How I Learned to Rewire My Brain: 'The Most Novel Thing You Can Do Is Talk to Other People'

The vibe at SXSW’s SHE Media Co-Lab was electric in the best way: packed rooms, smart conversations, and a crowd of women who are clearly there to absorb every word. It was also warm and intentional. I felt it the second I walked in.

Next came a conversation that centered on conditions like endometriosis and uterine fibroids, things that affect women and are routinely dismissed or normalized by the medical system. It addressed what too many women already know: the healthcare system was not built with women in mind, especially when it comes to what happens below the belt.

The advice that landed hardest? Ask a specialist to be your advocate. You don’t have to walk into an appointment alone, and you don’t have to accept a non-answer as the final word. Bring a friend. Do your research. Push back. And then be that support for the people in your life, too. The community aspect of healthcare was woven through the whole conversation, and it felt genuinely empowering.

Israa Nasir‘s panel on daily wellness rituals is the one I keep coming back to in my mind. The concept at the center of it all is neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to rewire itself based on new experiences. And the beautiful thing is that you don’t need a dramatic life overhaul to access it: Take a different route home. Strike up a conversation with a stranger. Try something you’ve never tried before.

Nasir put it all in a way that made it feel genuinely accessible: “The most novel thing you can do is talk to other people,” she said.

The whole panel was a reminder that sustainable change is built in small, consistent increments. Start with one thing. Build from there. The conversation also brought in the science behind community-centered wellness rituals and how things as simple as shared meals and regular social connection can regulate stress and restore energy. It’s the kind of conversation that makes you rethink what wellness even means — and realize you might already be closer to it than you think.

The SHE Media Co-Lab is a two-day deep dive into the real conversations women are having, and deserve to have, about their health, their autonomy, and their power. The atmosphere is community-first in a way that feels rare and intentional. Everyone in that room was there to learn, to share, and to show up for each other.

My first SXSW was a full experience, and I already know I’ll be back. If you get the chance to attend the Co-Lab, you won’t regret it! Take a friend. Take notes. And try a new route home after. Your brain will thank you.

Saanvi Chiliveru is a South Asian environmental advocate and incoming freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, where she will study a Bachelor of Science in Economics. As Co-Founder of Shade Seekers, a national youth climate organization, she has reached 1,750+ people through urban heat island awareness campaigns and spoken at the International Project Management Day 2025 conference. Her water sustainability work as a Texas 4-H Water Ambassador and her ocean conservation content through the Youth Oceanic Initiative have collectively reached 15,000+ advocates worldwide.