Your Brain Health Fuels Your Superpower | Dr. Krystal Culler

TRANSCRIPT

Roger: So how often do you think about brain health? If you just said brain, what you're probably not alone for many who strive to develop their talents, increase their impacts and achieve more of their potential and possibilities, brain health might be something that's overlooked. Several of my previous guests have talked about how the brain works and have shared the mindfulness practices that they perform so that they can show up and attend to their most important work.

That has me curious to learn more about the relationship between our pursuit for possibilities and the physical, mental, and emotional health required. So I reached out to the founder of the Virtual Brain Health Center, Dr. Krystal Culler. 

Krystal: I think so much of the stigma or the myths around the aging brain was always.

It's for older adults. It's not a conversation for us when we're in our working years, just so much has happened in the last couple of years, this collective global pandemic. We've lived through big shifts in changing how we take care of our brain, prioritizing mental health, workplace, wellbeing, all of these trends are all in alignment with the idea we want to be taking care of our brains and trying to give people education and empowerment to do that in a way that.

suits them where they are today and hopefully serves them in their purpose and taking care of themselves in the future as well. 

Roger: With all that's going on in the world, this conversation feels really important because it's easy to forget about the health of the brain until we notice an impact in the cognitive capabilities and with our ability to deal with our cognitive load.

Krystal: I don't think many people go through the day making decisions. I'm going to do X because this is good for my brain or I feel better. And I think that's where the brain health conversations really expanded is to let people know what those connections are. There's been a lot of dichotomy of the brain and the body, but it's your brain still part of your body.

And luckily most of those things that. We have some working knowledge on that are good for us or healthy for us actually help support the brain. 

Roger: What surprised me in the conversation was how Krystal changed my perspective on the relationship between using our superpowers and living into our purpose and experiencing burnout.

Krystal: This was my work. I am driven to do these types of things. This is what I know I can contribute really well to and then be like, but I can't do well if I'm not taking care of myself. Well enough to show up to do the work. And that's when I realized, you know, it's, it's a balance. 

Roger: Welcome to the What Do You Know To Be True? podcast. I'm Roger Kastner for over 25 years. I've been working with leaders and teams to explore and co design new ways of behaving and working together so that they could unlock their potential and create meaningful impact in these conversations. I talk with ordinary people about their extraordinary skill, their superpower, and the meaningful impact it has on others.

The goal is not to try to emulate or hack our way to a new talent. Instead, the intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower. And in doing so, maybe we can learn something about the special talent in each of us that drives us towards our potential and our possibilities. If you're ready.

Let's dive in.

Hi, Dr. Krystal Culler. Thank you for joining me here today. It's great to be with you. 

Krystal: I'm excited to be on your podcast and appreciate the invitation for the talk we're going to have today. 

Roger: You are the founder of the Virtual Brain Health Center and the host of the Let's Talk Brain Health podcast. What else is important for us to know about you?

Krystal: I would say, you know, my educational training really spans the social sciences. I'm a doctor of behavioral health, but my degrees are non clinical, so I'm trained in cognitive aging and psychology as a research level psychologist. And really worked a lot in broader industry sectors. So I've spanned from senior living to healthcare nonprofits to startups and really trying to figure out what does brain health look like for other organizations and the systems they have and those that they serve.

And so it's been a very interesting career journey with studying aging, but recognizing all of us are aging. So a very life course perspective and which that led to one fun fact is we do have a kids book. about brain health. And so, you know, we span working from kids through kindergarten all the way up to, you know, adults in their late eighties and nineties, where it's really this mantra of brain health is for everyone.

Roger: Just before we hit record, we were talking about your superpower of purpose driven systems thinking. And I asked you the question, Oh, so what is your purpose? And you gave a great response. So I'll ask it here again. What is your, what is your purpose statement? 

Krystal: Sharing brain care for all. Because I think so much of the work and experiences I have is letting people know they have a unique, brilliant brain, but it's how they can take care of it and the different things they can do.

And it's a conversation for every single person to have. So much of the stigma or the myths around the aging brain was always, it's for older adults. It's not a conversation for us when we're in our working years or a conversation to have with our youth or our kids. And just so much has happened in the last couple of years, this collective global pandemic we've lived through big shifts in changing how we take care of our brain, prioritizing mental health, workplace, wellbeing, all of these trends are all in alignment with the idea we want to be taking care.

of our brains and trying to give people education and empowerment to do that in a way that suits them where they are today and hopefully serves them in their purpose and taking care of themselves in the future as well. 

