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Week 5- Your Hijacked Brain, Why your life hasn't worked out the way you thought

WEEK 5- Your Hijacked Brain

12 Week Unmasking Authentically Autistic Challenge



Harmony vs. Discord
or
Coherence vs. Dissonance

Your brain is like an orchestra. When everything is in harmony the sound is beautiful and joyous to listen to, however when an errant note is played by one instrument there is discord and the resulting noise is like nails on a chalkboard.  The brain picks up on changes in our thoughts as we attempt to make changes to our current beliefs, thoughts and habituated behaviors the same way our body responds to a note played off key or nails on a chalkboard.  The brain becomes alerted to a potential threat and begins seeking to re-establish harmony as efficiently as possible and as quickly as possible.  Your subconscious brain is always seeking its Ideal state of safety and efficiency as we discussed in our Week 5 Video-Your Hijacked Brain. Week 5 Video


When your brain is in a state of coherence it is happy and thinks that all is well. When you introduce change into your life your brain senses that there could be a potential risk and your brain falls into dissonance.  Your brain feels safe and secure in your old patterns and automated habits and when you identify a need for change this causes your brain to respond and it tries to revert back to what it believes is safe.  


Dissonance requires energy and as your brain seeks to save energy and be efficient it will do what it can to switch back to its defined state of coherence.

The conflict between your conscience and unconscious brain is exhausting and can be just like having one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake while driving a car.


Signs and Symptoms of Discord:

  • Lack of organization

  • Mood swings

  • Lack of personal peace

  • Overwhelm

  • Confusion

  • Lack of energy

  • Self-doubt

  • Worry and stress

  • Fear and anxiety

  • Executive dysfunction

  • Inability to focus and concentrate


Signs and Symptoms of Harmony:

  • Peak performance

  • A state of flow

  • Feeling organized and comfortable

  • Focus and clarity

  • Feelings of peace and calm

  • Feelings of happiness and well-being

  • Confidence and certainty

Problem:

There are several brain techniques that can be employed to address the subconscious brain for example:

Willpower, goal-setting and planning…..BUT, these alone will not override the highly developed subconscious brain that powers your thoughts and behavior patterns.  Remember your patterns of automaticity have been established over a lifetime of experiences and an accumulation of repeated behaviors.  And the reason these won’t work….because your subconscious and conscious brains are out of alignment, they are two instruments playing out of tune.

Solution:

In order to establish harmony and achieve your goals and desires, you will need to alter your subconscious brain to meet the conscious, logical brain. Or to stick with our theme here, get all your instruments playing the same piece of music in harmony.  


The good news is there is a way to create harmony between your conscious and subconscious brains.  Neuroscience research has discovered many ways to create coherence between the two.  There are actions that can help rescript and reshape your subconscious brain and redefine your automated thoughts, beliefs and behaviors to align with your higher thinking, critical conscious brain.  


To begin this alignment process let’s begin with a basic exercise to find inner calm.  Use this exercise whenever you are feeling stressed, fearful or anxious.  One of the ways to slow down your high speed subconscious brain and allow time for your slower conscious brain to engage is through an exercise designed to engage that small 0.025 second window our brain has to switch brain gears so to speak.  This wonderful breathing technique can be used anywhere and at any time.  It only takes 6 rhythmic breaths.  Why rhythmic you ask and what does that mean?  The brain and the body like harmonious rhythm.  Rhythm can be soothing and calming.  Think rocking a baby or for me as an autistic it is rocking from foot to foot when I stand and often rocking from side to side when I sit.


John Assaraf refers to this exercise in his book, Innercise, as 

“Take 6: Calm the Circuits”


“Do this now:


Take six deep, rhythmic breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Imagine blowing your breath as you exhale through a straw.

As you breathe in, think to yourself,


I breathe in calmness, I breathe out stress.
or
I breathe in calmness, I breathe out fear.
or
I breathe in calmness, I breathe out anxiety/overwhelm.”

Research shows that when you are overwhelmed, your stress center is activated, which in turn lowers your brain’s executive function abilities.

Taking six rhythmic breaths deactivates your stress response system and allows you to calm and become clearer thinking.  A state of calm is essential to allow your brain access to its higher thinking, and slower acting conscious brain.

#MoveMonday ACTIVITY:

Take what you’ve learned from the week 5 video and begin to observe yourself throughout this week and identify what your automated thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors are to your emotions.  I know not all emotions are easily identified as you are beginning deeper self awareness as an adult autistic.  The meditation exercise by Dr. Neff included in the Unit from Week 4 on FEAR will help you begin to recognize emotions and thoughts.  Be sure to continue this practice this week and add the Take 6 breathing exercise to your tool kit.  Use it whenever you feel overwhelmed, afraid or anxious.


Share in the comments-
how you felt after doing the Take 6 exercise.
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