Today’s guest is Louisa Nicola. She is a trained clinical neuroscientist, the founder of Neuro Athletics and works one on one with professional NBA, MLS and NFL players to enhance peak brain performance.

I am not sure which is more inspiring: her wealth of knowledge and expertise or her incredible story. Louisa grew up training competitively as a triathlete in Australia. One day while she was on her bike training for the triathlon world championship, a car struck her leaving her knee ruptured and shattering her dreams of competing. She was told by a doctor that she would never walk again. But that didn’t stop her from making a comeback. Louisa ended up crossing paths with a special mentor that taught her the importance of the mind-body connection. This ultimately changed her life and gave her the superpower to not only walk again, but to compete again.

We go in depth about this extraordinary accomplishment and how it set the tone for the work she does today as a neuroscientist. Louisa and I have a detailed conversation on managing emotions, fear, stress and the entire nervous system. What you will learn is that the biggest trick to coping with all of these things is optimizing how you sleep. She shares some shocking information on the negative impacts of poor sleep including how it affects your memory, emotions, immune system, and genetics. It can even alter your brain. But don’t worry, she also shares practical tips that you can do to improve your sleep as well as some innovative ways to train your mind, thrive under pressure and much more!

Topics discussed:

Louisa's incredible backstory and how she survived a near death accident

How she recovered and was able to compete at triathlon world championship

Managing stress, emotions and nervous system

Embracing fear

Why sleep is so important for physical, mental and emotional health

What qualifies as good sleep?

The dangers of poor sleep

How to optimize and improve sleep

Innovative ways to train the mind

Connect with Louisa:

Website: https://www.neuroathletics.com.au/founder-bio