HEALTH & WELLNESS

PRACTITIONER'S
BRAIN
TOOLKIT
HAND-PICKED TOOLS FOR
USING NEUROSCIENCE
WISELY
With Dr Sarah McKay
Founder of The Neuroscience Academy
 This Toolkit brings together my hand-picked list of evidence-based
neuroscience tools, resources and strategies that you can start
applying in your health, wellness or coaching practice today.

You can use this toolkit to help you and the people you work with flourish, accomplish
great things, reach goals, and take steps towards living healthy, creative and fulfilling
lives. 

Welcome to Based on the Bottom-Up, Outside-In, Top-Down Model of brain health there are 7 key

The habits I believe you should adopt to promote a highly healthy brain and flourishing life.

Brain Health For each habit, I’ve included a hand-picked list of recommended resources, books,
articles or links, including:

Practitioner's -  A book to read 

Toolkit -  A TED-talk watch, or a podcast to listen to 

-  An academic paper to read 
-  A blog post to enjoy or website to explore 
-  An app or resource to download 

These tools will expand your knowledge, help get up to speed on a particular topic,
AND give you strategies to start implementing brain wellbeing practices with your
clients, patients, or students.
The relationship between our health and wellbeing, our inner world of feelings and
thoughts, and the world around us are complex. Include the brain in this complex
equation — the most intricate of living structures, one that enabled humans to walk
on the moon, map the human genome, and compose masterpieces of literature, art,
and music — and it’s hardly a surprise confusion reigns! 

You may wonder: 

-  How does your brain affect the health of your body and mind?

-  How do your relationships, your innermost thoughts and feelings, and your
interactions with the world around you impact your brain?  'Bottom-Up
-  How do you explain all this to patients, clients or students in a simple way?  Outside-In
One useful way I like to think about the many elements that influence the health of
the brain (and vice-versa) is what I call the BOTTOM-UP OUTSIDE-IN TOP-DOWN
Top-Down' 
MODEL OF BRAIN HEALTH.
Model of
Brain Health
BOTTOM-UP ELEMENTS are the biological or physiological determinants of brain
health and include genes, hormones, the immune system, nutrition, exercise, and
other lifestyle choices.

OUTSIDE-IN ELEMENTS include social and environmental factors, stress, life

events, education, current circumstances, and family background.

TOP-DOWN ELEMENTS include thoughts, emotions, mindset, and belief systems.

BOTTOM-UP OUTSIDE-IN TOP-DOWN
MODEL OF BRAIN HEALTH.
The Bottom-Up, Outside-In, Top-Down Model provides you a simple guide to untangling the many complex interacting aspects of
the mind, brain, body, health and wellbeing.

Once you’ve mastered the model,

 
I’m often asked questions such as: “What is a cure for depression?”, “Is meditation the best way to relax?”, “Does sugar cause
Alzheimer’s disease?”, or “How do our thoughts influence our immune system?”

 There are no simple answers to any of these questions, but the Bottom-Up, Outside-In, Top-Down Model can be used as a basic
foundation.

For example:

Meditation is a Top-Down way to access the relaxation response (by using your mind to activate the parasympathetic nervous
system). But you can ALSO activate the relaxation response using Bottom-Up techniques such as exercise, deep breathing or
progressive muscle relaxation. Or you can activate the relaxation response using Outside-In techniques such as seeking social
support (perhaps having a laugh with friends).

Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of ageing. You can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. There are many
lifestyle factors involved. Some factors are Bottom-Up such as exercising more and eating a Mediterranean-style diet. Others are
Outside-In such as having strong social support networks and reducing stress. Top-Down elements include staying intellectually
engaged.

The Bottom-Up, Outside-In, Top-Down Model can also be used to explain how our thoughts impact our physical health. Our mind is
directly connected to the immune system via our brain and peripheral nervous system. Your nervous system IS the ‘connection’
between mind and body! 
 Looking for a fun way to explain to KIDS
how thoughts and feelings interact in their
brain?

Check out this article from Dr Hazel Harrison:  

How to Teach Your Kids about the Brain. Laying strong

foundations for emotional intelligence.

When children understand what’s happening in the brain, it can

be the first step to having the power to make choices.

Knowledge can be equally powerful to parents too. Knowing

how the brain works means we can also understand how to
respond when our children need our help.
 Based on my Bottom-Up, Outside-In, Top-Down Model of brain health there are 7 key
habits I believe you should adopt to promote a highly healthy brain and flourishing life.

These 7 habits of highly healthy brains (in order of importance) are:

7 habits for Bottom-Up: Sleep, Move, Nourish.

Outside-In: Calm, Connect

brain health, Top-Down: Challenge, Believe.

