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Episode 95 is a replay of one of my most popular episodes (Ep. 20) with a new intro and additional tips. In this episode, I interview Tina Payne Bryson about the book she co-authored with Dr. Dan Siegel, The Yes Brain- How To Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience In Your Child. We talk about what a “Yes Brain” is, how it’s different from a “No Brain,” why it’s so important to cultivate “yes brains” in our children and in ourselves, and strategies for enlarging our “green zones.”

Big Ideas
• The brain is either in a receptive state or a reactive state.
• A “Yes Brain” is open and resilient in the world.
• A “No Brain” is shut down and reactive in the world.
• The Green Zone is a Yes Brain state.
• The Blue Zone is a reactive state where our nervous system is turned down too far.
• When we are in the Red Zone or the Blue Zone, we are in a reactive state.
• The goal is to expand the Green Zone over time.
• A fear state is a No Brain state.
• The point of discipline is to teach, so in order to become disciplined, kids need to be in a state of mind in which they can actually learn. This is the Green Zone.
• If a child is falling apart, they need connection and empathy. Connection and empathy will calm their nervous system down quickly.
Quotes

Tina: “The brain is either in a receptive state or it’s in a reactive state. So we’re calling those states a ‘yes’ state and a ‘no’ state- a Yes Brain and a No Brain.”
Tina: “A Yes Brain is one that is open, and receptive, and resilient. It’s one that, even when something is really hard, will be willing to stick with it. We’re willing to push through and stay calm enough on the inside so that we can be curious, and creative, and really handle ourselves well, even when things are not going well.”
Tina: “A No Brain, on the opposite side of that, is a brain that is shut down and rigid. It’s like those times when our kids are unwilling to try something new, or they’re really hard on themselves, or they are full of fear or anger, and they’re reactive and lash out.”
Tina: “A Yes Brain is one that is open and resilient in the world, and No Brain is one that is shut down and reactive in the world.”
Audrey: “Adults still struggle with those things. We all have those things that trigger us into our No Brain, and we say and do things that we wish we hadn’t afterwards.”
Tina: “One of the hallmarks of all of our books is that at the end of the book is a ‘refrigerator sheet’. So the big ideas of the book, the summary, and the main bullet points are in a ‘refrigerator sheet’ so you can make a copy of it and reference it.”
Tina: “The cartoons give kids actual tools that they can use to help them to have more of a Yes Brain approach in the world.”
Tina: “The Green Zone is really a Yes Brain state.”
Tina: “When you get really afraid or angry, or you’re having a really hard time, you’re more in a reactive state,