Would you like a simple explanation of how our brain works?

I would like to help people understand in very simple terms how the brain 🧠 works and how we cause ourselves chronic stress 😵‍💫by overthinking and what this does to our bodies. In addition to this a free audible will be available for you to fully relax……..😎

I will do a series of relaxation 😌 audios to help with different situations that life throws us and will thread in some of my own experiences and how I have dealt with them in the past or how I have reflected and would use a different approach if there was a next time.🤔

So let’s begin; at the front of our brain is the pre-frontal cortex this is the part that allows us to know who and where we are at the present time ⌚️ And enables interaction with others 🤝 for this purpose we will call it the intellectual brain.

This part of the brain has developed as we have over time.

The other part of our brain is known as the primitive part, the original part of the brain who’s main job is to protect us from danger.

Now this danger could be actual danger ‼️ 

Or it could originate as a thought 💭so a “what if” commentary with your inner narrative “if this happens I will feel…….” “The last time I was in this situation this and that happened…..”

The primitive brain has many components. 

The amygdala - this is the flight/fright/depression part of the brain. 

So when our body needs protecting from an actual threat or a thought 💭 of threat be that in the future 🪔 or the past 🔙then this part of the brain informs the body to pull out all of the stops and do its job! 🎓it needs all the energy it can get so will recruit blood from your extremities to enable your vital organs to operate at the level, required to defend you.

hands may sweat,

Shaking may occur

Taking a deep breath may be difficult 

and as the heart accelerates, breathing does too.

If this isn’t enough ……….

By now a message has gone to the intestines to tell them to empty it all out 🫢, anything that’s in there is not needed at the moment.

There may be a feeling of nausea🤢 because let’s face it digestion takes up too much energy for a body getting ready for defence and rescue.

Well, thank you lovely body for looking out for me, but there were no tigers running after me in the street or someone about to rob my wallet, it was merely a thought 💭 

The thing here is that our brain🧠 is unable to differentiate what is real and what is not so the thought is perceived as something which is real. 🤥

There is more …the amygdala is associated with two other areas being:

Hippocampus this holds memories of how we have reacted/coped positively or negatively to situations.

So, if the reaction resulted in you being safe from the threat ( whether actual or a threat) then the brain remembers this as a template until it is exposed to a different way of managing the situation which is as effective. This could be a form of panic attack, high anxiety or alternatively deep breathing, calmness and control.

Hypothalamus which assists with the chemical responses associated with these thoughts etc.

Moving on, let’s see what happens….🧐

When we have a threat or a negative thought we move from our intellectual part of the brain into the primitive part 

So now our decision making isn’t great, our ability to be rational is deteriorating and we have slipped into some possible dark areas which may include low mood, anxiety or anger. In some cases this can be reactive to a situation and short-lived, in other cases it can creep up slowly over a long period of time and stick around 🧳

If chronic stress isn’t  listened too 👂then the body can tip into the primitive brain more often than desired……

The good news✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

There is a way of enhancing the efficiency of our brain and its filing cabinet📤 and that is using REM Rapid Eye Movement.

In my next blog I will:

Explain how we can improve REM and what it is😴

Look at an example of when this has worked in relation to pain

Have another relaxation audible for your enjoyment 😎

If after reading this content you need to speak with someone please contact the 

Samaritans  on Tel: 116 123