If you haven’t done so already, you NEED to watch Miley Cyrus’s live Instagram show, “Bright Minds,” that she hosts every Monday thru Friday at 11:30 a.m. PST. In times of darkness, we search for light, and Miley has provided that for us. During her show, Miley has a range of guests: from her own therapist, Dr. Amen, Demi Lovato, Ellen DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, and Jimmy Fallon. The list is expansive, but filled with positive and insightful individuals all coping with the same concerns we are currently experiencing.
With that being said, I am only on episode three of fifteen, and have already learned a significant amount that I can apply throughout my life. Miley slightly altered the title from “Bright Minded” to “Bright Minds” in order to create the following topics she discusses with her guests on her show, which are as follows:
B: Blessing and Curse of Social Media
R: Reliable Sources!
I: Immune Boosters
G: Get Active
H: Healthy Anxiety
T: Thoughts and Attention Determine How You Feel
M: Memories
I: Inflammation
N: Negative Thoughts
D: Dedicate
S: Share!
Although I’m just getting started with the series, here are some tips that have stuck with me thus far.
1. Where do we get accurate information about the coronavirus?
According to Miley’s therapist, Dr. Amen: the cdc.gov, John Hopkins, and the Mayo Clinic are all great resources to stay informed and up-to-date on the virus.
2. What are good tools to boost your immune system?
Dr. Amen states that we want to increase our white blood cells as they fight off infections. In order to boost your immune system, ensure you are getting plenty of Vitamin D (sunshine) and exercise. If you are indoors frequently, you can take supplements to increase your Vitamin D. Further, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and colorful fruit and Vegetables are also all great immune boosters.
3. “Where you bring your focus will determine how you feel” – Miley Cyrus
Dr. Amen provides us an exercise to Feel Great Any Time, Anywhere: write down 10 of your best memories and anchor them to locations in your house. For example, I associate the living room of my house with the memory of my grandma giving me the handmade socks and homemade cake for my sixth birthday. This is a great tool for the quarantine period, and any other time in your life where you may need a pick me up.
4. Demi Lovato’s tips for dark times
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Call and facetime friends
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Breathing Exercises: Demi shares an amazing breathing exercise which unfortunately, I cannot capture in writing. However, it is even more incentive to watch Bright Minded.
5. A life lesson from Miley:
It’s in times of crisis that you realize what really matters, and it all seems really silly and small. Life is moving so fast that it’s hard to slow ourselves down and appreciate people in our lives. In dark times, it’s important to reach towards those that you may have eliminated from your life.
6. How to handle negative thoughts
Miley states she compares negative thoughts to ants. You want to kill the ants and not let them into your personal space. Don’t let pesky, negative thoughts steal your light!
7. Exercise techniques
During one of her episodes, Miley has her personal trainer share a pilates workout. Pilates is known for building your core and improving your breathing techniques.
8. This is a time to grow as a community
During this time, people are willing to help each other. We are all experiencing darkness, and have the ability to lift each other up as Miley and her guests are doing with her show. Personally, a friend of mine is a firefighter in Downtown Los Angeles, and he shared with me that he witnessed a bystander give his jacket to a 73 year old homeless man standing in the rain. By helping another, we lift ourselves up. I hope this shared sense of responsibility and compassion is a lesson learned far beyond this crisis.
Miley’s “Bright Minds” has helped me gain some perspective on this difficult time. It has enlightened me, provided me a laugh or two, and helped me get to know some of my favorite celebrities. They too, struggle with the same problems we do. For example, Miley had internet problems and discussed worrying about her Grandma living in an assisted living home while Demi shared her struggle with her weight. Overall, Bright Minded provided me tools to overcome some of my personal worries by hearing how these great, successful individuals overcome their problems.
If you cannot watch “Bright Minds” live while she’s broadcasting it, you can always watch the recorded versions on her Instagram or on YouTube. Her show deserves a five-star rating, and is accomplishing its goal of providing light in times of darkness.