Roger: It's a really interesting concept because we know we need to take care of our physical being, but brain health, I'm really interested to learn more about brain health because it is sort of a concept we don't hear a lot about, we hear a lot about physical health, we don't hear about brain health, and yet I know The brain is part of our physical being.

So tell us, tell us a little bit more about brain health and what are some simple things we can do that will help us increase the overall health of our brains. 

Krystal: You hit on the first component that comes up in national and international surveys are, you know, what are these ideas or notions people have when they first hear brain health, luckily, nutrition, physical activity, or those big areas where.

We have some level of awareness that these are good for our bodies, but it's learning too, it's good for our brains. And there's been a lot of dichotomy of the brain and the body, but it's, your brain's still part of your body. And luckily, most of those things that we have some working knowledge on. that are good for us or healthy for us actually help support the brain.

And so I like to say broadly, brain health is thinking, feeling and doing. That's a lot of things under there. A lot of other definitions around brain health focus a lot on cognitive skills. So. We recognize our brains involved in a certain task. We want to pay attention better. The one most people know and recognize is memory, or to be able to focus.

And, you know, we have these skills that are demanded on us to for our brains to perform. And so that's really what a lot of the main ones will say is these cognitive outputs, thinking, planning, Sequencing events, making connections, all these things that really tax your brain's energy and resources fall under that cognitive component.

But I think fortunately now we have really broadened the conversation. There's a definition of brain health from the World Health Organization that looks that it's our physical health, our behavioral health, our emotional health. And so all of these things start to come up together to support the brain as well as your holistic health.

I like to say holistic with the W. Um, in front of it because it's W for whole, it's all of those different elements rather than just isolating it to cognitive health and thinking, which it's great. We start to make those connections of, you know, you want your brain to perform well, but you're not going to perform well if you're under high stress, if you haven't had a good night's sleep, if you're not eating well and you're not properly hydrated.

You're not setting yourself up for good cognitive performance anyways, but I don't think many people go through the day making decisions I'm gonna do X because this is good for my brain or I feel better And I think that's where the brain health conversations really expanded is to let people know What those connections are and then letting people really see that whole picture of you know where you invest your time in your energy and Taking care of yourself, fueling your mind and body does impact your cognitive health and performance.

And no, we don't always think about that. I think for so many things, it's, I had this high event where I want to spend my energy, like physical energy, and we eat differently for that, but we don't always think just to eat for how we want our brain to perform throughout the day. So I think there's been a lot of gains and shifts and conversations around that.

That I think highlight all the different domains of brain health. I know I mentioned a few for you, just like you said before, you know, nutrition, physical activity, but I think it's been over 10 years now. I told people, if you could challenge me, I'll, I'll accept the challenge. I haven't been able to link something back to brain health.

Ah, the feeling of all you get when you're out in nature, huge impact on your brain health to the creative arts and music and dance. So really it is all those things. Where you spend your time thinking, doing, and feeling that all come back to brain health. And I think all of the conversations I've seen you have where you jump into purpose and joy, huge impact on brain health and science behind that.

So, I welcome the challenge if someone wants to throw me another topic, but luckily so far everything that, you know, comes to mind or you start to think of, does this have an impact on how my brain might be performing? It is very likely a yes. It's all very interconnected through those domains of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral health.

Roger: Thank you for that. I was listening to an episode of Let's Talk Brain Health recently where you had Jess Brain on. Yes, Jess Brain. Yes. Um, and. Uh, she's talking about the power of laughter and it made a lot of sense to me, this, this idea that when we are laughing, we are more creative, we are more innovative, we are more present in the moment.

And I loved what she said about when, uh, when we're laughing, we can only think about the thing that's producing joy. 

Krystal: And I think that's one of the most beautiful things around some of the conversations, at least I get to have through our work or even the podcast is. There are these small, tangible elements where, yes, we can spend a short amount of time talking about the science of laughter and how it shows up, but, you know, can frame it in a way where we could think about it for ourselves and then reflect.

