Distraction is a major obstacle to studying efficiently. From the buzzing of phone notifications to the smell of good food in the kitchen, having your mind stick to a task can be a challenge when so much is happening around us.  In this episode, I chat with physician and medical researcher, Estie Alessandrini, about seven factors that help create an optimal environment to boost productivity and stay focused.  As a brain health expert, Estie shares her work on knowledge growth and how to effectively regulate this progression using brain-based strategies. She has created The CLEVER Learning Method with a goal to empower as many children as possible with the super skill of knowing how to learn best. Allison and Estie discuss: How learning is not about getting the right answer. It is about the journey to the answer [1.26] What a clever learning environment is [4:20] Being able to connect the dots before getting started with a new concept [5.35] The importance of creating an optimal environment for the brain to function [11.00] Seven factors to create a clever learning environment [12.12] What a Brain Break is [12.55] How the learning space affects your learning [16.24] How being hydrated affects the mind [22.02] Estie's Resources Free Clever Brain Challenge https://cleverlearningmethod.com/clever-brain-challenge/ To cultivate a healthy happy family visit: HealthyFamilyandMe.com Connect with Allison Dillard Website: https://www.allisonlovesmath.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllisonLovesMath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonlovesmath Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllisonLuvsMath Allison's Math Books Raise your Math Grade: Get this FREE short book, which is a toughen-up math manifesto mixed with you-can-do-it enthusiasm. It is an open educational resource, meaning you can share it freely with friends, students, and colleagues.  Crush Math Now:  Order this best-selling Amazon book! It is a study guide packed with all the advice Allison has given students over the years on math mindset, study skills, and test-taking strategies. Love Math Journal: Get this growth mindset journal to help 4th-8th grade students to succeed in and love math. This journal is co-authored by Allison and Nicole Thomson, who had been on Episode# 44 Using Gratitude to Help Students Overcome Math Anxiety.