Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Brain Health FM with Dr Sui Wong
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The accelerator stuck in traffic | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:22:53 | |
Eight hours at your desk. One meeting closes, the next one opens, Teams pings, emails land, and everything is urgent. No lunch away from the screen, no walk, just a coffee. By the end of the day you've been busy the whole time, and not much has actually moved. In this episode, consultant neurologist Dr Sui Wong explains why a day like that keeps your stress response pressed like an accelerator while you sit in traffic. You'll hear what the research on breathwork does and doesn't show, how slow breathing reaches your autonomic nervous system, and a 90-second practice you can do at your desk without anyone noticing.
0:00 John, and eight hours of busy 1:44 He came about his eyes; it was his nervous system 2:06 The accelerator stuck in traffic 3:49 Deep work versus fragmented attention 4:52 What your body is doing at the desk 5:52 "It's just life, isn't it?" 6:58 What the breathwork research shows, and what it doesn't 9:43 The 90-second practice: where you feel the breath 11:46 A safety note, then breathe along 12:44 Why the pauses matter 13:11 How breathing reaches your autonomic nervous system 14:46 Six breaths a minute and heart rate variability 16:24 One honest limit 16:54 Use the gaps you already have 17:29 Quick-fire Q1: What if my mind won't stop? 18:29 Quick-fire Q2: Is this the same as meditation? 19:17 Quick-fire Q3: Isn't the Wim Hof Method better? 20:35 One small thing: three slow breaths while the screen loads 21:05 If breathwork isn't for you 21:38 Before we close 22:17 Next time: why a holiday doesn't fix it
The problem isn't hard work. It's constant switching: every ping and every jump between tasks presses the stress accelerator while you go nowhere. Slow breathing has evidence behind it for lowering felt stress. The effects are small to moderate, not miraculous, and slowing the breath seems to matter more than the exact ratio of in-breath to out-breath. Try three slow cycles in a gap you already have: in for 4, hold for 2 to 3, out for 6 to 8, hold for 2 to 3. If you're pregnant, or have uncontrolled high blood pressure, a heart or lung condition, or a history of panic attacks, leave out the holds and simply breathe slowly. Fast, forceful breathing (such as Wim Hof style) activates the stress response, so it's not what you need at 4pm when you're already wired. If breathwork isn't for you, stand and stretch, look at something far away, or drink a glass of water slowly. Thursday Tips Get my free Thursday Tips: a short weekly newsletter of brain-performance tips, plus a form to send in questions for future episodes: https://brainhealth.fm/
This podcast is for educational purposes only, not medical advice. If something about your health is worrying you, please see your own doctor. Patient stories on Brain Health FM are not real individuals. Each is an amalgamation of the typical patterns Dr Sui Wong sees in clinic, shared in a storytelling way to illustrate what matters for your brain health.
Monsell S (2003). Task switching. Trends Cogn Sci. DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6613(03)00028-7 · PMID: 12639695 Tsubota K, Nakamori K (1993). Dry eyes and video display terminals. N Engl J Med. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280817 · PMID: 8426634 Lin F, et al. (2006). Effect of different sitting postures on lung capacity, expiratory flow, and lumbar lordosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2005.11.031 · PMID: 16571389 Fincham GW, et al. (2023). Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Sci Rep. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y · PMID: 36624160 Balban MY, et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Rep Med. DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895 · PMID: 36630953 Birdee G, et al. (2023). Slow breathing for reducing stress: The effect of extending exhale. Complement Ther Med. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102937 · PMID: 36871835 Lehrer PM, Gevirtz R (2014). Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it work? Front Psychol. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756 · PMID: 25101026 Hillebrand S, et al. (2013). Heart rate variability and first cardiovascular event in populations without known cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis and dose-response meta-regression. Europace. DOI: 10.1093/europace/eus341 · PMID: 23370966 Lehrer P, et al. (2020). Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Improves Emotional and Physical Health and Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. DOI: 10.1007/s10484-020-09466-z · PMID: 32385728 Kox M, et al. (2014). Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322174111 · PMID: 24799686 Brain Health FM with neurologist Dr Sui Wong New episodes every Tuesday. Dr Sui Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has spent more than 25 years helping tens of thousands of patients. An active clinician-researcher, she also holds qualifications in mindfulness, yoga, movement and lifestyle medicine. She brings what she sees in clinic and what the research shows to the question of how high achievers can get their energy, focus, and clarity back. This podcast is for education purposes only, not individual medical advice. For concerns about your own health, please speak with your doctor. Stories shared in this podcast do not refer to a specific person (unless stated otherwise with the person's permission), but are a representative amalgamation of the patients or patterns seen in Dr Wong's clinic, shared in a storytelling format for educational purposes only. | |||
| If it's not a tumour, what is it? | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:18:31 | |
Headaches most days. A tight neck and shoulders. Thinking that has gone slow, and waking at 4am with the day already running in your head. Sarah searched her symptoms late at night and landed on the worst answer: a brain tumour. Her tests were normal. Then she asked the question this episode is about: "If it's not a tumour, what is it? Because something is wrong with me."