Well, where am I sitting at in those moments when I have a good laugh? Who am I with? And then can I intentionally create? Few more moments of that or a few more opportunities to be around those people because I noticed how I feel when I'm there. And then being mindful to, uh, we likely have that influence on others.

And so I think those practical ways to start to make those connections. And it's always easy. I see the jokes all the time where it's like half of adulthood is texting your best friends. We need to get together soon. It's actually like getting those moments with people that are in your circle that bring you joy.

And enjoying that and being present when you're there and carving them out. And it's like, let's not say it. Let's get something on the calendar and having that follow through. But really, there's a lot of things I think all of us could implement. And I remember what stood out for me for her was, you know, how much kids laugh compared to adults.

And if we're even challenging your listeners, if you're thinking about when is the last time you had that good laugh, we probably want a little more of that and we can intentionally start to fold some of that in. So I think it's a good challenge for us. 

Roger: It was shocking the stats on how much kids laugh on average per day versus adults. 300-400 compared to 5 to 15 times a day between kids and adults. Like ooh. 

Krystal: Yeah, and I think it's the cliches. We always hear that laughter is the best medicine to actually think about how we can use that for ourselves. Try to find those things that are something you do every day or something you enjoy and then adding in this little boost of laughter.

It's kind of like your little pickup shot for the day. So to speak, like get in those quick wins where you can and pair it with something you enjoy doing. I think the open mind for adults too is accepting some of those challenges. Like when you hear that statistic between kids and adults. Okay, now what can I do about that?

Like, you know, we all know how we feel when we've had a good laugh. I, I know I appreciate the people that are in my, in my circle that when I leave, I'm like, my face hurts. Like my facial muscles have been like needing a massage. I've had a really good laugh, but it's also like how you feel like it carries over for a couple of days.

Just. Those types of relationships that you can have and cultivate throughout your life. It's like, how do we get a little bit more? 

Roger: So I'm curious about how the brain experiences and produces joy. And I think you are a great person to answer this question. So how does the brain experience joy? 

Krystal: No, I was thinking about this because most of us probably are thinking of other emotions.

That come to mind when you hear joy and it is distinct compared to happiness is probably the one that's most closely linked We think of oh when we're happy, but a lot of times when we're experiencing that happiness We're getting feedback or relying on something that's external in our environment. It might be you're around kids, so you have the opportunity to laugh a little more, but that's not your norm.

So it's going to come from these external circumstances. It's the time of the year now for a lot of people in business context. You might be getting your raise for next year. You might be getting your annual bonus. You're like, this makes me happy in adulthood. It's. On those external factors, whereas joy really takes us deeper.

It's these meaningful states of contentment where we don't need something else. It's just kind of comes from within. And we get this sense of fulfillment and contentment and how we're spending our time or who the people we are with. I think it's more important to recognize that joy is not contingent on something outside of you.

Your joy is rooted in your inner sense of purpose and meanings aligned with the challenge you gave me. Initiate our conversation of what is your purpose? It's they're all in alignment together. And I think to really recognize it's within us, we can search for those external things, but they're going to be short.

In fleeting, whereas we can really find ways to cultivate that joy. Like you cultivate your sense of purpose as well. 

Roger: A mutual friend of ours, Anna Hall, we'll talk about purpose is innate. It's something we're born with and it's something that's, um, we can always access. And I think Joy, and she, she, she will not pull apart Joy from Purpose, they are, they are inextricably linked together, and it, it goes with what the science is saying as well.

Krystal: Yeah, and she's a great person that I always learn more about Purpose with because we see so much of that come on with brain health. When you're living in your sense of purpose and you know that it decreases your risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and dementia at times, it's one of those that, you know, depending on the science and literature that you're pulling from and pulling it forward to your day to day life is we know this is helpful to us.

How can we tap into it earlier on and use it as a tool? To guide the way we're living intentionally or to guide the work we want to do or the projects to really use that as kind of the overarching umbrella for all the decisions you're making in your life. And for some, that sounds very philosophical and for others, I think when you may have done some of that intentionality work, you start to realize, okay, these are why I made some of these decisions throughout my life and can be a very beautiful journey, but I like to acknowledge it does require some work, especially reflection of.

