Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan

- So like, how do you know that good science is happening here?

Like, how would you tell a, a regular Joe how to think about a big headline that says your microbiome is causing your anxiety?

For - Instance, the first and important principle is there's never gonna be one solution.

Wellbeing is not a one solution kind of problem.

It's always gonna come down to a, a, you know, a, a wealth of things that need to happen, right?

So we're, we just highlighted a lot human connection here.

But you need the exercise and you need the, the good diet.

And that also doesn't mean that you have to have everything done perfectly.

You don't have to sleep exactly eight hours every night, but on average you should sleep.

- But ironically, our brains are looking for shortcuts.

And so, and we have these cognitive biases that are driving us to crave yes, certainty over uncertainty and certainty often comes in a great one-liner that's like, you sleep eight hours and eat kale twice a day, you'll feel 90% better.

- I I'm the same way, right?

I, I, and I'm a systems person and you constantly think I have to do everything otherwise, what's the meaning of doing anything?

And the reality is you are constantly tweaking your own system all the time.

And anyone who comes and says, I've got the vitamin, I've got the pill, I've got the food that's gonna solve all your problems.

That is clearly not the answer.

- Not to be trusted, - Not to be trusted, but understanding yourself well enough to know where is my best nudge?

Is it gonna be something that helps me get a little more exercise or helps me avoid that can of soda, you know, at lunch every day?

Those are small nudges that can make a big difference.

You really want to pay attention to some of the big ones, right?

Do I get basic amounts of sleep?

Do I have the basic relationships that are this are a foundation of solid mental health, or do I have to address those, whether it's a bad boss situation or a bad domestic situation?

- I think the bread analogy works.

You need salt and bread in order for bread to taste like bread.

But if you, but you, the bread doesn't taste salty.

But if you remove the salt, there's no, the, the bread just tastes weird.

- Salt doesn't cause bread.

- No salt doesn't cause bread.

And here's another thing.

You know, what does also influence bread?

Anyone who's a bread baker really knows this.

The temperature of your oven specifically and the amount of humidity in the air and how much yeast is in the air.

Context, - Context, context.

- But those aren't part of recipes.

So really most causes of health or illness are emergent from all of these pieces.