Brain Wash
The central idea in Brain Wash is that we have fallen victim to a condition known as “disconnection syndrome.” We have created routines and a world that leads us to be emotionally reactive and disconnected from our rational-thinking brains. Stress, lack of sleep, nature and nutrient deprivation, and instant gratification in the form of technology have all led us to rely less on our higher thinking and react more from our primitive instincts.
There are many solutions to this problem as outlined in the book, and the combine to make up the Brain Wash program including 8 days of recommended actions you can take.
The program includes taking stock of your digital life, empathy in interactions with others, nature exposure, nutrition, sleep, movement, mindfulness, and finally relationships.
These are topics that I like to talk about a lot as they make up the majority of themes for creating a balanced and complete goal wheel for your life.
The chapter on nature and forest bathing was particularly interesting to me as it is a practice that’s been lost in most modern cultures but is starting to see a resurrection in research that is showing a vast array of benefits to being exposed more to nature and particularly the essential oils found in plants that produce fragrance. These “phytoncides” are linked with improving the immune system, reducing blood pressure, handling stress better, and improving mood and energy. As John Muir said, “wilderness is a necessity.”
Overall this book is a good primer on all of the subjects that it covers. Because of the brevity of the chapters and the amount of information packed into them, it somewhat feels like a laundry list of benefits and “studies show that…” which I don’t mind but takes away from making it a great book as there is too much to go into depth on in a 200-page book. For many people struggling with disconnection syndrome, this book format will be exactly what they need to provide a little bit of ammo to combat the pitfalls of our “disconnected” world.
Rating 4/5