Namita Nayyar:
As a clinician, researcher, podcaster, and titleholder, your schedule must be intense. What boundaries have you set to protect your own mental health and prevent cognitive overload?
Andrea Oddos:
I think the most important boundary for me is not trying to do everything at full cognitive intensity all the time.
With multiple roles it would be easy to fall into a constant state of mental activation. So I’ve learned to be quite intentional about protecting recovery time, not just productivity time.
Practically, that means structuring my days with real pauses, limiting unnecessary cognitive overload when it’s not needed and preserving moments where I’m not switching between tasks or decisions. I also try to separate “deep work” periods from times that are more social, creative, or restorative. For me, mental health is not maintained through optimization, but through rhythm periods of engagement balanced with periods of real recovery.
Namita Nayyar:
You talk about mental health openly. Have you ever had a moment where you struggled with your mental health despite knowing all the neuroscience? How did you handle that?
Andrea Oddos:
Yes, there was a period, toward the end of my studies that turned out to be particularly difficult, despite everything I know about neuroscience and mental health. Several stressors piled up at the same time: the pressure of preparing for my thesis defense and waiting for the examiners’ feedback, personal grief following the loss of a loved one, as well as very concrete changes in my life, such as having to move out of my apartment earlier than planned. All of this led to a simultaneous loss of stability and a sense of direction.
Knowing science doesn’t make you immune to the human experience. Understanding the mechanisms of stress doesn’t prevent it from manifesting; it merely changes, at times, the way we cope with it. What helped me wasn’t trying to “figure it all out” cognitively, but focusing on very basic forms of self-regulation: a structured daily routine, physical activity, rest, and staying in touch with people who support me. And also accepting that certain periods are simply about endurance rather than optimization.
In a way, this has reinforced one of my core beliefs today: mental health isn’t about not being affected by life’s events, but about maintaining enough resilience to get through them.
Namita Nayyar:
Looking back, was there a pivotal moment that shifted your trajectory from purely academic research to becoming a public figure and titleholder?
Andrea Oddos:
I don’t think there was a single turning point when everything suddenly changed. It was more of a gradual evolution. For a long time, I focused mainly on the academic world: research, clinical work, and understanding the mechanisms underlying well-being and cognition. But over time, I became increasingly interested in something a little different: how to make this knowledge more accessible and relevant outside the academic world.
The “Nuances” podcast was part of that transition. It allowed me to explore a different way of communicating science: less formal, more human, and more grounded in everyday life. From there, other opportunities naturally arose; I initially saw them as a very different world, but they ultimately became a new platform for expression and communication.
Rather than a turning point, I see this as an expansion: science, communication, and public engagement have become different expressions of the same underlying curiosity.
Namita Nayyar:
You have achieved a lot academically and professionally. How has your definition of “success” evolved from when you started your PhD to where you are today?
Andrea Oddos:
My definition of success has changed quite a lot over time. At the beginning of my PhD, success was very much tied to external markers: publications, academic recognition, and the idea of progressing along a clearly defined path. It was a very linear and performance-oriented view of achievement.
Over time, that definition has become much broader. I still value academic rigor and intellectual achievement, but I now see them as only one part of a larger picture. Today, success feels less like reaching a fixed destination and more like the ability to stay aligned with what feels meaningful, while maintaining balance over time. It includes impact on how my work can help or resonate with others but also sustainability: how I take care of my own mental and physical health along the way.
In that sense, success is no longer only about “doing more” or “achieving more,” but about being able to grow without losing coherence, curiosity, or well-being.
Namita Nayyar:
What is next for Andrea Oddos? Are you planning to integrate your title with your research (e.g., a study on high-performance psychology)? Can we expect a second season of Nuances or perhaps a book on the neuroscience of resilience?
Andrea Oddos:
What comes next for me is really about integration rather than a completely new direction. I will continue my work as a research associate at the University of Liège, which remains an important anchor for me intellectually and scientifically.
At the same time, I want to keep deepening my clinical practice by continuing to train in different therapeutic approaches. I don’t see therapy as something one-size-fits-all. Each person is unique, and I think it’s important to be able to adapt and combine tools in a thoughtful and individualized way.
More broadly, I also want to maintain a strong link between research, clinical work, and public communication. These three dimensions feed into each other: what I see in practice informs my scientific questions, and what I learn from research helps me communicate more accurately and responsibly.
In terms of projects, I would definitely like to continue “Nuances” and further develop it. And writing a book is also something I could see happening in the future. So rather than a single next step, I see it as a continuation of the same thread: trying to better understand human well-being, and making that knowledge useful and accessible.
Namita Nayyar:
If you could leave the world with one singular message about the brain, mental health, and human potential, what would it be?
Andrea Oddos:
If I had to leave one message, it would be that the brain is not a fixed structure that defines who we are once and for all, but a living system that continuously adapts through experience. This means that mental health is not simply the absence of difficulty, and it is certainly not a fixed state. It is more accurately a dynamic capacity: the ability to recover, to adapt, and to regain flexibility when life becomes challenging.
I also deeply believe that each person already has internal resources. These resources are not always immediately accessible, especially in moments of stress or suffering, but they are there and they can be strengthened, supported, and reactivated through experience, relationships, and awareness. From that point of view, human potential is not about becoming someone entirely different, but about gradually expanding the ways in which we can access and mobilize those resources within ourselves.
So the message is quite simple: we are not defined by a static brain, but by a brain in continuous dialogue with our environment—and within that dialogue, there is always a space for change, growth, and the reactivation of our own resources.
Namita Nayyar:
Morning Person or Night Owl? (And when is your brain sharpest?
Andrea Oddos:
I would say I’m more of a morning person. My father often used to say, “the future belongs to those who wake up early,” and that idea stayed with me, not in a rigid way, but as a simple reminder of the value of structure and clarity at the start of the day. I tend to feel that my brain is sharper in the morning, especially for focused work, writing, and anything that requires concentration and less distraction.
That said, I also really appreciate evenings. For me, it’s really about balance. I try to align my schedule with my cognitive rhythms when possible, using mornings for deep work and allowing evenings to be more flexible and restorative.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
