen than a smartphone, such as a tablet or standard computer screen, to broaden the visual window and support learning and comprehension.

If you already play regularly, expand into new forms of play involving different social structures: from one-on-one to teams, or from solo play to one-on-one and then groups.

Do not always take the same hike or walk; get into novel environments to support neuroplasticity.

Use a two-step neuroplasticity protocol: focus intensely or at least somewhat on what you want to learn, then follow with deep rest. Deep sleep in the following nights is ideal, and naps, yoga nidra, or NSDR can also help enhance or accelerate plasticity.

For play-induced neuroplasticity, engage in novel movement patterns, including different speeds of movement, rather than only familiar linear exercise.

If you insist on doing an activity you are already good at, make it safe, free-form, and low stakes; focus less on outcomes and explore rather than perform to reduce discomfort and preserve the plasticity benefits of play.

Early-life antibiotic exposure is described as detrimental to establishment of a healthy gut microbiome; framed as something doctors are now more cautious about.

Use higher doses of probiotics or prebiotics when microbiota diversity is stressed or depleted, such as after antibiotics, severe stress, excessive travel, illness, or radical diet shifts.

Under normal conditions, focus on quality nutrients through diet and keep probiotic and/or prebiotic intake fairly low to moderate rather than using high doses.

Recommended because stress can disrupt the microbiome; specifically framed as limiting excessive, prolonged stressors or stress.

Increase fermented foods gradually over about 4 weeks, from roughly 1 serving per day up to as many as 6 servings per day, then maintain a high daily intake for 6 weeks. Spread servings throughout the day to reduce gastric distress, choose foods you can eat consistently, and prefer refrigerated products with live active cultures; avoid sugary or heavily added yogurts, and verify that pickles actually contain live cultures because most jarred pickles do not.

Evidence cited only from animal models; large amounts of artificial sweeteners, particularly saccharin or sucralose, were said to disrupt the gut microbiome in mice.

Avoid gut cleanses or flushes as a way to improve the microbiome; they may wash away the resident microbial community and leave recolonization to chance. If someone does one anyway, pay close attention to diet during reconstitution.

Choose fermented foods from the refrigerated section if you want products that still contain live microbes.

Gradually reduce added sweetener in yogurt so the palate adapts over time to plain yogurt.

Allow interaction with pets, dirt, and environmental microbes in appropriate low-risk settings such as hiking, gardening, or similar exposure, as this may help educate the immune system. Immediate hand washing may be less important in these contexts.

Use hypnosis to create positive or manageable exposures in the mind without needing real-world props or situations, including for phobias.

Use a brief standardized test of hypnotizability to determine whether hypnosis is likely to help and to guide treatment intensity and style; if hypnotizability is low, use other approaches instead of relying on hypnosis.

Record the hypnosis portion of a session on a phone so it can be replayed later for self-practice.

During pain-focused self-hypnosis, imagine changing body temperature so the body feels cool, tingling, and numb.

To break superstitious or compulsive behaviors, deliberately refrain from performing the ritual long enough to establish that the desired outcome still occurs without it; example given was not doing it for about a week.

Use systematic desensitization as an alternative treatment approach when hypnosis is not a good fit.

Quick self-test of hypnotizability: look up toward the ceiling, then close the eyes while keeping them rolled upward; greater visible sclera suggests higher hypnotizability.

Build resilience by manageable, voluntary exposure to stress or difficult states followed by recovery, rather than trying to avoid all stressors; facing stress, putting it into perspective, and dealing with it can make you stronger.

Use grief rituals such as burials, memorials, headstones, or sitting Shiva to help make an incomprehensible loss real and comprehensible.