It’s very simple, but fun to explain.
There’s a part of the brain that craves attention and craves acknowledgement. It’s needy of respect and wants to be seen as being completely vital to our existence. Given half a chance, it would rule indefinitely.
It’s also a bit of a blunt instrument and takes a scatter-gun approach to existence.
We call it the limbic system.
What is the limbic system?
It’s the primitive part of our brains and it’s there to look out for our survival. So we need to acknowledge that it does have its uses.
But here’s the thing.
When the limbic system is allowed to assume authority, it produces three possible states of mind; anger, anxiety or depression.
You may know these responses as fight, flight or freeze.
Fortunately, the limbic system is counterbalanced by another part of the brain; the pre-frontal cortex.
This part promotes an easy, positive, innovative and problem-solving state of mind. It’s cool under pressure, creative and competent.
At various times, either the limbic system is ruling or the pre-frontal cortex.
2020; the year the limbic system thrived
Everyone’s a little bit in survival mode. That means we’re a little out of character. responding to things, or other people, or incidents, in a not particularly cool, competent nor positive way.
So unsurprisingly, I’ve been seeing many more clients with anxiety, depression but particularly anger. People who, out of character, are suddenly losing the plot or flying off the handle!
Time out for you and your brain
Hypnotherapy works like this:
When you’re under hypnosis, the limbic system is given a rest; it takes a back-seat. That’s when change can start to happen.
It’s that simple.
The super-resilient limbic system
Except another of the limbic system’s super-powers is resistance to change. So we have to train it to assume authority only when it’s appropriate to do so.
Hypnotherapy helps with that too.
So what with 2020 being a challenge, it’s very possible that your brain has been working overtime. It’s been tough, coping with all those extra stresses and strains during lockdown.
And maybe this has resulted in new, unfamiliar feelings of anxiety, low mood or flashes of barely-containable anger.
Make some headroom
Also, quite possibly you might be feeling really stale; like your brain could just do with some space, to let some “fresh air” in so you can perhaps get a much-needed, lighter perspective on life.