Wanting to live within that purpose and to see how you cultivate that and your joy. I agree with Anna. Just it goes hand in hand, but I think from the psychology point is to just point it out. It comes from within because for so many times we're just going to say, well, it's our happiness. Joy is just our happiness from these external things.

And really it's. The internal one, it goes deeper and has a biggie manie to it. So to just kind of note that difference. 

Roger: There is a little bit of a trend towards finding happiness. And I, I have heard some really smart people talk about happiness and I think they're describing joy. And not describing happiness.

So I, you know, I appreciate you pulling apart the differences there because it is important if we are chasing external factors that give us happiness, those are outside of our control. 

Krystal: Yeah. And I think really historically from psychology, a lot of this came from, you know, just. the six to eight basic emotions we talk about.

So if people are thinking of the Disney Pixar movies, those were the very basic emotions that drove a lot of the field of psychology. And now we realize there's a lot under all of those, and yet they're still distinct. So even if you're talking joy, if you're talking fun, If you're talking awe, there's overlap, but they're still distinct emotions and we're seeing all of that again to your point is it's something we can cultivate.

It's not always coming from the external factors, whereas awe is one where it would be something if you're out in the California. Redwood trees for people who don't get to see that, you know, you're in an environment that can evoke some of that, but there's still ways to get on your day to day life and separate some of these out.

So I like to say psychology is really broadened its perspective. And, you know, it does take us all a while of what's mainstream. What are the normal terms we're talking about? If you think about even talking your own feelings and emotions, many times, we're going to go back to the basic ones, you know, when we're sad or frustrated.

Or upset when we're happy. But then it's like, there's other times where it's like, I'm not any of those. I need to think about what's the other word. If you're, you know, you're really frustrated in a situation, it might not even be frustration. It's like, what's the other word? And it requires thinking. And we have really expanded out.

What are some of those options we use to talk about those emotions? And I think the field of psychology does a great job in understanding what makes them distinct and much like you said, how they coincide or opposites. to support our health and well being. 

Roger: Yeah, I had it explained to me that emotions are like crayons.

The, the larger the crayon pack you have, the more you can experience life. You could have the eight crayons, the, the 50, 56 or the 128 crayons. Um, and I think I've, I've probably lived through life with maybe two or three crayons. And so this is a fantastic journey for me in discovering How many, how many more crayons are there?

You know, there's, we might start with red, yellow and green or red, yellow and blue, but then like, let's mix a couple and that's fine green and that's fine pink and orange and keep expanding. 

Krystal: Yeah. I think that's a great analogy. Most of us can relate to. Cause I think even now when I see the images of like, here's your emotional wheel and here's the main domains and then it spreads out and you're like.

Yes, there are these beautiful words. They might not be the ones that I would think of, but I can recognize how this falls under happiness or, you know, this is another way that you're not angry. But you're frustrated. Here's another word for that. And it's like, there's a lot of words for the emotions. And sometimes I'll look at that and I'm like, you know, I think that's a nice way to expand, like you said, our color or expand the way we're talking about it and to recognize how we still feel these things, distinctly or in, in conjunction with a couple other emotions, but we have ways to label it and talk about it.

And I think for many of those things, it's, we're going to find similar practices and tools. that help us cultivate some of those emotions. So when we're thinking about joy and purpose, there's ways we can intentionally do better for ourselves and make sure we're living within that same vein and tapping into it.

And so I think it gives a nice way to have more rounded. Conversations, but I agree with you. I've had to, I've learned a lot more of how wider it could be. My world was a lot more narrow before, even with training in psychology, it wasn't always an aspect of at least my training under adult development, aging.

You still talk like big personality traits and certain emotional states, but it's like, we're getting more precise now. And what that looks like for many people, I think it's an exciting time. And probably conversations we'll have five, 10 years from now are going to look very different. 

Roger: What are some of the ways to cultivate joy in the brain?

Krystal: Practicing gratitude is one. And you're, you know, we'll say that for brain health, but actually recognizing things that go well. Today I just did a presentation for a group is reminding people, you can gift people your presence. So kind of the best present you can give is your actual presence, being there in the moment with others, but.

There's a lot of things we have to do to do that to show up, right? We have to enter and cultivate a space where you're not worried about what you forgot about at home. What's the next thing you're going to? How to be present and mindful in that moment with the people you're spending your time with. And so I think there's ways where we can set that intentionality.

