Dr. Andrew Belaveshkin

  Memory and five kinds of mental garbage. It ensures that we never forget how to ride a bike — a truly wonderful aspect. But it also means we can’t escape the far less pleasant memories: the sting of a shameful failure, the deep roots of ideological indoctrination, learned helplessness, addiction, and our entrenched beliefs and judgments. All this mental debris accumulates over time, making us more rigid, narrow-minded, and less curious. We miss out on opportunities and lose the joys available to us. As Alvin Toffler wisely noted, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”   Throughout our lives, we accumulate significant “mental garbage.” Consider the following: 1. Seligman’s dog or learned helplessness. Like Harlow’s monkeys in the “pit of despair”, we fail to act in situations where we have all the necessary means because past actions were punished or rendered futile. The ...

  Shatapawali. Take a walk after each meal Doctors in various cultures have come to the same advice of walking after meals (although they explained it differently). In Ancient China, a proverb advised “Fan hou bai bu zou, huo dao jiu shi jiu, ” meaning take 100 steps after eating if you want to live until 99 years old. In India, there even existed a specific term — shatapawali (Shatapawali), which literally means “hundred steps” (after eating).  And Hippocrates wrote, “Walking after dinner dries the belly, reduces the accumulation of fat in the abdomen (visceral fat).” In Italy, this is called passeggiata — a leisurely walk for pleasure, often after a meal, especially dinner. Just a 10–15 minute walk after eating is enough to significantly reduce glucose spikes and lower risks. Our muscles act as a buffer that can absorb excess fats and glucose. The problem is that when we sit or lie down, our major muscles are not active.  Even moderate physical activity incre...

  What is this ancient wellness device? This large cylindrical bamboo object is called a bamboo wife. Koreans have been using it to keep cool at night for thousands of years. Heat bothers us not only during the day but also at night. The hotter it is, the harder it is for us to fall asleep and sleep soundly. In addition to light cycles, our body is also regulated by temperature. To fall asleep quickly, we must cool down and shed excess heat. The temperature should also change during different phases of sleep. Core temperature generally needs to drop before you can reach the state of deep sleep. If your core temperature is too high, however, it is complicated for your brain to tell if you’re awake or asleep, which may directly affect the quality of your sleep. High temperatures can increase arousal and decrease slow-wave sleep (“deep sleep”), the physically restorative stage of sleep. For an adult, the optimal temperature is 16–20 degrees Celsius, and anything above ...

How weekends make you gain weight. Do you strictly follow all the rules of healthy eating but still see no results? You may have fallen into the weekend trap. Studies show that people tend to overeat in the second half of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and these three days can completely undo all your efforts.   Research shows that people aged 19 to 50 consume an additional 115 kcal on weekends (Friday to Sunday) compared to weekdays (Monday to Thursday). Over a year, this weekend indulgence can total an extra 17,940 kcal or nearly 2.7 kg. This additional caloric intake primarily comes from alcohol and fats. Three days of overeating can completely negate the effects of four days of dieting, creating a vicious cycle of "starvation-binge" within a single week. This cycle is often exacerbated by reduced physical activity and disruptions in circadian rhythms.         What to Do?   1. Recognize your behavioral patterns and false beliefs.    Identify wh...

How can a turned-off phone be harmful? Yes, this is not a typo)) We all know that smartphone addiction is dangerous for our mental health (increased anxiety, etc.), physical health (sedentary lifestyle), and social health (deterioration of relationships). But it is important to remember that even a turned off phone can have a negative impact on our cognitive abilities and our relationships.   Scientists call this the “mere presence effect”. When a phone is within sight (even if it is upside down), it still leads to us expending additional cognitive resources on it (thinking about who might have messaged or liked something, resisting the temptation to check it, etc.). All of this leaves fewer cognitive resources available for other tasks. Therefore, in studies, participants perform worse on tests of learning, memory, and attention when a phone is within sight compared to when a notebook is within sight. When we talk to people, the presence of a phone (even a turned of...

  “Listen to your gut”. A life hack for intuition or how to activate your gut feeling. For example, you need to make a decision. Place an empty plate in front of you. Take a knife and fork. Imagine that the problem you’re facing is on the plate and you’re eating it. Cut it into pieces, bring it to your mouth, chew carefully, and listen to your feelings and responses: is it easy to chew? Is it easy to swallow? What kind of sensation arises in your stomach? Just half a minute is enough. Put down your utensils, and lean back in your chair. What aftertaste do you feel? Sniff! What is the smell? Do you like it? This method helps to identify and realize hidden fears and doubts produced by your amygdala (the life hack is taken from the personal experience of an investor who refuses a seemingly rational and profitable deal that didn’t pass the edibility test). I would like to remind you again that intuition works in social and professional areas (where you are not a speciali...

