Meet the Four Circles of Brain Health

Brain health isn’t about hacks, supplements, or becoming a monk. According to Dr. Daniel Amen’s work and taught at Amen University, it comes down to four simple circles. You don’t need to perfect them. You just need to work with them.

Think of it like this: ignore one circle for too long, and the others start wobbling.

Let’s break it down 👇

This is the hardware.

If your brain were a startup, this would be uptime, bandwidth, and power supply.

Includes:

FYI reality check:
You can’t out-meditate bad sleep. Or out-think low blood sugar.

Tiny win to try today:
Drink water before coffee. Your brain is ~80% water. Treat it like it.

This is the software.

Your thought patterns quietly shape how your brain shows up at work, at home, and under pressure.

Includes:

FYI reality check:
Your brain believes you. Even when you’re wrong.

Tiny win to try today:
When a negative thought pops up, ask: “Is this helpful?”
(Not “Is this true?” — that comes later.)

Your brain evolved for connection. Isolation hits it like a bad software update.

Includes:

FYI reality check:
Who you spend time with affects how your brain feels before you realize it.

Tiny win to try today:
Text one person who makes you feel more like yourself.

This isn’t about religion. It’s about why you get up.

Brains do better when they know they’re part of something bigger.

Includes:

FYI reality check:
A busy life without meaning is still exhausting.

Tiny win to try today:
Ask yourself: “What actually matters this week?”
Then protect one hour for it.

These four circles aren’t separate. They’re connected.

When one improves, the others tend to follow.
When one gets ignored, friction shows up everywhere else.

As Dr. Amen teaches, brain health comes down to these four circles — you don’t need to master them, just start paying attention.