All protocols

Reduce external stress before learning; some stress is acceptable because it can cue alertness, but excessive stress should be limited.

Deliberately engage attention rather than being passive. Use internal self-cueing such as 'I need to learn this' and repeatedly bring your mind back to the material; the effort and strain of returning attention are expected and beneficial.

Prefer open-ended self-tests with minimal prompts, especially short-answer, and long-answer can also be effective. Do not rely solely on multiple-choice formats because they favor familiarity and recognition over recall.

Do not go straight to your phone after class. Instead, use the immediate post-exposure window to spend a few seconds or minutes thinking about the material and testing yourself on it.

Increase emotional salience of material when possible because emotionally laden experiences are remembered more durably. If the source is dull or monotone, consciously ramp up your internal attention to create more intensity in how the material is perceived.

Interleave challenging new information with little anecdotes or bits of lower-challenge, seemingly unrelated information to enhance learning.

Use slow eating as a savoring practice to notice texture, flavor, and what you want to remember about the moment.

Mentioned as part of an ideal decompression routine after intense interaction; no dosage beyond 'a glass.'

Suggested as a decompression activity after intense social or cognitive engagement.

For introverts especially, recommended to politely decline extra social interaction after draining events and preserve alone time to recover.

Recommended as part of emotional intelligence; identify what just happened or what is about to happen that explains the feeling.

Core recommendation of the discussion; create conditions where feelings can be acknowledged without judgment.

Used as part of a self-regulation routine during travel stress and delays.

Recommended to intentionally match emotional state to task demands rather than assuming one state is always best. Examples: use high-energy music for brainstorming, lower energy for consensus-building and careful selection, and a low-energy focused state with classical music for detail work like writing or proofreading.

When conflict is escalating, shift the body state first using methods such as deep breathing, standing up and moving, sitting quietly for about 10 minutes to let nervous systems regulate, or using music when words are not helping.

Recognize that very little can be heard or processed when in a state of hyperarousal, self-protection, and high stress; prioritize regulation first.

Choose the physical orientation that best supports regulation and listening: in some situations do not look at each other, in others turn toward each other face to face, and in others talk side by side during parallel activity.

Included among the lifestyle factors associated with better long-term memory outcomes.

Included among the lifestyle factors associated with better memory over time.

Get vision tested and treat cataracts in older age as part of preserving brain health.

Use focus mode to prevent alerts from interrupting conversation and attention.

Selectively document rather than over-document. Take photos mindfully by focusing on distinctive, meaningful details that can later serve as retrieval cues, then look at the photos later to actively recollect the broader event rather than just scrolling or posting. Mindless shotgun photo-taking is said to impoverish memory.

Protect hearing as part of preventive brain health: avoid listening to headphones too loudly, get hearing screened, and use hearing aids if needed.

Guest got custom earplugs from an audiologist for loud band practice; framed as preserving hearing and brain health.

Recommended because gum disease increases risk for Alzheimer's and poorer cognitive brain health.

Supported by discussion of a rat study in which sugary water roughly equivalent to a can of Coke per day was associated with later memory problems and hippocampal atrophy.

Avoid getting hit in the head; traumatic brain injury is described as a major risk factor for cognitive decline/Alzheimer's.

Described as powerful for memory updating and reframing traumatic experiences through shared narratives and social interaction.

Guest's performance hack to reduce distraction from audience reactions and stay in flow.

Preferred GLP-1/GIP agonist for weight loss and glucose control; discussed alongside semaglutide as being used in compounded microdoses, starting very low and titrating slowly to reduce nausea and muscle loss. Also mentioned in combination with sermorelin to offset muscle loss.