In my previous blog post we saw some of the basic human brain functions and what can cause a mental blockage. By now we know that if our reptilian brain identifies a certain situation which has been a negative or positive expierence in the past it activates the corresponding emotions in the limbic system, the area for pleasure and pain.
This means that every time we are faced with a situation which our brainstem has memorized as dangerous we go on automatic pilot and our body produces stress hormones. With so much adrenaline it’s hard to react calmly. In the past when we were living in caves this behaviour was perfectly legit to make sure we survive, but in our times there are almost no life threatening situations – nevertheless it feels like it, because our body produces the exact same hormones.
So, what can you actively do if you lost your cool?

No. 1: Smile!
As everybody knows: Laughing is the most relaxing thing!
In situations where we lose our cool it’s relaxing as well: If someone actually succeeds in making us laugh our level of frustration starts to sink. In terms of neurophysiology a muscle pushes a nerv, which then sends our brain a signal that we are happy and the brain produces endorphines (serotonine, dopamine…). Endorphines are stronger than stress hormones, 10 sec are already enough to fall below the critical level. If there’s no one to make you laugh, you have to help yourself. So, leave the room, go somewhere you can be all by yourself and smile for 60 sec. It might feel akward in the beginning, but it helps, just go through with it.

No. 2: Put Things in Perspective
Ok, you’re pissed, you’re on rage mode, your colleague just insulted you in front of your team. That’s not cool and I can understand, that you would want to verbally beat the daylights out of her – but hold on. Violence breeds violence and every violent deed justifies another violent deed according to this principle. What are you getting out of it in the long run?
Higher targets help to get you out of this vicious circle, eg. „using my full potential“ or something similar. Everytime you get in a situation like this, ask yourself if it will serve your development in the long run – on a business, spiritual, mental, private level. You will realize how unimportant it is in in relation to your higher targets – is it worth to waste your energy?

No. 3: Win or Lose!? Double Win!
What feels better? To be a victim of your stress hormones, to act like a total wacko and be aggressive or to grab the situation, turn it around and be calm like a Zen master?
Our brainstem can only distinguish between „Win“ (=Survive) and „Lose“ (=Death) – so this is why we want to win and we hate to lose. In our modern times these thinking patterns are obsolete and they’re blocking our potential. Do I win if I insult my colleague? Maybe for now? And what does winning mean to you? For me winning is, when I can remain calm or master a difficult situation quickly. This is what motivates me to overcome my resistence (limbic system) which I feel in this very moment and to focus on what I want to achieve in the long run. It gives me an extra portion of endorphines if I become relaxed again, I reward myself twice – I’m not only relaxed again, I have overcome myself and mastered the situation (this needs permanent practice, but it works!). As I said, a double win!

No. 4: Time for a Change
We go on vacation to get fueled with new energy. A different place, a different country inspires us. The same principle applies to a stress situation. Ok, you don’t necessarily have to leave the country, but maybe the room, your flat, the building. Move to another room = to another situation. You can get easily fueled, when you go to a place you feel good. In energetic terms: the energy level in every room is different, if you leave a negative charged room, you have better chances to fuel yourself with positive energy than staying in the room with the negative vibration.

No. 5: Elixir of Life
Another good thing: Water! Cleansing and revitalizing. Wash your hands, your face, drink some water. Especially in an exhausting dispute water can clear the head. To put it biophysically for all the nerds out there: according to Dr. Barbara Hendel and biophysicist Peter Fereira‚ ‘water is responsible for our consciousness, because it empowers our thought processes, feelings and moods’. Water molecules and quartz crystals have the same geometric body, a tetrahedron (pyramid), which gives water its crystalline structure. Therefore water is like liquid quartz, the uniformity and stability of its atoms make it a perfect emitter and receptor for electromagnetic waves. Amazing isn’t it!?

You have some tips? What is your method to get you out of a mental blockage? Comment below!

Sources:
Lubbock, Philippa (2010): Life Alignment
Birkenbihl, Vera F. (1993): „Pragmatische Esoterik – Der kleine Weg zum großen Selbst“, Vortrag an der TU München

You know this situation: your boss insults you and you’re standing there – FREEZE! Like a deep-frozen vegetable, instantly frozen, unable to react – you cannot even move. In your car on your way home you know what brillant response you would have wanted to say, but 6 hours later the moment is long over. Why do we get in such situations in which we feel like a total vegetable and nothing like the evolution’s elite?

First we have to take a look at how our brain is basically working. To put it simple, you can divide your bio-computer into three sections:
The reptilian brain (brainstem), the limbic system (feelings) and the neocortex (rational thinking). The reptilian brain is similar to a snake’s or crocodile’s brain and controls balance feeling, regulates temperature and our breathing automatically. We don’t have to learn these skills, our brainstem is able to do those things automatically and thus ensure that we survive.

Next section is the limbic system, also known as the emotional center for anger, frustration, love, happiness and it responds with fight/flight/freeze when danger occurs. It controls our feelings and it enables us to express them.
It forms a strong unity together with the reptilian brain and it is the brain’s oldest and most primitive part. According to Alberto Villoldo, medical anthropologist, our survival programs get activated if our nutrition contains mainly of grain products and sugar. If our mammal brain has identified a situation as safe or dangerous it runs its programm again and again, relentlessly, it doesn’t mind if the quality of our life is getting worse – survival is the ultimate priority.

The neocortex is the third section, the youngest part of the brain. To be more precise the prefrontal cortex plays the main role here. This part enables us to plan, to solve complicated tasks, to envision absctract things and to create innovative ideas. In this area experiences can be analysed and compared and the will to change them is created here. Our younger brain enables social behaviour, tool making, language and attaining higher levels of consciousness.

So, what happens here? If a similar situation occurs which our mammal brain has previously identified as dangerous it runs its survival program – no matter what. And we? We feel helpless and we wonder where our magnificent brain skills have gone. They are completely deactivated during fight/flight/freeze mode. Our brain is completely in survival mode. No wonder that we sometimes don’t recognize ourselves.

The good news is, if we are aware of these processes and know that we can actively change things we are in control and we can move our live to the direction we want it. If we take control all parts of the brain can work together in harmony and we can achieve the best result for us.
You will find my tips on how to regain control of a situation in the next blog post.

Sources:
www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2012/10/21/hijack-how-your-brain-blocks-performance
Villoldo, Alberto (2016): One Spirit Medizin