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Oh my gosh!
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We can start with our next speaker, that's Casey Watts.
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Hello! Welcome! Thank you for joining us. When I saw your proposal for the talk, I was like, 'Oh my God, this is beautiful. This is going to be awesome!' So for those who don't know Casey yet, you should, but if you don't, he's the author of 'Debugging Your Brain.' This is what he's going to talk about today with us, and it's going to be just awesome. Casey is exactly what I was talking about, you know, like this intersection between humans and technology.
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He has a background as a neurobiologist, studies psychology, and he has been working in software development for about ten years. One of the companies he has worked at is Heroku, so he has a long history of knowing both subjects very well.
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Casey can play ten instruments! I would like to understand how you manage to learn ten instruments; that’s amazing! But the most amazing thing is that he owns one in every color of the rainbow. That's so awesome!
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Thanks, Monica. Hi, I'm Casey. Thanks for coming to this talk! I'm going to tell you a bit about myself, but first I want to mention that this is being recorded. You'll have access to the recording later if you want to go back to anything, so you don't have to worry about taking notes.
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I've also shared a resources document, a Google Doc, in the chat; if you want to grab that, feel free to take notes if you want to, but you don’t need to. I’m trying to make it easy for you.
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Welcome to 'Debugging Your Brain.' I’m going to give you an overview of all the content in my book as much as I can cram into this slot. First, I want to tell you a little about me. I like to blow bubbles. I live in Washington, D.C., where, when we’re not in quarantine, I like to take my crates of bubble equipment to the park and have people have fun.
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I do have instruments in every color. Here you can see a bunch of them at the top. I also love to partner dance, like swing and blues. I used to be a teacher; you might notice some teacher habits in the way I present. I've worked in tech for ten years, most recently at USCIS and Heroku, as a product manager and engineering manager.
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Lately, I'm doing freelance consulting, aiming to help companies create happy and effective teams using psychological techniques for inclusivity and improving team health. I also conduct employee training and coaching similar to the content in this talk today.
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A long time ago, the research I did at Yale involved studying memory in rats, and while I could explain it, that’s not the topic of this talk today, so we’ll skip past that.
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Alright, what is this talk going to look like? I'm going to cover what to debug first, and then we'll do an activity where you can think about how you'll apply this to your own life. After that, we'll go through a whole bunch of techniques on how to debug troubling situations in your brain.
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So, what should we debug? You probably recognize this feeling when negative thoughts lead you to negative feelings, which lead you to more negative thoughts, and you start to feel worse and worse. We call this a downward spiral of negative emotion, and that's the kind of thing we want to avoid. This is a buggy functioning of the brain. Usually, it's counterproductive and not particularly helpful; you want to stop it if you can.
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Another term is rumination, where you're in a bad situation and just keep going in circles, thinking about it over and over. You focus on the negative parts, the causes, and the consequences instead of looking for solutions and trying to be productive about it. It’s hard to do and easy to get stuck in rumination.
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We'll go through some examples of rumination and downward spirals from my own life. One is having an argument at work. Imagine you know a way to solve a problem and your co-worker has a different idea, and you disagree. Maybe you disagree loudly, and then you feel bad about that disagreement at work. You might wonder, 'Am I a good co-worker? Am I being too pushy?' and you could spiral worse.
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Once, my mom snapped at my brother for leaving the door open. If you're a parent, I'm sure you can relate to this; sometimes kids just get on your nerves, and they can be hard to deal with. You may wonder, 'Am I a good parent? Am I parenting well? Am I helping my kid or hurting them?' and you could spiral from that.
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Another example comes from an incident when I was headed to a meet-up event. I was angry, hungry, and wet from rain, running late, and then I stepped into a puddle. I thought a lot of nasty thoughts until I managed to recover and made it to the meet-up.
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So, I’ll post an activity link in the chat. I want you to think of some challenging experiences from the past month when you had or almost had a downward spiral. Then, please share them in the stage chat sidebar. I posted the same content from this slide in the sidebar to help frame the rest of the talk for you. It's important to gather some good examples for this.
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I'll set a timer.
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Feel free to share in the sidebar chat when you're done, and thank you to everyone who has shared.