Focus on your strengths. Practice that gratitude. Do what you can to be mindful in the moment or to cultivate where you can be present. And I like to say this leads back to like your bigger purpose at times as well. So you're working on your own things that you value and you likely value those close social connections and to recognize you can put in.

practices in place to help you do that when you're having those opportunities to connect. So to realize that comes back to the inner work that you're doing and with purpose and joy as well. 

Roger: Well, and that feels like the gift that keeps on giving because not only if you're working on your own, um, well being.

Then when you're with others and you're more able to be present with them, that seems like that would amplify the gift. So it seems, it seems like a buy one, get one free. 

Krystal: It is. And I think too, it, it lets you learn more about the people you have those relationships with. I think sometimes we're surprising cause we really want to support others, but when it comes to us getting support back, whether that's, you know, untangible ways, more tangible, we, many times we seem to be hesitant.

But yeah, if we know someone called us and they were like, could you help me with a meal for one evening, they're going through, you know, busy time and you really don't have the time you're, you're going to make the time you're going to make the meal, you're going to order from somewhere, you're going to get it to them and we're so eager to do those types of things for others that we forget sometimes to allow the support they give us.

We're so quick to want to lend it. And yet not so open or willingness to receive what others can give us. And it can be a really true gift to deepen our relationships as well. 

Roger: Your superpower of purpose driven systems thinker. I'm curious, what or who inspired that superpower in you? 

Krystal: When I look back, something that consistently showed up from grad school through my early career was.

Krystal, you're 10 years ahead. And I was like, what's that mean? Like younger me is like, what does that mean? And they're like, you see the big picture. You're seeing how these small things fall into place and you're 10 years ahead of us in this organization moves slow, which is okay when you can do work and have an impact.

But then I realized my case moves faster than others. And then I'm outpacing them. And I think that was one of the first things when I had to realize was I love my industry jobs. But at times I outgrew them quickly, and I didn't necessarily outgrow them in terms of skill set. I had great mentorship, um, good opportunities to learn and grow, but it was the pace and the impact.

And I'm sitting here going, well, if we wait 10 years when it comes to brain health, the amount of people we're supporting now, and we hit the brakes and we wait 10 more years, that gap is way too big. Like. To me it just seems so big where it's like there are things we can do now and have quick wins and like keep the momentum going.

And so I think that was one of the first things I had to learn was what's that shifting mean and what is some of that actual feedback I got. And you know, luckily I had mentors, you know, help me in work. But for me the first time I'm like, why doesn't this feel right to me anymore? It was a lot more a self reflection and work of, or why is it that I'm not okay hitting the brakes and letting this project completely fold That is helping thousands of people and then say, Oh, we'll rebuild it in a couple years.

Like why is that my sticking point? And then I had to realize it was bigger and I didn't have the idea at the time that like that was my purpose or that because I see the bigger picture, I can be patient enough, but I can't be as slow as sometimes I was being asked to. So it was a bit of a mismatch, but because I can use my purpose and see that big picture.

But also had the opportunity through positions I'd had to kind of be the bridge and communicator of, you know, here's smaller, here's what we can do now, here's this role that you're contributing to where we are going. I joke with people like I see it clearly in my mind's eye. Now my challenge is to articulate that to the people or the organization and projects that I'm working with and supporting and kind of rally them to say, you know, this is where we're going.

This is the train we're getting on. It's going, it's not stopping type of, type of urgency because that's the way I feel around the brain health is we can't stop there. It's too important of a conversation and topic for people, but really how I can be that bridge and to recognize, I didn't realize at the time when I sat in a room of meetings with people that what I saw in my mind's eye was not what other people were seeing.

And I had to really learn how differently, uh, we all see the world. Cause to me, it was just, it was so clear. And intuitive. And I really had to do a lot of self work and improve communication skills. A lot of just recognizing how different people can be, but when you're a leadership positions, how can you intentionally influence, you know, for the greater good that you let people realize this, what they're doing, the projects that bring them joy and their happiness is still contributing to something bigger and also contributing.

To the big vision. 

