The One Mental Exercise Miley Cyrus Says Literally Saved Her Life
Superstar Miley Cyrus took to Instagram Live on March 16 with Dr. Daniel Amen to talk about ways to deal with the stress, anxiety, and fear of the coronavirus pandemic. During the 45-minute show, Miley revealed to her 105 million Instagram followers that she has been seeing Dr. Amen—a psychiatrist, brain-imaging expert, and 12-time New York Times bestselling author—since she was about 16 or 17.
The inspiring discussion prompted hundreds of reactions from her followers, including:
“This is making me feel much better ?”
“This is making me smile”
“Didn’t know how helpful this would be. THANK YOU!”
Together they went through Dr. Amen’s BRIGHT MINDS program, which he describes in his new book The End of Mental Illness, to help people boost brain health and mental well-being. And Miley, in her usual style, put her own unique spin on it. Here are 11 takeaways from the conversation.
B is for Blessings/Curses of Social Media:
The blessings? During this time of “social distancing” social media allows us to connect with loved ones. The curse? You can get sucked into a vortex of negativity from hateful posts.
R is for Reliable Sources:
There’s a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 out there. Dr. Amen offers his suggestions for trustworthy sources for information and updates, including the CDC, WHO, Mayo Clinic, and Johns Hopkins.
I is for Immune Boosters:
Easy ways to shore up immunity? Laughter, vitamin D, and getting some sunshine. Watch the talk on YouTube to find out how Miley is planning to boost her immune system.
G is for Getting Active:
Just 10 minutes of exercise can decrease worry and boost mood. If you’re stuck at home, you can do planks, jumps, and squats to get your blood flowing.
H is for Healthy Anxiety:
A little anxiety and worry are okay, and in fact, it’s actually healthy. A longevity study found that “don’t worry, be happy” types die the earliest from accidents and preventable illnesses. As Miley says, “they’re the ones that will infect others and end up hurting the vulnerable by saying ‘I’m young, this doesn’t affect me.’”
T is for Thoughts & Attention and Toxins:
Just like you don’t want people coughing or sneezing on you, you don’t want people coughing or sneezing toxic information or unnecessary drama on you. Keep your distance from toxic people.
M is for Memories:
You can feel great anytime, anywhere. Think of beautiful memories that can anchor you wherever you are that helps you get over feelings of sadness or anxiety. Watch their chat to learn how to do this.
I is for Inflammation:
Inflammation is a disaster for your body and brain. It’s a major cause of depression and Alzheimer’s disease. On the Insta Live chat, you can find out the #1 pro-inflammatory food and the one thing many people turn to when they’re stressed that is toxic to the healthy bugs in your gut.
N is for Negative Thoughts:
Our thoughts are automatic and overwhelmingly negative. According to Dr. Amen, whenever you have automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), your brain releases chemicals that make you feel mad, sad, or out of control. Dr. Amen taught Miley a simple exercise to keep the ANTs from infesting her mind. “This is an exercise that literally I think saved my life 10 years ago when I first started seeing you at 16 or 17,” Miley says. “ANTs were completely invading my brain. I believed every single one that crawled into my skull. I believed every stupid thought.”
D is for Dedicating 15 Minutes to Something New:
Whenever you learn something new, your brain makes new connections. For Miley, learning something new makes her hopeful and “it just makes you feel good about yourself.” Learn why Dr. Amen says you shouldn’t just binge watch TV while you’re sheltering at home.
S is for Sleep:
While you’re sleeping, your brain isn’t resting. It’s hard at work performing processes that help you feel sharper. Check out Miley’s interview with Dr. Amen to discover the things that prevent you from getting REM sleep—the sleep that’s good for creativity—and what you can do to get better rest.
“We have to accept that we don’t have all the answers.”
“If each of us does our part to not spread disease and to protect the vulnerable then we can actually make a really big difference. It gives us a lot of optimism.”
At Amen Clinics, we take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating patients who are suffering from anxiety, depression, and obsessive worrying. If you want to join the tens of thousands of people who have already enhanced their brain health, overcome their symptoms, and improved their quality of life at Amen Clinics, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
