10% Happier with Dan Harris Top 10 Neuroscience-Backed Tips for a Stronger Brain | Wendy Suzuki and Amishi Jha
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Apr 15, 2026 
Wendy Suzuki, NYU neuroscientist studying exercise and the brain, joins Amishi Jha, a University of Miami neuroscientist focused on attention and mindfulness. They dig into neuroplasticity, why multitasking is a myth, and how tiny habits beat optimization pressure. Also: sleep as brain cleanup, meditation for attention, exercise for mood and memory, and anxiety as useful energy.
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Build Better Sleep With Pressure And Rituals
- Protect sleep by reducing screens and alcohol, using a wind-down ritual, limiting late fluids, and building daytime sleep pressure.
- Dr. Wendy Suzuki says waking earlier naturally raises sleepiness at night; her students also reported better sleep after brief guided meditation.
Loneliness Acts Like A Biological Stressor
- Loneliness is not just an emotion but a biological stressor because humans evolved for social connection.
- Dr. Wendy Suzuki says universities now rebuild belonging after the pandemic; Amishi Jha found meditation reduced reported loneliness in older adults.
Mindfulness Makes Sleep And Exercise Work Better
- Mindfulness can amplify other brain-health habits rather than competing with them.
- Amishi Jha says practice can quiet racing thoughts for sleep, may support glymphatic drainage, and makes exercise feel more tolerable by softening judgment and aversion.
