Galaxy Brain – What Is It?

As the great poet Del the Funky Homosapien once said, “update your gray matter, cause one day it may matter!”

So, with that in mind, why don’t we lean in and get a galaxy brain!?

What’s a galaxy brain, you ask?

A “galaxy-brain” is Internet slang for ideas/thoughts that are enigmatic, perplexing, or otherwise unfathomable.

The galaxy brain thoughts are often depicted using a multi-panel exploitable image series comparing the brain size of a person relative to other variables. The final phase of the expanding brain is usually implied to have intellectual superiority over the previous brains and their ideas.

Here’s an example of one of my favorite galaxy brain memes:

This one is obviously sarcastic (and no offense to any non-meat eaters out there!), but you get the point! So why in the name of Sam Hill, are we talking about this?

Simple: I want us to start thinking more creatively and unpacking the layers to health and wellness.

The most effective way to do that is by asking questions and not routinely accepting the status quo.

Of course I’m going to share some wonderful examples of this using the galaxy brain meme!

“Go off, Jake!” *screams a crowd of enthralled readers of this blog about memes and health*

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I had a guy come in recently who had a knee injury that was bothering him for a few weeks. He is a 40 year-old man who, outside of a knee injury, is fit and healthy. He saw an orthopedist who suggested a knee replacement. He told me, “the orthopedist suggested a knee replacement, but I refuse to believe that’s the fix for me.” Sure enough, we did a few sessions of PT and his pain had reduced significantly and he began squatting and deadlifting with plans to return back to running.

Folks, THAT is a galaxy brain mindset. This guy saved himself a ton of money while also extending the life of his running and athletic career simply by asking questions to seek alternative solutions.

Often, we resign ourselves to the path of least resistance because it's easier, less formidable, and passive. Unfortunately, there is always a trade off. Usually that trade off is a short term gain with long term consequences; such as avoiding exercise because of pain that eventually leads to deconditioning, weight gain, and even more pain.

The encouragement here is to zoom out and see the big picture. See into the future. Ask yourself:

“Who do I want to be in 10, 20, or 30 years?”

“What do I want to be doing at that time?”

“What am I doing now to make that a possibility?”

I think having this longitudinal mindset is a great way to steer yourself into making those goals a reality. It’s so easy in life to put on blinders and ignore the things around us; we are all guilty of this! Sometimes we do it out of fear, or maybe we don’t have the resources. Or, maybe we just don’t know how or where to begin.

If you’re struggling with pain, an injury, or stuck in your fitness journey, please come and allow us to help out! It’s what we love doing!

Thanks for reading!

Jake Reynolds, PT, DPT, OCS

Physical Therapist

Board Certified Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Email: jake@functionizehealth.com

Follow Jake on Instagram: @theswimmingphysio