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Alright, that's been three minutes. If you have something in progress, feel free to share that in the sidebar chat. Otherwise, I'm going to keep moving forward.
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I want to point out that these challenging experiences are real, and nothing we cover today will make the stress completely go away. But we will help you stop having downward spirals and ruminating. The goal is to make things better, not to completely fix everything, because that’s not always possible.
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You probably saw the resources link earlier; it points to these three resources. The left side includes high-level concepts, which are all the lists we'll go through in this talk today.
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The middle resource is a worksheet for a single challenging experience, like the ones you just came up with, allowing you to explore various techniques. The third resource includes one-time activities, like additional reading you can do.
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My big question is, how can we help people deal with these challenging experiences more effectively? There are many options. One of the best is therapy, which acts as a personal trainer for your brain.
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However, there’s still a lot of stigma around therapy, as well as barriers such as financial issues if your health insurance doesn’t cover it. Even if you get coverage and find someone, they may not be a good match, and you may need to shop around to find a therapist who's compatible for you.
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Many people believe you have to have a diagnosed mental illness to go to therapy, but that's not true. Many people seek therapy without any formal diagnosis. You can go and just talk about your life and the stress, and they can help you develop techniques to cope.
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We could cover many of these in this talk, although it’s more like a one-on-one personal trainer situation. You can also learn these skills on your own, using self-help books, podcasts, or videos. If that helps you, that's great, and many people learn these skills through self-help.
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One recommended book is 'Feeling Good' by David Burns, which popularized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to the masses. You don't need to go to therapy to learn these central ideas.
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I wrote my book 'Debugging Your Brain' because I wanted to provide a concise overview of these big ideas, framed in structured ways that developers would appreciate. I'm proud that this book is short—only 90 pages—and it’s also available as an hour-and-a-half audiobook.
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This covers the same content we’re discussing today, just in more detail. I’m also working on a board game version of the book. This format is a lot of fun!
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I love workshops where you can break out and talk to each other, as that’s where you often learn the most. The board game version encourages people to share their problems with friends in a structured way. If you're interested in beta testing this board game, I would love to talk to you later.
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The talk is structured similarly to the board game. We will go from left to right through each of these sections.
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Another important aspect, alongside individual learning or therapy, is the need for community support. You need community to be a healthy human being; nobody can live alone. Research shows that people with stronger social ties and connections generally experience better mental health outcomes and overall happiness.
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What inspired 'Debugging Your Brain,' the book and the board game? Two forms of therapy stand out. One is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is the most common talk therapy and treats many mental illnesses. It’s incredibly powerful and can be as effective as antidepressant medication for treating depression.
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Instead of just calling it therapy, I prefer the term cognitive behavioral training, as therapy carries stigma. This is useful for everyone—everyone can benefit from CBT's ideas. The second therapy I draw ideas from is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), from which I pull in the six levels of validation. We’ll cover that in this talk.
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The six levels of validation are essential for understanding the need to be understood by others for our mental health. That’s my favorite part of this work, going through validation with people, as it can be eye-opening.
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In this talk, we’re going to explore five sections. In technical terms, it’s like debugging; when you hit a breakpoint in introspection, you identify inputs. Processing experiences is like understanding the code and describing it to someone else clearly. Validation resembles writing unit tests to ensure your understanding is correct; cognitive restructuring is like editing the code.
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Let’s start with system modeling the brain. Here's the simplest model—an input-process-output model, which resembles how functions in programming work, having arguments and a return value, plus code in the middle.
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In classic psychology experiments, such as Pavlov’s dog experiment, he trained the dog to associate the ringing of a bell with food. The dog would salivate upon hearing the bell, even when no food was presented. This was interesting because it measured input-output through a scientific lens—humans also have this process, but we like to think we're not just input-output machines.
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Instead, we believe we are in control of our thoughts and emotions; however, often we’re on autopilot, where our habits are what drive our day-to-day functioning. We can switch to a more conscious, mindful mode when necessary, but it requires energy and effort.
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Let me share a useful technique with you called the WHOOP technique. This story reflects it well: my mom once yelled at my brother for not closing the front door. She wanted to work on her introspection and knew this was a moment to pause and reflect.
