Know your brain (Part 1)
By Rob Stringer
One of the most powerful revelations for many kids and adults is realizing that behaviours like anger, obsession, impulsivity, ADD, and anxiety, have specific brain functions associated with them. Rather than blaming themselves for having a weak character, they can more clearly understand the origins of their struggles and take action to correct them. This month, we’ll examine a part of the brain, its functions, some associate problems, and strategies to help manage or reduce them—often without medication.
The Deep Limbic System …
The Deep Limbic System (DLS) lies near the center of the brain and is about the size of a walnut. It is the mood control centre—the part of the brain that contains our emotional filter through which interpret events of the day. When it is calm and less active we generally a positive, hopeful state of mind. However, when it becomes excited and overactive, negativity can take over. It also controls appetite, sleep cycles, motivation / drive, and directly processes our sense of smell which is why smell can have such a powerful effect on moods.
Associated Problems …
Some problems often associated with this area of the brain include:
- moodiness, irritability, clinical depression
- increased negative thinking
- low energy, decreased motivation
- appetite and sleep problems
- forgetfulness, poor concentration
- overriding sense of helplessness, dissatisfaction, boredom
Strategies for Change …
If any of these issues are getting in the way of your children’s schooling (or life in general), here are a few key strategies that have been proven to enhance the function of the DLS:
Kill those negative thoughts. Realize your thoughts release chemicals and electrical signals across brain causing a physical response in the brain. Help your kids learn to recognize positive and negative thoughts, then examine and challenge negative ones—learning to talk back to their thoughts. A great phrase to learn is, “Just because I think it, doesn’t mean it’s true.” Help them to look for clues that might disprove automatic negative thoughts. Happy thoughts cool the DLS, negative thoughts activate it.
Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity is contagious. Help your children examine their friends. Do some always boost them up while others always seem to have something negative to say? Negative people often point out all the obstacles in our way instead of encouraging us to try things. Try to limit contact with these types of people.
Surround yourself with great smells. Smell is often the gateway to clear memories. Some students have found having a certain scent near by while studying and then during the text/exam has helped recall.
Exercise (and self-care). Taking care of ourselves is very healing to the DLS. Exercise releases endorphins that induce a sense of well-being; increased blood flow nourishes the brain; as well, it often results in better sleep patterns, and a healthier appetite. Monitoring and regulating the amount of physical exercise, sleep, and basic relaxation time your child has each day/week is critical.
As an educator, youth coach & speaker, Rob Stringer BA, BEd, CPC helps kids and teens meet with success. For more ideas or to suggest article topics, visit www.YouthCoachGlobal.com or email Rob@YouthCoachGlobal.com.
