A Journey Into The Brain - Understand the nature of your thoughts ~ Happy Life Connections

Many of us now take for granted the routine extraction of information about the mind and brain, but it is a fairly recent phenomena. For most of history, the software of the mind was a deep mystery. True, people long suspected that the tissue behind their eyes was somehow responsible for the decisions they made and the emotions they felt.

Everything we know about the world comes to us through our brain. Yet for each of us our own conscious mental world of thoughts and feelings is isolated and private. Despite several centuries of research on the brain, communication through language or gesture remains the only way we can discover the conscious thoughts and experiences of others.

But if thoughts and feelings arise from patterns of neural activity in the brain, then it should be possible to directly decode such conscious experiences from brain activity alone. Recent advances in brain imaging technology raise just such a possibility, by showing that it is possible to accurately decode a person's conscious experience based only on non-invasive measurements of their brain activity.

Do You Know Your Own Mind

Our mind contains a steady flow of thoughts, which are filled with experiences, memories, images, judgments, desires and expectations. We can get up in the morning and look at the clock and think; I am not going to get everything done I have to do today; Gosh, I hate this weather; I wonder if I am going to have enough money to pay the bills this month etc. Or, you can get up and look at the clock and say; I have a good day planned and I am going to move through it the best I can; I know I will figure out how best to budget my finances this month, the weather will help me move slower today; etc. Given these two scenarios, what kind of a day are you likely to have?

Just as you heal and develop a relationship with your body through awareness, you can and must develop a relationship with your mind. By understanding the nature of your thoughts, especially your negative thoughts, you may understand why you are feeling hopeless and helpless. You will learn about your fear-based message that somehow suggests, "you are not enough; not smart enough, pretty enough, outgoing enough, fast enough or whatever enough. With this mindset you can become defensive and have an attitude about life and yourself that perpetuates failure or self-defeating behavior. You want to be able to create positive thoughts that give you a sense of trust in yourself and in the world.

There are three common negative themes that can create restlessness: persistent worry, catastrophic thinking and self-critical thinking. These are fear based thinking.

The first step is to identify the kind of thinker you are.

A Worrisome Thinker may be distressed over a situation for a long period of time. They have an obsessive and incessant thought that is intrusive and persistent.

A Catastrophic Thinker looks at a situation and immediately take it out of proportion and anticipate an extreme misfortune or utter disaster.

A Self-Critical Thinker is a person who tells himself that whatever he does is not good enough, or should have done it differently, or could have done it better. They judge themselves in a harsh manner without compassion or acceptance of their imperfections.

No matter what type of negative thinker you are it is "fear" based. This means underneath the thinking is fear of making a mistake, fear of something bad happening, fear of others, fear of self, fear of life, fear of the future, fear of not being happy, fear of being on your own, fear of rejection etc.

Follow these steps to change your negative and fear based thinking:

Learning to Listen - For the next week, pay close attention to the thoughts that are occupying your mind. Do this as you get up in the morning and proceed through your day. As you do these two exercises for a week, you will begin to see five basic negative themes and fearful thoughts that occupy your mind most of the time

Then honor, update and change your Thinking. First, recognize the negative theme, stop the thinking and honor the fear by being compassionate with yourself. Do not berate, yell or get angry with yourself. Then tell yourself you are not going to go down that thinking path. Remind yourself that you are doing the best you can, compliment yourself on the things you do well, tell yourself you will find the good in every part of your day and experiences. Even if you don't believe it tell yourself you are going to try and see this differently and let go of the negative thoughts.

Under your fears, self-doubts, and negative thinking lies the strength of your spirit. Do not abandon yourself. As you learn to regularly give yourself support and encouragement, you will begin to see that strength, courage and wisdom that lies deep within your being.

What is depression?

One of the common but serious illness is Depression. Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. The people who experience depression need treatment to get better.

What are the signs and symptoms of depression?

People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness.

Symptoms include:

Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings

Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness

Irritability, restlessness

Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

Fatigue and decreased energy

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions

Insomnia, early–morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

Overeating, or appetite loss

Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

How can I help myself if I am depressed?

If you have depression, you may feel exhausted, helpless and hopeless. It may be extremely difficult to take any action to help yourself. But it is important to realize that these feelings are part of the depression and do not accurately reflect actual circumstances. As you begin to recognize your depression and begin treatment, negative thinking will fade.

Ways to help yourself:

Engage in mild activity or exercise. Go to a movie, a ballgame, or another event or activity that you once enjoyed. Participate in religious, social or other activities.

Set realistic goals for yourself.

Break up large tasks into small ones, set some priorities and do what you can as you can.

Try to spend time with other people and confide in a trusted friend or relative. Try not to isolate yourself, and let others help you.

Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Do not expect to suddenly "snap out of" your depression. Often during treatment for depression, sleep and appetite will begin to improve before your depressed mood lifts.

Postpone important decisions, such as getting married or divorced or changing jobs, until you feel better. Discuss decisions with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation.