Developing a Healthy Mind---Food for Thought

“When your brain is always engaged, when your neurons are always firing, when you find yourself in a continual mode of reacting and responding, instead of steering and directing, the best and brightest solutions that you are capable of producing rarely see the light of day.” Jeff Davidson


In an effort to try and combat an American epidemic of obesity, the US Government recently revised the healthy eating food pyramid. By taking a more mindful approach to our eating we can save future generations from a host of health challenges related to be obese.

There is however, just as big an epidemic of information overload that threatens both adult and children's ability to focus and maintain optimal mental health.

As a remedy to this problem, Dr. Dan Siegel, author of several books on mindfulness, and David Rock, a leading organizational consultant,  have teamed up to create what they call the Healthy Mind Platter. The platter consists of seven essential mental functions designed to provide your brain with the "mental nutrients" your brain needs for balance and integration. By engaging in these activities at least once every day, you can strengthen your inner connections and improve your social connections.

The seven activities are:

Focus Time---this involves taking on a challenge that requires our undivided attention. With a specific goal in mind and step by step achievement, focus time strengthens our left front critical thinking brain.

Play Time---just taking some time each day to engage in playful and creative activities increases the connections in our brain that lead to novelty and innovative ideas. This strengthens our right front brain that seeks novelty.

Connecting Time--Connecting with other people, preferably in person, strengthens our relationship circuitry.  Our ability to experience empathy and care for others is located in our right basal section of our brain.

Physical Time---Moving our bodies, especially in an aerobic way strengthens the part of our brain located in our left basal section. Exercise releases endorphins and gives us an outlet for the adventurous side of our brain.

Time In---In a world that is non-stop information, it behooves us to sit quietly and reflect on the here and now. This form of mindfulness is a key ingredient in integrating all the parts of the brain.

Down Time---The human mind needs time to just wander without specific goals or tasks to complete. It is all about just being with no set goals.

Sleep Time---The brain needs time to rest and recharge. While we sleep our brains are regenerating and releasing stress.

Each of us has a dominant thought process. Some prefer to seek novelty to the exclusion of all else. Others are driven to compete, while still others will serve others until they burn out. There is a high cost to over using any one function. The key to brain well-being is to use all the functions of our brain in some small way, thus avoiding excess drain on our dominant functions.

Take some time this week and include some time for each of these activities.

For more insight into your brain, order a Astro-Brain Dynamics report from my website.

Brain Boost: Enjoy a TED talk by Dr. Dan Siegel.

 

Four Modes, Eight Functions, Part 4--Seeking Emotional Connections

According David Ricco, a San Francisco psychotherapist, each of us looks for our love needs through the five A's of Love; Acceptance, just as we are, Affection, Allowing--to have the space to grow and learn, Appreciation and Attention. Our primary outlet for meeting these love needs comes through our relationships or our emotional connections to others.

This week I want to share with you the fourth mode of the brain, located in the right basal part of our brain. The two functions associated with this mode are Extroverted and Introverted Feeling. Through this mode we reach out and attempt to connect on an emotional level with others. For the introverted Feeling person, this means finding a one on one personal relationship that creates the emotional responses of feeling cared for and loved. For the extroverted feeling person it involves being part of and belonging to a social group that enhances the belief that we are all one at some level.

Introverted Feeling relies heavily upon how things feel. It is one of the most subjective modes of all eight. The question becomes, how does this person make me feel. If I feel appreciated and attended to, then I draw closer. If I feel threatened or disrespected by another, then I will move away from the other. There is also a strong desire to express love through some type of art. Music and poetry are often excellent mediums for expressing the introverted feeling nature. When taken too far, introverted feelings becomes hypersensitive to criticism or being ignored. The moods of others are taken personally. It can also be difficult for the person who leads with this function to create healthy boundaries as he/she forgets where he or she ends and the other begins. This function is the most likely to struggle with being overly idealistic. They can expect others to always be there for them and loss and betrayal are hard to take.

Extroverted Feeling is interested in group harmony. Leading with this function brings a certain desire to bring people together in unity. This function seeks emotional connection through teamwork and group activity. These people can be diplomats, always communicating with hope and inspiration. They have a desire to take care of others, making sure they feel included. All of their decisions are weighed considering how these decisions will affect others. Extroverted Feeling is in tune with what is socially acceptable. People with this function prominent in the profile will enjoy social media and may spend hours on Facebook, posting their favorite inspirational quotes and videos. Extroverted Feeling people are the most likely to engage in rescuing others. Because they hate to see others suffer, they will step in and make a situation easier for someone, but may rob that person of learning valuable lessons. Because these individuals tend to avoid conflict, issues can become repressed and lead to excess drama in group settings.

Both Extroverted and Introverted Feeling brain types place a high priority on spiritual experiences. The bulk of their energy goes toward bonding with others and creating intimacy and interdependency.

Would you like to know what function has the most influence on your thinking?  Check out my website for more information on Astro-Brain Dynamics.

