All In The Mind Mind Hacks: Joel Pearson
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Mar 11, 2026 Joel Pearson, cognitive neuroscientist and director of the Future Minds Lab, shares quick mental-health tips and biohacks. He talks about using exercise and saunas for mood, safe sauna practice, managing stress cycles and recovery, caution around trendy biohacks, and when animal research may not translate to people.
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Use Sauna For Exercise-Like Mood Boost
- Use sauna as a mood and recovery tool when you can't exercise.
- Joel Pearson notes saunas raise heart rate and produce heat shock proteins, giving a similar mood boost to exercise, especially after kids are in bed.
Use Heart Rate Not Clock In Sauna Sessions
- Monitor heart rate and discomfort rather than fixed time or temperature in the sauna.
- Joel Pearson recommends adjusting duration based on internal temperature and prior exercise so you hit the desired heart-rate-driven discomfort.
Balance High Performance With Rapid Recovery
- Seek a flexible state: be energised and able to take stress, then recover rapidly afterwards.
- Joel Pearson compares this to animals that exert intense effort briefly then rest, and to athletes who alternate peak performance with extended recovery.