Casey Davis (4:27)

Think about, like, the last time you had a really stressful day. Have you ever had one of those days where whether it was emotional or work or whatever, you hit like 2:00 and your brain just won't work anymore?

Sanjay Gupta (4:38)

That's Casey Davis. She's a therapist author, and you might remember her from one of our Chasing Life episodes where she discussed this link between messiness and mental health.

Casey Davis (4:48)

Doing tasks like laundry or dishes or picking up toys or whatever it is, it takes a lot of what's called executive functioning. And executive functioning skills happen in your prefrontal cortex. So it's the part of your brain that does time management, that does task initiation, that looks at something and breaks it down into steps. And if those things are all firing on all cylinders for you, it Feels automatic. You just decide to do the dishes, and you do them. If there's some disruption to your executive functions, you look at the dishes and go, I got to do the dishes, and you can't. What happens next? You feel frozen or you feel overwhelmed?

Sanjay Gupta (5:31)

Here's what Casey, I think is trying to say is that when we're already stressed or distracted, then even a small task can feel impossible, right? It's not that the task is that challenging, is that you're showing up already stressed or distracted. And, you know, conditions like adhd, anxiety, sleep deprivation, just feeling burned out, that's going to interfere with your ability to actually stay focused and complete the task. So Casey's advice is simple. When you feel overwhelmed, that's the time to break the task down into smaller steps that can make a big difference. She has a method called the five things to simplify organizing your space.

Casey Davis (6:11)

You know, when I look at a messy room, I tell myself, there's really only five things in every room. Even if it looks like there's a ousand, there's only five. There's trash, dishes, laundry, things that have a place that are not in their place, and then things that don't have a place, meaning, like they don't have a place to go. So when we use the five things method, what we do is we get a trash bag and we go, you know, all I'm doing is picking up trash, just trash. I can ignore everything else. Now, we've kind of put ourselves on a one track mind, right? We're looking for one specific thing. We see the one specific thing, we throw the thing away. We're looking for one specific thing. We see the one specific. Right. See how repetitive that is? So it doesn't require a lot of executive functioning to do that repetitive thing over and over and over. And once that's done, I move on to the dishes, and I'm just putting them into the sink, not doing them. I'm just putting, because that's easy. Then I do the same thing with my laundry and the baskets. And then, you know, I might pick a space in the room and go clockwise and put everything away that I know already has a space. And then I have my pile of things that don't have a place. Now that's really the hard stuff. And now maybe I can go, okay, are there some things in here? Where can I put them? How can I organize them? Or the best part, if I'm really rushed, I can go, I'm just going to put them in a basket for today. And your Space is much more livable and you have these, like, multiple finish lines that feel really good and keep you motivated to keep going because you have that sense of accomplishment.

Sanjay Gupta (7:39)

So, Annie, I hope that helps. I mean, whether you're living in a small New York apartment or just feeling overwhelmed by your own space, I do think this method can help. It helps you initiate. It helps you get organized in your mind first and then applying that organization to your space. I think it's all about simplifying and breaking the tasks down, finding a small win, registering a win. Once you get something in the win column, I think a lot of the things come more easily. Plus, with spring cleaning right around the corner, I did want to give you some quick takeaways that can help refresh your space, reduce anxiety, maybe even boost happiness. So think of it like this. Organize based on habits. That means put things where you naturally leave them. Maybe a shoe basket goes by the door. Add a trash can or a laundry basket in every room. That can help reduce mess immediately without requiring much extra effort. Simplify your routines. If you hate folding laundry, use a basket for each different family member instead. That's what I do. We got three girls in the house, three teenage girls, my wife and I. We each have our own laundry basket. And finally, work with your brain. Think about your own brain. Everyone's brain is different. Build habits that fit your lifestyle. Don't force yourself into a perfect system. Your space does impact your mental state. That is true. I think most research has sort of shown that. So find a way to bring calm to your surroundings that can definitely boost your happiness, reduce your anxiety, make you feel more content. So thank you, Annie. Thanks for the question. Okay, you've probably seen them, maybe even own a pair. But do blue light glasses really help with digital eye strain? Find out after the break.

Sleep Number Ad (9:29)

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Sanjay Gupta (11:36)

And there goes the pager. Kira, who do we have next?

Kira (11:40)

Next up, we have Lainie, who is also calling from New York City, and she has a question I think a lot of us can relate to. So here she is.

Annie (11:48)

Hey Sanjay, my name is Lainey. I'm calling from New York. Between home and work, I am not the best at taking a break from staring at my computer. Because of this, I noticed that I have like really bad eye strain from all the screen used, which sometimes causes eye irritation and headaches. Is it worth it to invest in blue light glasses? Does it even work?