  

wellbeing &   For each habit, I’ve included a hand-picked list of recommended resources, books,
articles or links for you. Tools include:
a flourishing life
• A book to read
• A TED-talk watch, or a podcast to listen to
• An academic paper to read
• A blog post to enjoy or website to explore
• A app or resource to download

These tools will expand your knowledge, help get up to speed on a particular topic,
AND give you strategies to start implementing brain wellbeing practices with your
clients, patients, or students.
01
Sleep should be a priority, not a luxury. Instead, it's overlooked and underappreciated.
Sleep deprivation (even a few hours a night) impacts cognition (thinking), mood, memory and
learning and leads to chronic disease. Sleep is essential for consolidating memories and for
draining waste products from the brain.  
Not only do we under-sleep, we under-consume natural light during the day and over-consume
artificial light at night leaving our natural circadian rhythms, hormones and immune systems
dysregulated.
My personal brain hack - a short afternoon nap - consolidates memory, sparks creativity and
smooth your rough emotional edges (no guru, course or app required!). 

A book to read
The Complete Guide to a Good Night's Sleep by Carmel Harrington. 2014. 

Sleep A TED talk to watch

Indulge your neurobiology TEDxNorthernSydneyInstitute by Dr Sarah McKay. In this talk I discuss
how I use afternoon naps to improve memory, spark creativity and regulate my emotions.

An academic paper to peruse

Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning
alertness. Chang et al., PNAS (2015) 112(4):1232-1237. A paper on the use of screens in the evening
and how it negatively impacts sleep, health and wellbeing.

A website to explore
Healthy Sleep - Harvard Medical School, Sleep Science Health and Education Program.

A tool to use
Sleep Genius App – includes a relaxation program, alarm and sleep reporter.
02 The best exercise for your brain is physical exercise. Daily exercise increases blood flow to the
brain. Exercise triggers the release of brain-derived neurotophic factor (BDNF), which promotes
neuronal growth and survival, reduces inflammation, and supports the formation of long-term
memories.
Exercise reduces the risk of dementia (and other chronic lifestyle diseases), acts as an anti-
depressant, and regulates mood. Our brains evolved to support bodies that move through, make
sense of, and respond to the natural world around us. A simple walk outdoors gets you away
from digital devices and into nature. You’ll do your best thinking when walking. 

A book to read

Move
Spark!: How exercise will improve the performance of your brain by Eric Hagerman & Dr John J.
Ratey (2008). Little, Brown and Company.

A podcast to listen to
Exercise promotes brain plasticity is an excellent interview with Dr John Ratey (listen to it while you
walk!). 

An academic paper to peruse

Exercise for depression. Rimer et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 7, 2012. 

A blog post to enjoy

Exercise Is ADHD Medication By James Hamblin (The Atlantic)

A tool to use
Steps to encourage exercise in depressed patients (PDF download for professionals).
03 A healthy brain requires a healthy well-nourished body.
Research points towards a plant-based Mediterranean-style diet of consisting of vegetables, fruit
and legumes, fish, some meat, olive oil and nuts as optimal nourishment for brain health. The
same diet improves mood and may lift depression. 
Wine and coffee in moderation (yes, really!) prevent cognitive decline, memory loss and protect
against dementia. Plus, the little pleasures in life are important too!

A book to read
The Brain Bible, by John Arden (2014), McGraw-Hill Education.

Nourish A video to watch

ABC Catalyst – Gut Reaction. A two-part show on the health of our guts and their microbiome. Gut
Reaction Part 1.  Gut Reaction Part 2.

An academic paper to peruse

Mediterranean diet improves cognition: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomised trial. Martínez-
Lapiscina et al., J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 84: 1318-1325, 2013.

A article to read
This Is Your Brain on Gluten. This is an excellent take on the hysteria around eating bread and
whether it REALLY causes dementia. By James Hamblin for The Atlantic.

A tool to use
Get started on eating right for your brain here.
04 Not all stress is bad, but chronic or toxic stress, especially life events that are out of our control,
have deleterious effects. The key to buffering stress is to find ways to improve your perceived
ability to cope with whatever life throws your way.
Find peace amidst the chaos. Find your place or moment of calm. Do something pleasurable. The
most pleasure is to be found in doing something you’re reasonably good at and that also poses
some degree of challenge.
Walking, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation (Bottom Up). Laugh with friends or
listen to music (Outside In). Meditate, practice mindfulness, or read a good book. (Top Down)  

A book to read
Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom, by Rick Hansen (2009),

Calm
New Harbinger Publications.

A TED talk to watch

How to make stress your friend, by Kelly McGonigal.

An academic paper to peruse

The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Tang et al., Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16: 213–
225, March 2015.