Brain Health FM with neurologist Dr Sui Wong New episodes every Tuesday. Dr Sui Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has spent more than 25 years helping tens of thousands of patients. An active clinician-researcher, she also holds qualifications in mindfulness, yoga, movement and lifestyle medicine. She brings what she sees in clinic and what the research shows to the question of how high achievers can get their energy, focus, and clarity back. This podcast is for education purposes only, not individual medical advice. For concerns about your own health, please speak with your doctor. Stories shared in this podcast do not refer to a specific person (unless stated otherwise with the person's permission), but are a representative amalgamation of the patients or patterns seen in Dr Wong's clinic, shared in a storytelling format for educational purposes only. | |||
| Wired, tired, slow or flow? | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:11:13 | |
Why high achievers feel tired but wired Brain Health FM with neurologist Dr Sui Wong New episodes every Tuesday. Dr Sui Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has spent more than 25 years helping tens of thousands of patients. An active clinician-researcher, she also holds qualifications in mindfulness, yoga, movement and lifestyle medicine. She brings what she sees in clinic and what the research shows to the question of how high achievers can get their energy, focus, and clarity back. This podcast is for education purposes only, not individual medical advice. For concerns about your own health, please speak with your doctor. Stories shared in this podcast do not refer to a specific person (unless stated otherwise with the person's permission), but are a representative amalgamation of the patients or patterns seen in Dr Wong's clinic, shared in a storytelling format for educational purposes only. | |||
| Why this, why now | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:07:44 | |
Why this podcast is for you Brain Health FM with neurologist Dr Sui Wong New episodes every Tuesday. Dr Sui Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has spent more than 25 years helping tens of thousands of patients. An active clinician-researcher, she also holds qualifications in mindfulness, yoga, movement and lifestyle medicine. She brings what she sees in clinic and what the research shows to the question of how high achievers can get their energy, focus, and clarity back. This podcast is for education purposes only, not individual medical advice. For concerns about your own health, please speak with your doctor. Stories shared in this podcast do not refer to a specific person (unless stated otherwise with the person's permission), but are a representative amalgamation of the patients or patterns seen in Dr Wong's clinic, shared in a storytelling format for educational purposes only. | |||
| Teaser: Coming Soon Brain Health FM with Dr Sui Wong | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:03:00 | |
Wired all week, flat all weekend? In this short trailer, consultant neurologist Dr Sui Wong introduces Brain Health FM: energy, focus and performance, a neurologist's practical guide. Who the show is for, what it covers (sleep, stress, blood sugar, movement, and the nervous system running underneath it all), and why working harder at recovery is not the answer. If you've built a demanding career on sharp thinking and lately it costs more to produce, this show is for you. Full episodes start on 1st October. Brain Health FM with neurologist Dr Sui Wong New episodes every Tuesday. Dr Sui Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has spent more than 25 years helping tens of thousands of patients. An active clinician-researcher, she also holds qualifications in mindfulness, yoga, movement and lifestyle medicine. She brings what she sees in clinic and what the research shows to the question of how high achievers can get their energy, focus, and clarity back. This podcast is for education purposes only, not individual medical advice. For concerns about your own health, please speak with your doctor. Stories shared in this podcast do not refer to a specific person (unless stated otherwise with the person's permission), but are a representative amalgamation of the patients or patterns seen in Dr Wong's clinic, shared in a storytelling format for educational purposes only. | |||