Sanjay Gupta (12:12)

All right, Lanie, thank you for the question. Let me start this way. A quick rundown of what blue light actually is. So there is a natural light spectrum, and when you think of blue light, it has a short wavelength. That means it appears brighter than other colors like red or green. Okay, so it's a short wavelength. That means it's going to appear brighter. Now, screens, whether it's your phone or your computer or your tv, they all use blue light, as you might imagine, because that's going to enhance clarity and contrast. But here's a really important contextual point. They only emit about a thousandth of the blue light that we get from sunlight. Okay, so yes, they do emit blue light, but in context it's only about a thousandth, one thousandth of the blue light we get from sunlight. And those blue light glasses, they only filter about 10 to 25% of the blue light from screens. So most of the blue light that we get in our lives is not from the screens. And the blue light glasses maybe at best are going to filter about a quarter of that. Now, as you may have seen, the glasses do come with a range of marketing claims about their potential benefits. They say they're going to reduce eye strain, they're going to improve sleep, they're going to protect your eyes from light induced damage. But you know, when you look at the evidence of this, I think the evidence is pretty lacking. There was a review of 17 studies which adds to this consensus now that these blue light glasses probably don't do that much to prevent or relieve eye strain. Sorry to say, I wish they did. So why do your eyes then feel dry or itchy or tired after hours in front of a screen? The answer is that it's probably not the blue light itself. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the real culprit is likely something known as computer vision syndrome, sometimes called digital eye strain. And that's really largely caused by reduced blinking and prolonged focus. So here's some tips that might help ease your digital eye strain. Follow the 20, 2020 rule. What does that mean? Every 20 minutes, look at something 20ft away for 20 seconds. Let me repeat that every 20 minutes. Just look at something at least 20ft away for 20 seconds. Second of all, blink more. I know that sounds silly, but people forget to blink. Consciously blinking will help keep your eyes from getting dry. Use lubricating eye drops if necessary. Also, adjust your screen setup. Okay? So keep your monitor at arm's length away and consider a larger screen or larger text size to reduce strain. As a guy in his mid-50s, I've recently adjusted the text size on my screens. You know, just reduces that eye strain. Finally, take real breaks. Real breaks. That means stand up, stretch, move around. Now, one thing to note, and I think this is important, blue light can affect your circadian rhythm by suppressing something known as melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone of darkness, right? That's the stuff that helps you go to sleep. If you're suppressing melatonin, that can make it harder to fall asleep. Best fix is to simply cut back on screen time before bed. So, Lainey, back to your question. I just gave you a lot of information. Should you buy those blue light glasses? Well, they're not harmful. And if they make you feel better, go for it. But I wanted you to know the background, the science. And the science doesn't really necessarily show a lot of big benefits. Simple behavioral changes will probably go a long way for you. That's all we have for today's episode. If you have other health questions on your mind, I want to hear them. Record a voice memo. Email to asksanjayn.com or give us a call 470-396-0832 and leave a message. Thanks for listening. I'll be back next Tuesday. Chasing Life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Gallaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sophia Sanchez and Kira Dehring. Andrea Kane is our medical writer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom. Amanda Seely is our showrunner. Dan Dezulla is our technical director. And the executive producer of CNN Audio is Steve Lichti, with support from Jamis Andrest, John Dionora, Hailey Thomas, Alex Maniseri, Robert Mathers, Lainey Steinhardt, Nicole Pesaru and Lisa Namorow. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kanang of CNN Health and Katie Hinman.

Sleep Number Ad (16:58)

There's a reason the Sleep Number Smart bed is the number one best bed for couples. It's because you can each choose what's right for you whenever you like. Firmer or softer on either side. Sleep number does that one side cooler and the other side warmer. Sleep number does that too. You have to feel it to believe it. Sleep better together. Why choose a Sleep Number Smart bed so you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. Sleep Number Smart beds start at $9.99. Price is higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you. See store or sleepnumber.com for details.

Audie Cornish (17:34)

This week on the Assignment with Me, Audie Cornish. Is there a place in the US That Democrats can point to and say, see, this is the way forward?

Casey Davis (17:43)

Well, first of all, let me just.

Sanjay Gupta (17:44)

Say it is truly an honor to.

Casey Davis (17:45)

Represent the working people of the greatest.

Sanjay Gupta (17:47)

City in the entire country, Right? And that's the city of Chicago.

Audie Cornish (17:51)

Mayor Brandon Johnson is the leader of a city seen by many as the very symbol of Democratic dysfunction. But he says we should give Chicago a second look and that despite the blowback from the Trump White House, we shouldn't underestimate Democratic city leaders at the forefront of navigating the new political landscape. Listen to the Assignment with Me, Audie Cornish. Streaming now on your favorite podcast. Apparently.