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During that moment of anger at the door, we expressed our feelings by saying, 'WHOOP!' This prompted her to think about why she was upset and realize she hadn’t eaten all day. Once she recognized that, everything became clearer, and she regained her composure.
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Using the WHOOP technique is akin to hitting a debugger breakpoint in programming; it gives you an opportunity to pause and think rather than continue spiraling. I encourage you to celebrate when you manage to become mindful, even if you’re unsure of your next steps.
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Next, I’ll guide you through an activity. I’ll count down from three, and I want you to shout out 'WHOOP' at home—three, two, one!
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It’s funny; sometimes when I'm alone, I say it out loud or in my head. It can be any prompt that helps you shift gears—it doesn't have to be 'WHOOP.' This is just a memorable way to remember it.
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Next, we'll identify inputs. For this, let's distinguish between inner and outer brain experiences. Think about that poor cat that sees a cucumber and jumps at it out of fear, only to later recognize that it's just a cucumber, nothing to be scared of. In the brain, the limbic system processes emotions rapidly, while the outer brain cortex takes more time to process thoughts and cognitive reactions.
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Keep this in mind when discussing inputs—there are four types to consider in your thought process. The first set of inputs—automatic thoughts and feelings—aren't under your control. Accepting that they happen and learning to deal with them is essential.
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The second set of inputs is thoughts and feelings, especially when they are deliberate, which you can steer. Those are, in some sense, under your influence. You can also adjust some external stimuli, including physical situations or interactions, which count as inputs. Lastly, bodily states—like hunger, lack of sleep, and being unwell—also contribute to what you experience and how you react.
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When you're stressed, it's essential to consider these four types of inputs so that you don’t overlook any significant factors affecting your mood.
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To get better at recognizing these inputs, consider mindfulness meditation. While I'm not going into detail here, plenty of scientific studies support its effectiveness. My doctor recommended mindfulness meditation to me five years ago, and I've found it quite beneficial.
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Meditation might sound a bit spiritual, which some people may dislike, but many find it scientifically effective for gaining comfort with automatic thoughts and feelings. After identifying inputs, your next task is processing experiences.
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We’ll start with thinking, which is less powerful than some other strategies; people often fall into thinking without employing other techniques. While thinking can sometimes help, it also risks leading to downward spirals and rumination.
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Talking to a friend is one of my favorite techniques. When you talk it out, your words become real, and merely saying them is sometimes much more effective than brooding silently.
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I’ll break down why this is effective: the least powerful form is just sharing thoughts out loud without expecting a response. The next level occurs when a friend actively listens and offers reflective responses, acknowledging your emotions.
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Beyond that, another useful layer is when your friend engages more warmly or helps you think through the experience—asking how it was for you or suggesting options for moving forward.
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You can also utilize this technique even if you don’t have a friend present by imagining how a friend might respond, which often helps clarify your feelings. Sometimes, even composing a text to a friend allows you to work through your issues independently.
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My third technique is writing. Writing things down allows your thoughts to leave your mind and become tangible. You can reread the content accurately and edit it, allowing for clarifications. Writing is excellent for working through complex feelings.
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The fourth technique is reading. You may not express your thoughts this way, but you might find relevant insights from reading positive fiction or helpful non-fiction.
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For instance, if you’re reading a story about someone facing a challenge like yours, you may gain unique insights from it. You might also read non-fiction works that offer perspectives from professionals in a similar field.
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Now, let’s move on to expanding your emotional vocabulary. Many people rely on a limited set of words to describe their emotions, which often leads to oversimplifying feelings. A chart illustrating emotional relationships can help broaden your emotional lexicon and enhance your communication.
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There are many resources available, including this emotional vocabulary circle that shows relationships among feelings. My favorite resource is a taxonomy developed through card sorting, representing which emotion words are most related to each other. Sometimes I use this chart to identify feelings more accurately and expressively.
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Next, let’s discuss validation. Validation in the context of conversation and support means accepting another person's experience as valid and understandable, even if you disagree. This notion is incredibly significant, especially in talking to friends or navigating difficult feelings.