A website to explore
Does meditation stress you out? Here’s what I do instead. By Sarah McKay

A tool to use
Smiling Mind App. Smiling Mind is modern meditation for young people. It is a unique web and
App-based program, designed to help bring balance to young lives.
05
We are born as social animals and have a fundamental need for human warmth and connection
throughout our lifespan. Having supportive friends, family and social connections helps you live a
longer, happier and healthier life.
Loneliness and social isolation have comparable impacts on health and survival as smoking. 
Love and friendship is Outside-In brain health practices that reduces the harmful effects of stress
and require many complex cognitive functions such as thinking, feeling, sensing, reasoning and
intuition.

A book to read
The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain, by Louis
Cozolino (2014), Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology.

Connect A video to watch

BrainCraft – the love and relationships series. Vanessa Hill talks psychology, neuroscience and
why we act the way we do in her crafty and clever YouTube series.

An academic paper to peruse

The pain of social disconnection: examining the shared neural underpinnings of physical and social
pain. Eisenberger, NI, Nature Reviews Neuroscience 13: 421-434, June 2012

A website to explore
How your friends reduce your risk of dementia. By Sarah McKay

A tool to use
Neural Knitworks ‘knit-ins’ are based on the idea yarn craft, with its mental challenges, social
connection and mindfulness, helps keep our brains healthy. Gather together a group of friends and
create knitted woolly neurons! 
 06
Adults who regularly challenge their minds and stay mentally active throughout life have
healthier brains and are less likely to develop dementia.
ILife-long education and purposeful intellectually challenging work build cognitive reserve (the
capacity to cope better and keep working properly if any brain cells are damaged or die).
Choose mentally challenging activities that you can practice regularly, are reasonably complex
and take you out of your cognitive comfort zone. Try activities that combine mental, social and
physical challenges.  

A book to read
Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power, by Dan Hurley. (2014). Wiley.

Challenge A TED talk to watch

Redesign My Brain with Todd Sampson Series 1 Episode 1. 

An academic paper to peruse

Computerized cognitive training in cognitively healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-
analysis of effect modifiers. Lampit et al  PLoS Med. 2014 Nov 18;11(11)

A blog post to explore

10 ways to keep your brain young. By Sarah McKay

A tool to use
Walking Book Club A Walking Book Club is a little like a regular book club, except you and your
book club take your meeting outside and walk while you talk. The beauty and simplicity of a
Walking Book Club is that it covers three essentials to a healthy brain – mental, physical and social
activity 
07
Seek your north star, your passion, your bliss, your inner voice, your wisdom, your calling.
Whatever you call it, research has found that people who score high on life purpose live longer,
healthier and more fulfilling lives.
Do extraordinary things! Set fantastic, passionate goals and work like crazy to achieve them.
Find your place of flow—that sweet spot where you so intensely and completely focus on the
present moment and the task at hand and that time passes effortlessly. Some say flow is the point
of life. 

A book to read
Live What You Love: When Passion and Purpose Change Your Life, by Naomi Simson (2015),
Harlequin Enterprises

A TED talk to watch

Believe TED talk – How to live to be 100+, by Dan Buettner. To find the path to long life and health, Dan
Buettner and team study the world’s ‘Blue Zones’

An academic paper to peruse

Effect of a Purpose in Life on Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment in
Community-Dwelling Older Persons. Boyle, PA et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry, 67(3): 304-310, March
2010.

A blog post to enjoy

Your life’s purpose. Why finding your passion is essential to maintaining brain health. By
Sarah McKay
A tool to use
VIA strengths finder. A very powerful way to look at yourself and others is through the lens of
character strengths.
Dementia Info for Professionals 
Dementia is not a normal part of ageing, it is a chronic, progressive and terminal
disease.  To learn more about dementia & tools for health professionals visit
Alzheimer’s Australia Health Professionals Resources.

Send your patients or clients to the non-professional site: Your Brain Matters or
download the App. Includes plenty of quizzes to get their synapses firing!  
Additional
Mental Health Info for Professionals
Black Dog Institute offers health and wellness professionals education workshops,
Resources 
online training programs, and information about diagnosing and managing mood
disorders.
for 
Health & Wellness 
For the Men & Blokes  
Man Therapy is a tool designed to help men with their mental health. Therapy from Professionals 
the creators of pork chops and fighter jets.  

For the Kids & Teens

headspace is the Australian youth mental health foundation providing early
intervention mental health services to 12-25 year olds.  Provides face-to-face and
online services.

Batyr. All about improving the mental health of young Australians with programs
that encourage young people reach out for help when they need it.
 Want to learn more?
THE NEUROSCIENCE ACADEMY 
is a 10-week online professional development program.

I provide step-by-step training on how to use neuroscience

wisely in your life and work. 

Up your game professionally, and differentiate yourself from

others working in the coaching, health and wellness
industries with The Neuroscience Academy certificate.  

20 hours CPD/CME for professional development.

www.theneuroacademy.com
Email me at [email protected] 
Twitter: @SarahMMcKay