Neuroscience, also known as Neural Science, is the study of how the nervous system develops, its structure, and what it does. Neuroscientists are interested in how the brain affects behavior and cognitive processes.
The neural networks that cover our brain change in strength based on how frequently we use them. The ones we use frequently develop into powerful “neural highways” that characterize our default emotions, mental patterns, and personalities. The good news is that our neural pathways can be changed; this is called neuroplasticity.
Most of the time, we react to a certain external stimulus in order to feel emotions, but it’s not always the case. Emotional responses can also be brought on by our thinking. Mammal brain can be stimulated to produce a physical emotional response if our human brain recalls a concept or memory of a period when we felt guilty or angry. These are feelings.
Feelings are different from emotions therefore in that they can be rationalized. Feelings are reactions to the environment paired with our thoughts, interpretations, or underlying beliefs about the circumstance, and they occur extremely quickly. Because we have the ability to question our feelings and to reflect our thoughts back to ourselves, our moods are more controllable than our emotions.
What to do when you feel:
Stressed/ overwhelmed
Diaphragmatic breathing with longer exhales can help as it signals to the brain you don’t need to be in survival mode. Diaphragmatic breathing uses our diaphragms, a dome-shaped muscle under our lungs, to help get more air in our lungs and more oxygen to our bodies and brain.
Overall, diaphragmatic breathing lowers the harmful effects of the stress hormone cortisol on your body, by helping you relax; manages the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. It also makes core strength exercises more effective , improving our core muscle stability.
Insecure/ unworthy
Body language impacts our brain perception. According to neuroscience, the processing of body expressions activates a complex network of neurons. This not only includes visual areas but also includes subcortical and cortical emotion-related regions, as well as regions involved in planning and execution of actions. As such, when you feel insecure and have other related negative feelings, stand up tall with big chest and your hands on your hips.
Anxious/ worried
Prefer walking in open spaces that reduces amygdala activation and signals to the brain you are not in immediate threat. Our amygdala assesses our environment for potential danger and conjures the anxiety, fear, and anger that we might need in order to respond to this potential danger. The amygdala is also where we store emotional memory.
Unmotivated/ bored
Try fire breaths (Wim Hom breathing) to increase norepinephrine, the molecule of focus and work. Breath of fire is quick-paced, rhythmic, and sustained for a long period of time. Your inhale and exhale time is equal, with no pause in between breath. You should have two to three cycles of breathing in and out per second once you master breath of fire.
How to do Wim Hom breathing
The foundation of the Wim Hof Method is its breathing technique. According to Hof, beginners should start as follows:
- Find a comfortable position.
- Breathe in deeply through the nose and into the belly.
- Exhale, then immediately breathe in again.
- Take 30–40 such breaths.
- Hold the breath until getting the urge to breathe again.
- Inhale deeply and hold for 15 seconds.
- Repeat 4–5 times.
