Working with the waking state

According to neuroscientific findings, stress can be reduced through simple methods. The Academy for Neuroscience Education Management (AFNB) provided information in the latest regional meeting on the topic of "Working with Wakefulness." There are very effective methods to reduce stress and to sustainably change negative programming of the subconscious mind. Following the "Mind Model," training conscious attention plays a crucial role here. When experiencing negative stress, especially the cognitive processing, meaning the mental-emotional evaluation of a situation, decides whether the stress response is triggered in the body or not, presenting a high potential for us and our clients. While in individual cases it may also be necessary to minimize external stressors or optimize external working conditions, very often the external situation cannot be changed or improved sufficiently, leaving us with the only option to modulate the "internal" handling of it. Wakeful consciousness allows us to engage in introspection by consciously directing attention to the "inner view," reflecting on what is happening on a mental level within us. Consciously perceiving our mental contents is the key to dealing constructively with ourselves in everyday life, as well as with our environment, and maintaining respectful and benevolent communication with others. Destructive patterns - the 4 levels of the "Self" Many of our thoughts and feelings operate as subconscious programs. I refer to the stress-triggering thought or emotion loops as destructive patterns for simplicity. Such a pattern may manifest in the work context as recurring insecurity during customer meetings or presentations, or as strong emotional reactions towards a specific colleague. It could also be the stress-triggering demand to always strive for perfection, lack of self-confidence, or recurring stress symptoms when working under time pressure. Despite the thematic differences in these disruptive patterns, they all have one thing in common: they are stored in the neural networks of our brain. If we want to change such a pattern, we must first bring it into consciousness. Because without awareness, there is no control! To do this, one can describe what typically happens specifically in the stressful situation. And that on the 4 levels of the "Self." These levels are: 1) Thoughts 2) Emotions 3) Physical reactions 4) Behavior Start by questioning which thoughts typically cross your mind in a stress-triggering situation and write them down. Then explore the emotions you feel in that situation. Finally, identify the physical changes or bodily sensations you perceive and how you tend to behave in that situation. By reflecting on your own four levels and consciously writing them down, you bring your problem or pattern to the surface of your consciousness, making you more vigilant and sensitive to it. Breathing - "Aid in Need" Your task now is to be attentive in your daily life to the occurrence of this pattern on one of these four levels and to consciously perceive its onset. The goal is to be present at the moment negativity begins to spread. Initially, it suffices to consciously perceive the moment of origin of this pattern and to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment, accepting them as they are, without reacting to them in a particular way or trying to change them. Simply perceiving and accepting your emotional state is the crucial first step. In the next step, you can begin to change the pattern. The thought or emotion loop that has just begun can now be effectively interrupted by focusing solely on your breathing and starting to breathe a bit deeper and more evenly than usual. Also, focus on your breathing, preferably on the many details of breathing. The rising and falling of the abdomen, the subtle temperature difference of the inhaled and exhaled air around the nostrils, and guide yourself to maintain the same flow of breath throughout the entire breathing process. By consistently practicing this breathing for about 30 to 60 seconds, two essential things happen: Firstly, the body switches to the parasympathetic mode during this slowed and regular breathing, activating the part of the autonomic nervous system that can be likened to the brake pedal. While in stressful situations, the sympathetic nervous system - the gas pedal of the autonomic nervous system - is pressed, leading to an increase in stress and cortisol levels in the body, the parasympathetic system acts as a brake, reducing the stress level and interrupting the stress response in the body. This can be clearly demonstrated through heart rate variability measurements, which are also used by trained coaches. Heart rate variability measurement is a special method of pulse diagnostics that provides information about the functioning of the autonomic nervous system and can indicate the stress level in the body. The second effect achieved through focused breathing is on a mental level. When full attention is focused on breathing, the problematic thought loops are deprived of the energy of attention. No electrical current flows through these networks, and the thoughts and emotions underlying stress begin to diminish and eventually dissipate. The conscious direction and focus of attention are thus key elements in dealing with negative thoughts and emotions and provide a very effective way to be self-effective. Feeling Positive vs. Thinking Positive Through concentrated and focused breathing, stress reactions can usually be effectively and quickly interrupted, leading to an emotionally neutral state. People realize they are becoming calmer, and negativity dissipates. This moment can now be used successfully to establish a positive thought and emotion spiral within the body-mind system. By utilizing the brain's imaginative ability to evoke an emotionally positive inner image that triggers a palpable positive emotion, the stress-reducing and regenerative effect of breathing can be further enhanced. Heart rate variability measurements clearly show that the activity of the parasympathetic system, the braking part of the Autonomic Nervous System, increases again. Therefore, using an inner image as a "positive anchor" to consciously generate a positive emotion is effective. Working with an inner image is much more effective than the often advocated "positive thinking," which rarely works with a client, or at least no one knows exactly how to do it. (There are also great methods from Positive Psychology for this.) By staying focused on breathing while simultaneously evoking a positive inner anchor, a positive emotion emerges after a short time, leading to more positive thoughts and evaluations, thereby demonstrably reducing the stress level in the body. Ask your client which inner image evokes a feeling of joy or warmth and have them write down this image. For many people, this could be their own pet, a familiar and beautiful place in nature that conveys peace and tranquility, or a small child from their close circle with whom they share a special bond. It should be a purely positively charged image that, upon conscious recollection, triggers a noticeably positive emotion. The "Heart Level" in Communication Eliciting and repeatedly practicing compassion has a special effect on our perception of the environment and thus our fellow human beings. Compassion changes the evaluation of the other person in a positive direction and facilitates an appreciative attitude in communication. 25% of employees report experiencing stress regularly due to conflict-ridden communication with their peers. Regular compassion training has been particularly effective in this context. In compassion training, the focus is essentially on adopting the attitude during interactions with others that every person, deep down in their heart, simply wants to be happy and keep suffering at bay. Simply acknowledging this fact can help us stop viewing our annoying colleague as the annoying nerd from the next table and perhaps even see them as a loving family member. Practicing a compassionate attitude can significantly reduce stress in communication and promote positive interactions. You probably know someone who regularly manages to get on your nerves or at least irritate you a little. If you regularly experience conflicts in communication with a specific person, the following exercise can be very helpful: Take the time to vividly imagine this person in front of your inner eye. How they look, how they speak, how they behave. Then write down on a piece of paper 5 qualities that you appreciate about the other person. With some individuals, you may need to be creative, but you should be able to find at least a handful of qualities that you can appreciate in the other person. Now consciously recall these aspects and then look at the person again. It is often surprising how quickly our attitude towards someone can change when we begin to focus our attention on the positive aspects of the other person! Source: AFNB - Academy for Neuroscience