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I’ll break this down into different listening and validating levels. First, being physically present for a friend or coworker is essential; just knowing you're there helps. Then, allow a friend to share their feelings with you. Sometimes, they might just want to get their thoughts out without needing you to actively listen.
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Other times, they will want you to listen actively and accurately reflect what they've said. It’s crucial to accurately repeat their words without adding your interpretations or filling in gaps, as this leads to true validation. You can also carelessly guess what they feel, but be cautious as this can also lead to invalidation.
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Good strategies for guessing include asking open-ended questions, which allow room for correction. You can say something like, 'What did that feel like?' rather than stating it outright. Alternatively, you may want to express your confidence level about your guess to ensure your friend feels encouraged to correct you if needed.
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Once you understand your friend’s experiences through active listening, you can provide further validation by stating that it makes sense based on their past experiences. This builds a stronger connection.
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The lowest validation level is simply noting that their feelings make sense based on past events. For instance, if a friend is afraid of dogs due to a past attack, that’s understandable. The next level involves making a more generalized statement that validates anyone’s feelings in a similar situation.
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The highest validation occurs when you include your own feelings—e.g., stating you feel the same way your friend does when encountering a similar situation. This helps strengthen connections.
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Validation works both ways: you can learn how to validate others and also ask others for validation. The better you get at applying these techniques, the more constructive your interactions will be.
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Now let’s discuss cognitive restructuring, where we will identify cognitive distortions. These are thought patterns that can distort reality and reinforce negative feelings. I’ll illustrate that with some examples.
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When I was hangry, wet, and running late for a meet-up event, some automatic thoughts that crossed my mind were hyperbolic conclusions like 'What shoes are the worst?'—a thought I later recognized as suspicious.
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Another was the notion that since I was late, I shouldn't even go, which I understood as a cognitive shift of all-or-nothing thinking. I also mistakened the day as a total loss based on my momentary frustrations, overlooking all the positives of my earlier day.
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Those three thoughts were countered by reminding myself that I was just feeling frustrated, trying to tell myself, 'It's okay if I'm late; people do that all the time,' and 'Today can still improve.' I went anyway and felt grateful I didn’t allow momentary discomfort to derail me.
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We’ve covered a lot of content! To summarize, I’ll go through some slides, and then we'll open up for questions.
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In summary, we learned the WHOOP technique to aid in switching to a mindful state, the input-process-output model with four types of inputs to consider and how mindfulness can be helpful in processing them. We explored techniques for processing experiences, where simple thinking might be the least helpful approach, so talking to someone or writing is better.
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I find that having reminders for these techniques can help break rumination cycles. The levels of validation and how they can support you or a friend are incredibly useful. Then we covered the ten common cognitive distortions; these had numerous good exercises and powerful practical suggestions.
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There are many great tools available. You can obtain therapy, read 'Feeling Good,' or use apps like Calm or Headspace for meditation. If you have social anxiety, consider checking in with something like 'drawable,' which helps users using CBT-style techniques and check-ins.
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You have my book, 'Debugging Your Brain,' which covers all these concepts in 90 pages. Lastly, I conduct workshops for communities. If you want to bring me to your workplace or community group, let me know!
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You can find me on LinkedIn or Twitter. I love having conversations about empathy, validation, and community building. If you have thoughts or resources to share, I would love to engage!
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I'm now ready for your questions.
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As we wait for a moment for people to pose questions, I would love to hear about journaling and how to apply it effectively. Do you think having a structured approach is necessary for effective self-reflection?
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It's indeed okay to find your own rhythm in journaling; it’s less about structure and more about whatever works for you. You can write in informal ways, like in a Gmail draft, so whatever feels natural is essential.
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You can explore tools that help you build upon your journal, like bullet journals, or prompts that help guide your entries. What matters most is that you reflect, even if it’s reactive, as that alone is often fruitful.
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I'm so glad to see this session has been so vibrant! Bringing these topics into our discussions matters a lot. I believe the more we converse about feelings and emotions in our communities, the more we normalize these discussions.
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Having leaders open up about their struggles can create a culture of acceptance. Thank you for your engagement today. Together, we can expand these practices into our lives! Looking forward to chatting again soon!
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Thank you again, everyone! This was great and very impactful! Goodbye!
