Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning

Episode 381 reframes Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich for sales professionals, reviewing Chapters 1–3 to show how thought, desire, and faith create predictable sales results. Andrea Samadi connects these timeless principles to practical steps—how to set burning goals, build unwavering belief through repetition, and transfer certainty to buyers.

Listeners will get actionable frameworks (a five-step belief plan an...

In this Season 14 review (Part 3) Andrea revisits key insights from Dr. Shane Creado on the critical link between sleep, concussions and performance. The episode explains how even mild or repeated head impacts and sleep deprivation damage the same brain regions that support learning, memory, decision-making and emotional regulation, and how one all‑nighter can reduce hippocampal learning capacity by around 40%.

Pra...

Join Andrea Samadi as she reviews Dr. Shane Creado’s insights on why sleep is a core pillar of brain health, how chronic sleep deprivation harms reaction time, inflammation, pain perception, and why children pay the highest price.

Learn practical sleep strategies—consistent schedules, light management, wind-down routines—and how the Silva Method’s mind-training can deepen restorative sleep for athletes, high perfor...

Episode 378 revisits Dr. Shane Creado’s science-driven advice on sleep, strategic napping, and why sleep is foundational for health, hormones, immunity, and performance. Learn practical nap protocols (10–20 minutes or 90-minute recovery naps), timing, environment tips, and how to protect your morning from cortisol-spiking habits like checking phones.

The episode also shows how combining a short nap with the Silva M...

Andrea Samadi reflects on seven years hosting the Neuroscience Meets SEL podcast and celebrates reaching 500,000 downloads. She shares seven strategies—clarifying mission and vision, defining the audience, setting measurable goals, creating systems, staying mission-driven, building partnerships, and building momentum—and eight personal lessons learned, including the power of practice, research, adaptation, and prax...

In this Season 14 review (episode 376) Andrea Samadi revisits highlights from her interview with Dr. John Ratey about the science of exercise, nutrition, and social connection for brain health and longevity.

The episode explains Peter Attia's rule for foundational fitness, warns against sugar dependence and fat phobia, and presents the three biggest levers for healthy aging: exercise, diet, and social connection, p...

Season 14, episode 375 reviews episode 116 with Dr. John Ratey, exploring how exercise and lifestyle shape brain health and learning.

The episode highlights Naperville’s Zero Hour PE case study, explains how physical activity boosts attention and academic performance, and introduces BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) as “miracle grow” for the brain.

Practical takeaways include exercising before challenging wo...

Season 14 Episode 374 reviews neuroscientist Friederika Fabritius on the limits of willpower with tips from Dr. Andrew Huberman's research on how to strengthen the anterior mid-cingulate cortex through deliberate focus and challenging tasks. The episode also reviews the brain's reward system and practical strategies—like Dr. Anna Lembke's 30-day dopamine reset—to protect motivation and long-term self-control.

Pract...

Andrea Samadi revisits her 2019 conversation with neuroleadership pioneer Friederike Fabritius to explore practical neuroscience strategies for better productivity, well-being, and workplace happiness.

On this episode, we’ll learn:

✔ Why only 20% of people feel passionate about their jobs, and what we can do to change that.

✔ How to use neuroscience to reach peak performance or flow with your work.

Neuroscientist ...

In this episode review (Season 14, Ep. 372), Andrea revisits interviews with Dr. Dan Siegel to explore Mindsight—the focused attention that helps us see and reshape our own minds and connect with others. She breaks down how Mindsight underpins social and emotional intelligence and offers practical ways to develop it, including theory-of-mind practice, the Wheel of Awareness, and daily narrative reading.

This week,...

In this episode Andrea revisits her 2019 conversation with Dr. Daniel J. Siegel to explore Mindsight — his science-based approach to understanding the mind, integrating the brain, and cultivating empathy. Dr. Siegel explains the difference between mind and brain, the benefits of the Wheel of Awareness meditation, and how Mindsight can change brain structure and improve health.

Watch full interview here https://www....