Brain Boost:
I highly recommend the work of David Ricco. Below is a You Tube link where he talks about one of his books called Daring to Trust.  He has several books which are easy to read. Check out his website at http://davericho.com/

Till next week, I leave you with words of the Loving Kindness Meditation

May You Be Safe

May You Be Peaceful

May You Be Well

May You Be Happy

Till next week......

Four Modes, Eight Functions--Part 3--Seeking Sustainability

This week we will be exploring the Left Basal (back) section of our brains. This part of our brain seeks to create sustainable results. It is linked more to the past than the two front lobes. Maintaining routines, seeing concrete results and honoring traditions are all part of what our brain seeks through the Left Basal Mode.

There are two types of functions in the Left Basal section of our brain. One is extroverted and the other is introverted. Together they help our brain to establish habits and routines.

The extroverted Sustainability seeking function seeks tangible results. The individual who leads with this function seeks to repeat all experiences both pleasant and unpleasant. The goal is to feel fully alive and in touch with the body. One of the reward centers of the brain is located in this area of the brain. One of their greatest gifts is the ability to practice a task over and over. Competitive athletes generally have this area of their brains highly activated. Extroverted Sustainability seekers are drawn to activities and experiences that are stimulating to the senses. Their goal is to sustain excitement and physical sensation. They are drawn to people and things that allow them to repeatedly stimulate their reward center. People with strong emphasis in this area of the brain are not interested in talking about ideas, but rather want to see immediate and tangible results.

One of the challenges of overusing this function is zeal or fanaticism. When this happens there is a tendency to overdo, take unnecessary risks and like the mythical Icarus, try to fly too close to danger. Working excess energy out through exercise or athletic competitions can keep this function grounded.

The introverted Sustainability seeking function has a strong desire for safety and stability. Individuals who lead with this function are dependable, organized and conscientious. Their motto is "Duty First". The desire to serve and protect is strong and these individuals can always be counted on to get the job done. Change of any kind poses a threat to these people. They prefer to keep things the same in an effort to create stability. They look to what has worked in the past and want to maintain the status quo.The introverted sustainability seeker will create rituals and traditions that preserve tribal stability. They are more interested in history than in the future. One of the challenges for individuals who lead with this function is worry and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation is the best tool for overuse of this function. By calming the anxious mind, the brain can think more clearly. Because most worries are based upon past challenging experiences, mindfulness helps to bring the anxious mind to the present. I highly recommend Stephen Cope's Body Scan Meditation. It is 10 minutes long and if practiced daily, will lower your anxiety level.

If you would like to know more about your personal Astro-Brain Dynamics, visit my website

Brain Boost---Check out this article on the effects of worry on your brain.

Till next week....

Four Modes, Eight Functions--Part 2--Seeking Focus

Welcome to Part 2 of our look at the primary functions of our thinking brain. This week we are going to explore the functions located in the front left mode. This is the directing part of our brain. Decisions made from this mode are generally based upon facts without emotional input.

In this front left lobe we have two possible functions. One is extroverted and the other is introverted. Each one strives toward focus and structure from two different perspectives, but with a common goal of producing structure and focus.

The extroverted Focus seeking function provide clear leadership and direction. Those who lead with this function are the "take charge" people. They love to have control and are often the most self-confident. Nothing brings them greater pleasure than setting goals and directing others to meet those goals. Donald Trump operates strongly from this function. While they may like you, they will never let sentimentality get in the way of firing you if they feel it is necessary.

Extroverted Focus seeking individuals are driven to succeed and are energized by challenges. While they do make errors, they do not let this affect their confidence. This part of the brain is responsible for our self-concept and our self-regulation. It is not influenced by moment to moment feelings, so people who lead with this function often seem cold and unfeeling. If this function becomes imbalanced these individuals can become domineering; choosing to lead by intimidation.

With the introverted Focus seeking function the key goal is knowledge. These individuals spend lots of time in their heads, weighing out the facts. These are the accountants, the record keepers who love to organize data and use it to measure outcomes. Introverted Focus seekers are the "Thinkers". They seem to have a detachment about them. They are focused and self-reliant, often appearing very independent. They can spend hours devising spreadsheets, gathering information, and analyzing. Many engineers lead with this function. These are the people that pay close attention to the details.

At times these individuals can be forgetful like the "absent minded professor". Operating from the left front brain which does not see things holistically, but rather breaks them down into parts,sorts them, measures them, these individuals refuse to decide until all the facts are in.  When this function is over-used an individual can become rigid and overly independent; doing what they want despite the consequences. They will not rebel overtly but will let you think they are going to comply, and then do what they want anyway. Intellectual snobbery is also possible when this function is over used. Nikola Tesla was a mental genius, but his eccentric and often independent behavior made it difficult for the society of his day to embrace his ideas. 

 

The extroverted and introverted Focus seeking functions have brought us some great leaders, high achievers and genius thinkers. Each of us has access to these functions, either as our dominant function, through supportive mentors or people who challenge us to grow even when we don't want to.

If you want to learn more about Astro-Brain Dynamics and how the eight functions work in your brain, check out  my website.