How integrated of a person are you? There is a simple way to assess this quickly. Write down everything you do in your life and evaluate it based on several criteria:   1. I want to do this (wanting): you get dopamine from it, feel attracted and drawn to it, and motivated. 2. I enjoy doing this (liking): you experience immediate pleasure doing it here and now (serotonin-oxytocin-endorphins), savor the action, and enjoy it. 3. It is useful for me to do this (needing): the prefrontal cortex calculates the long-term results, the outcomes of actions (especially long-term) are important to you, they strengthen your resilience, increase your resources, and promote survival (including social actions, since we survive as a group, not as individuals). Does what I do strengthen or weaken me? 4. I am doing (or not doing) this: do I have something important that I am not doing? Are my useful actions a way to avoid essential actions? Am I doing enough to achieve my goals? Why do ...

The problem with holiday-associated weight gain is that it doesn't end with the holidays. Such holidays can be several days in a row, birthdays, long weekends and anything else.    Long-term observations show that weight gained during the New Year period accounts for 60-70% of annual weight gain. On average, people gain 0.37 kg, and this weight doesn't disappear afterward—returning to a regular eating routine doesn’t lead to its loss. While young people may not gain weight, their body fat percentage increases.     Why are the New Year holidays so dangerous for long-term weight trends? It's not just one day but 7-12 days in a row, packed with gatherings with friends, office parties, family get-togethers, New Year celebrations, one or two Christmases, Old New Year, all combined with reduced physical activity and the rush to fit everything in. During this period, caloric intake often doubles or even triples over several days.   While a single episode of overeating...

  1. If you would be outraged if someone tried to take control of your body, then why do you allow anyone to control your thoughts and judgments? You let others shake your beliefs and make you doubt without feeling offended or humiliated.       2. Don’t expect events to happen as you wish; instead, train yourself to want everything to happen exactly as it does, and you will be happy.   3. If a desirable object or fantasy disturbs your mind, remind yourself: “You are just a thought, a potential future, not a reality, no matter how much you seem like one.” Then test this thought against your principles: first, determine if the realization of this desire depends solely on you. If it does not, be ready to say, “This does not concern me.”   4. Train yourself to observe what you desire and what you fear, but do so with ease, without force or excessive effort. Every person is a slave to anyone who can give or take away something they desire or fear.   5. The...

 As the days of autumn grow shorter, and the natural colors around us begin to fade, it's important to understand that making kids more visible isn't just about fun—it’s about safety. Data shows that the leading cause of death for children aged 5 to 10 isn’t illness, but accidents—particularly traffic accidents and injuries.   Now, let’s break this down: sure, gray, black, or dark blue jackets might look more stylish, but they’re far less noticeable to drivers. Here’s a key insight: under normal headlights, these standard colors are visible at about 20-30 meters in the dark. In contrast, bright colors combined with reflective elements can be seen from 150 meters away. That distance can literally be the difference between life and death, dramatically reducing the risk of being hit by a vehicle.       This doesn’t just apply to pedestrians—cyclists benefit too, with studies showing that proper visibility reduces the risk of accidents by 55%.   I’ve personally...

You are not the consumer of information, information is consuming your attention. Distraction from phone use is responsible for 14% of all injury-related car crashes and 8% of all fatal accidents. Using a mobile phone while driving forces drivers to focus on an additional task, impairing their ability to drive safely. Drivers who text while driving are eight times more likely to be involved in a crash. This cognitive distraction increases the risk of accidents, reduces hazard detection, and leads to poor situational awareness.       Mobile distractions result in drivers missing up to 50% of the information in their driving environment. Research shows that drivers using cell phones have slower reaction times than those impaired by alcohol. Using a smartphone for social networking – slows reaction time by 37.60%. Texting – slows reaction time by 37.40%. Alcohol – slows reaction time by 10-30%. Hands-free mobile phone conversation – slows reaction time by 26.50%   Liste...

  The Seven Chairs Rule.     The embodiment of the idea of ​​siga-siga is the rule of seven chairs. It represents the desire for leisure and convenience as part of the Mediterranean lifestyle.   Siga siga is a Greek phrase meaning "slowly, slowly," which promotes a relaxed, unhurried approach to life. As a health and anti-stress philosophy, it encourages mindfulness, taking time to enjoy simple pleasures, and reducing anxiety by living at a slower pace.    There is a tradition in Cyprus that to be really comfortable in his coffee shop a man needs seven chairs. One for his stick,one for his coffee, one for each am, one for each leg and one to sit on.   Photo: Cyprus Nicosia 1910      

  Seven ideas for healthy, efficient rest:   1. Preventive rest instead of burnout recovery.  The sooner you start taking breaks and resting, the longer you can work without exhaustion. The idea of "resting only when everything is finished" is flawed. Breaks aren't a waste of time; they’re like "sharpening the saw." Keep your brain in good shape, and don’t overload it.   2. Planned rest instead of whatever comes up.    The ideal rest is one that you plan ahead. Try scheduling recreational activities first in your weekly planner. Outline where and how you'll relax, make time for hobbies and enjoyable tasks. Then, fit your work around that.   3. Changing context instead of monotony.    Working and resting at the same desk is a bad idea. Use different environments for different activities. Traveling somewhere without work-related associations is an effective way to recharge.       4. Take a full rest instead of “half-work.”  ...