Roger: Okay. We're going to take a quick break and be right back after this. Each what do you know to be true episode is an opportunity to learn from and get inspired by our guests who are everyday people with extraordinary talents, making meaningful impact in their communities. The best no cost way for you to help support this podcast is to subscribe or follow the podcast.

And leave a comment or a review. This helps us get the word out to other people and it ensures that you won't miss any future episodes. It's great to have you be part of this community and I'm glad you're here. Okay. Let's get back to the conversation. So what is the relationship between joy and your superpower?

Krystal: You know, I get joy from doing brain health. I get excited from doing these different activities or thinking about, okay, this organization wants brain health. What does it look like in the context of what they do? How can it support those they serve? Like, that brings me excited is to figure it out and then implementing it.

And I had to realize it was when I was kind of pulled away where, you know, We want you to do brain health, but like a little bit of brain health, like it's going to be the marketing that's going to get people in. And I think when I started to see how it was going to be used in practice, that just didn't sit with me.

It didn't sit with my values of saying, well, you know, there's are things we can do for everybody. And so it really caused me times to reflect on kind of, I never thought about it in the way of what takes your energy away. Cause for me, it was always, I get energized from the work and the projects that I do.

And then I started to realize it's like zapped. And my motivation, I'm like, I don't want to do this, which I've never really experienced before. And I had to really look at what was taking the energy away from me versus where the energy was going. Because before I was, when I'm in alignment, it just goes.

That's when I learned it was, it wasn't bringing me joy. I wasn't working in, in my bane of enough to say, you know, this is the type of work I want to do, or even doing this project can contribute to what I want the mission for where I think it's bigger than me. Half the time I say it's my calling to do certain things.

Cause when I'm out of it, life sure shifts me right back to it of like. Nope, here you go. This, this is your lane and you know how to do really well in your lane, but also be open to expanding it. But I think that's the lesson I had to learn was when I was out of the joy and the purpose, how life looked and felt so different.

And then it was. I need more of that back. Once I realize what makes me happy and brings me that joy, it's very easy to say yes to things now. Even if time's busy, I'd rather say yes to a really great project and be busy than say no to something that I know I could have had some help and influence on because, you know, I can see the alignment with my values and the purposeful work that I want to be doing and contributing to.

Roger: You're making me think of the saying, if you do what you love, you'll never work another day in your life. I think a lot about that saying, because it makes work a negative. And I don't think work has to be a negative. But I also think it's wrong because you will work all the time when you're doing the thing that produces joy, because it, it, it produces energy.

That sustains you and keeps you going. I tend to think when, when we hear about people having burnout, there's a physical aspect of it, but the emotional side, I think it's when they're doing a lot of activity that is not aligned with purpose and joy. Um, but that's another topic for another time, unless.

Unless you know something about this. 

Krystal: Well, I was actually going to say as soon as you started talking, I was going to say, you know, I had to learn, that's why I had burnout. I mean, I studied psychology, behavioral health, you see symptoms of burnout. And you're like, that's not it, until you experience it.

And then I didn't learn from the first one, I had it a second time and a third time. And I thought, each time it showed up differently. The first time it was like, I could understand, there were these stressors. The second time. Surprised me and it was more of like my sleep domain and just like those types of things racing mine I'm like, okay each episode I've had to learn a different skill And you know, I've talked with colleagues about this at times where it's like we know better like we know the science We know the checklist.

We know the warning signs and yet it happens because as you're going through it You're so focused on something else. You're missing that signs And, you know, I've been very fortunate with my husband, um, has supported me through burnout. But even the other time he goes, I think you need to check in with yourself.

Like, cause he started to notice some of the things even before I did, because much to your point, I was so driven that, you know, this is the right thing. I'm doing the right work. You know, I'll just get through this one project or the next three months, then it's okay. And he was like, no, the cost is too big.

And he walked in and he goes, quit your job. And I never thought I would. I wrote my resignation letter 10 minutes later. I had no idea what life would plan after that. But it was just, he saw it, and I'd been there before, and I was like, I don't want to do that again. But, you know, to learn, to learn a lot from that.

And I think it leads back to the conversation, too. You always have these checklists or these diagrams. But then when you're living it, there's these other factors that sometimes you downplay or you dampen what you're experiencing with something else. And for me, that was This was my work. I am driven to do these types of things.

