Setbacks and the Brain: How to Bounce Back Stronger

This video explains the neuroscience behind motivation loss, mental fatigue, and emotional overwhelm after a disruption, and introduces brain-based strategies to help you regain momentum and rebuild resilience.

Chapters

•  00:00 – Introduction: When life knocks you off track
•  01:10 – Why your brain crashes after a setback
•  02:04 – Dopamine, motivation, and the mental slowdown
•  03:06 – How setbacks affect your executive function
•  03:32 – Setbacks vs. depression: Why recovery matters
•  03:52 – The difference between a setback and a failure
•  04:35 – How negative thinking loops get wired in
•  05:25 – 3 brain-based strategies to bounce back
•  05:38 – #1: Start with action (behavioral activation)
•  06:31 – #2: Use micro-goals to avoid overwhelm
•  07:05 – #3: Reset your dopamine (habits that help)
•  07:53 – Rebuild structure—and don’t weaponize it
•  08:37 – The science behind self-compassion
•  09:08 – Final takeaway: Setbacks are signals, not failures
•  09:32 – What’s next: How your brain learns from mistakes
•  09:47 – Subscribe for more brain-based resilience tools

Disclaimer: All of the information in Dr. Tracey's video is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from her to you. Watching her videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.