This is what I know I can contribute really well to and then be like, but I can't do well if I'm not taking care of myself well enough to show up to do the work. And that's when I realized, you know, it's, it's a balance. And so now you have to be more mindful of that to cultivate the balance. And I am grateful for the support network I've had where they were like Krystal, like red flags here.

Like you're not seeing it, but you know, getting support from others where you can and. That's a big part of the conversation too. 

Roger: Well, I'm going to lean into the systems thinking part of your superpower there, because yes, we need to take care of ourselves. Yes, we need to take care of and how we show up with the people around us.

And then there's the overarching environment or context in which we're doing it. And if any of those things are out of alignment, that would probably either lead to apathy on one end of the spectrum or burnout on the other. Would you agree with that? 

Krystal: Yeah, and I think, you know, that's the part where it's much back to what we talk about, like those external factors beyond us versus what we can control, and it's sometimes we're not in the best environments for ourselves, and that can be Organizational structure.

It can be, you know, the leadership, it could also be the type of work you're doing or the scenario or the demands based on what you're balancing outside of your work life, the other bulk of it, the bulk of your time is where it's going and really having to recognize, you know, where are those points? of resistance, because, you know, there's a lot of times where, I mean, I'm sure you see the different statistics on why people leave jobs, either their immediate supervisor, they're feeling disengaged with their work, and it's like, you know, there's an extent that you can do the inner work and do those things, but then it's also if you're not in an environment or the setting that you're type where you can thrive, if you're able to change that, how different Well, most of us can anticipate how we think we'll do in a particular environment or on a task based on our previous experience.

Then we get in and we're like, this is not the fit. This is not where I can do my best self. And so realizing a lot of that is when we enter experiences, we can take what we need from it. But it's okay to leave behind what we don't need, uh, in those environments and to recognize, you know, what are those differentiating factors that in the next place would set you up for better success.

And I think people know that when you've been in the right place with the right people on the right work, how different that project feels though, and it's kind of like. Oh, I have to do this. This is the team you're assigned to. And then, you know, there's unnecessary, like organizational barriers that just make it really a challenge, how different that feels in the context of your work and also your energy and it affects the whole flow of your life.

It's not a good fit. You don't always need to explain why you can feel it and that it's okay to listen to yourself and to guide you to the next thing that that's better for you. 

Roger: So, Krystal, what do you know to be true about your superpower of purpose driven systems thinking? 

Krystal: I know that it guides the work that I do or the projects that I want to spend time on, even the way I'll volunteer for things.

So, I like to see it like It has to be part of something bigger. I don't like doing smaller tasks, but when I can see the big vision and know, and, you know, work with other people that are just as excited, cause you know, in those social groups and contexts, I get to learn so much from other people that are getting, you know, joy and fulfillment and purpose out of similar work and seeing how that shows up from them and thinking, I can learn a lot here.

You know, we all have, our time is very limited. But when we want to be giving of that and recognizing with your time goes your energy and time is one of your big resources, but it's filling you up in the same way. So a lot of times people are like, do you have time for that? And I'm like, I do. It's in alignment.

If it is in alignment of what I want to do, like, I don't even have to think about it. It's an absolute yes. 

Roger: What did you believe early on about your superpower that you've come to learn to not be true? 

Krystal: I think it was one where I. Just didn't know how to articulate it to other people. And I mentioned earlier as I didn't know other people weren't seeing things as clearly as I was.

And even after having, you know, conversations and hearing, you know, what are their barriers? What is their like point of contention and trying to understand their perspective, but then still not knowing how can't they link that to what we're doing here? Like what this vision is, you know, just cause I didn't realize it was so crystallized for me. No pun intended until I'm talking to a lot of mentors feedbacks. But I think through that process was learning. What are your own strengths? How it can be perceived by others? And then how do you help mitigate some of that in relationships and different work dynamics and preferences that other people have to still contribute to a collaborative nature and teamwork and those types of things?

So it's been a lot of inner work, I would think, after getting feedback to know. But we always I would say this is the lifelong journey, right? We're always going to be learning about ourselves and others. 

Roger: So what's next for you and your superpower of purpose driven systems thinking? 

Krystal: No, I could say in the context of the work here at Virtual Brain Health Center, it's really, the mission was simple.

We wanted to share brain health with people and we targeted Northeast Ohio. That's my physical location. That was. We're in my Rolodex of business context for the first couple of years, but now to realize we've had a global impact over a hundred countries, nearly every state of people joining us for some type of education and awareness around brain health.

So I always look at how do we make this bigger and making it accessible. And one more, you know, resource that I think people value and trust the information they can get and get access to. Other experts that might not even be in their own country, recognizing how, you know, the topics we have are applicable to many people, but there are nuances to it, and that this is new and different information for very many people that tune in.

Roger: Are you ready for the lightning round? 

Krystal: Sure! Gonna get the brain work out, right? 

Roger: Right, right. So fill in the blank. Purpose driven systems thinking is 

Krystal: Aligning goals and purpose to something bigger that you're contributing to. 

Roger: Who in your life provides purpose driven system thinking for you? 

Krystal: I learn a lot about this from my immediate social network.

So my very close loved ones, my husband, my mom, a couple of my best friends that really can Have spent time knowing me. And I like to say beyond that they knew my heart. 

Roger: Is there a practice that helps you grow, nurture, and renew your ability to be a purpose driven system thinker? 

Krystal: For me, I really have to lean in.

to the relaxation components of health and well being. So much we focus on what keeps us stimulated and engaged. I manage my own, um, chronic health conditions that are brain based, and so I really have to make sure I focus on the breaks, the downtime, quiet time, meditation, gentle movement. And so it's really making sure, I mean, those are the things that you're most willing to sacrifice, right?

When you're busy, I'll get this done and I could get one less hour of sleep. I can't do that. It starts a very slippery slope for me on I've spent time having to really get sleep back on track. I'd like to not do that again. So, you know, really having to lean into those relaxation types of practices and making sure.

Those aren't the first things I sacrifice when life gets busy and hectic. 

Roger: If a listener wanted to ask you a question or follow up with you, where do you want to point them to? 

Krystal: You can find us at virtualbrainhealthcenter.com. So simple website, the name of what the work that we do at the center there, and you'll find my contact information all from there.

You can find social media. or direct email. So just check us out at virtualbrainhealthcenter. com. 

Roger: And to learn more, definitely check out the Let's Talk Brain Health podcast. You go from topics that are, um, very applicable to Everyone and then some of the conversations get really deep. You use really big academic words that I have to look up, but you know, that's all learning and good for me.

Uh, but I, I find the podcast to be super helpful to really help like you with the work that you do around brain health. I think is really super important because not only it helps us experience life, be able to be present, but then also have the, um, the capabilities to reach into and find. All those crayons of emotions and to learn our relationship with those emotions, as well as to, um, what I'm really focused on with this whole podcast series is understanding more about what's possible for us.

And how do we drive more towards those possibilities? And if, you know, physically, emotionally, and, and, and cognitively, all things need to be working well. And as we said earlier, physical health, we've learned about, you know, our whole lives, about eating well and exercising and sleeping. And the brain is just another part of that physical being.

And we need to take care of it and need some things that, yes, it benefits from sleep, diet, exercise, but there's other things that we need to do to train this muscle a little bit differently. And I really appreciate all the work you're doing because it's benefiting me. It's benefiting the people we work with and to your purpose.

It's for, it's for everyone. So it's going to benefit everyone. So I wanted to say thank you for the work that you're doing and thank you for sharing your wisdom with us here today. 

Krystal: And thank you so much for being a part of this podcast. I love every conversation where I hope it inspires people to prioritize their own brain.

Walk into the conversation on brain health, because just like you said, it's one for all of us, and we always joke, who do we work for? Anyone with a brain. So please join us in that conversation and continue to talk about ways to take care of your one and only brilliant brain as well. 

Roger: Krystal, thank you so much.

Be well.

Thank you all for being in this conversation, and thank you, Dr. Krystal, for sharing your wisdom and your experiences with us. The question I'm asking myself after the conversation is how can I be sure I'm creating balance between all the things in my life So I can ensure my physical emotional and mental well being are prioritized and stay healthy What do you know to be true as a three blue pens production?

I'm your host Roger Kastner and we are recording on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people to discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on Please go to native hyphen lands. ca be well, my friends. And as always love, you mean it.