Quantum Physics of Belief - Emotional Hijacks

Following my radio talk on Quantum Physics of Belief – Emotions last Saturday on #BlogTalkRadio, a former coaching client of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous but, nevertheless permitted me to share his story) reminded me of his experience and posed a question on Amygdala Hijacks. I thought it appropriate to extend this discussion to shed some more light on this topic. BTW, the response for the radio talk was overwhelming. Thanks to all of my listeners and eMBC Blog readers for your continued support and helping to inspire me to write more.

Most of the books I read about the brain and emotional intelligence talk about an emotional or amygdala hijacking, which is what you see when the boss loses it and goes on a rant. It’s not pretty, and almost always makes the hijacker look pretty stupid. Amygdala hijack is a term coined by Dr Daniel Goleman in his 1996 book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

My good friend, Dr Joel Bomane from Sunny Southern France often talks about Amygdala in his weekly radio shows, ‘The Brain Odyssey’ series as part of the VoARadio Network on #BlogTalkRadio. According to Dr Bomane, the amygdala is the brain’s radar for threat. It is very handy when hunting for food: it triggers a survival response faster than you can say “hungry tiger.” The problem is that we no longer run into tigers, but instead encounter angry coworkers and bosses on the prowl. But the amygdala makes no difference between a threat to our survival and a threat to our ego. Same response: fight or flight. And for many of us, we don’t think it’s manly to turn and flee, so we engage in verbal jujitsu akin to World Heavy Weight Wrestling. But when in the grips of a hijack, the amygdala makes mistakes. It only receives a fraction of the data available.

The term amygdala hijack describes any situation in which a person responds inappropriately based on emotional rather than intellectual factors. The amygdala is the emotional center of the human brain and can create split-second responses when a person is threatened. An inappropriate emotional response to a perceived threat is thus called an amygdala hijack.

The amygdala is part of the brain for many of the higher vertebrates. It regulates the fight or flight response that is key to the survival mechanism for many animals, including humans and other primates. At the moment a threat is perceived, the amygdala can override the neocortex, the center of higher thinking, and initiate a violent response. In the wild or in the presence of actual physical threats, this can be a life-saving function. In ordinary day-to-day living, however, this amygdala hijack can inspire impulsive responses the person will later regret.

On some levels, the human brain does not distinguish between a genuine threat to life or health and a subjective threat, such as loss of job status. While the latter might not even result in a change of income, a person who values a job highly may respond to such a status change as if it were an actual threat. If he or she takes inappropriate action against a co-worker or supervisor, however, the result could be a demotion or even the loss of the job. This illustrates Goleman’s three-stage definition of the amygdala hijack: emotional reaction, inappropriate response, and later regret.

And in today’s workplaces, most of our dangers are symbolic, not physical threats. So we react in ways we often regret later.

Let me give you an example of an event that took place sometime ago with one of my coaching clients and this could vividly explain what we really mean by an Amygdala Hijack.

I was working with an executive who found himself flooded by his emotions and was pleased with himself for adopting a recovery strategy whereby he cut himself off from any emotional content. He was surprised when our coaching conversations explored the downsides of both behaviors and opened the door to a third way of behaving.

One day, my client was planning to work at home, in order to make a medical appointment in the morning and to avoid a two hour round-trip commute to be in the office for the afternoon. That noon, he received a call at home from one of his peers, another member of the executive committee, who said he had to come to work. The firm had to decide how to address employee concerns about leaving early due to weather risks from hurricane Gustav [August 2008 in Florida]. The situation was complicated because the management team in the parent office, located in another state, did not want their distribution operations disrupted and were insensitive to the weather potential and the employee concerns.

My client reacted strongly and rather rudely to his peer. He did not like to be told he had to come in and was acting out his indignation. He was not attuned to his peer or to the employees. To his credit, he caught himself when he remembered the principle that leaders are expected to lead by example and chided himself that he should not be asking others to do something he was not willing to do. He shared this with his peer and then went to the office, checking in on the various departments and being visible.

As we debriefed this event, it became clear that he had been triggered by being told “he had to.” He got flooded by his emotions, driven by his implicit memories of being told he had to do things. Once flooded, his only strategy to regain control was to go for a full tourniquet block on his emotions. While he prided himself on being able to “shed his emotions” and then make a principle-based decision, we discussed how much he lost by both his initial reaction and then by his secondary reaction. The initial reaction, blasting a peer with his emotional outburst, cost him relationship points with this peer. His secondary reaction, shedding all emotion, left him incapable of being empathic with his peer and left him devoid of any curiosity. My client described himself as being in a state of “brain lock.”

Another pathway would have been for my client to be aware of his emotions without acting out on them. This requires a certain detachment. He then could be curious about the context. It turns out that his peer was the only company officer on-site and that she was very uncomfortable with the decisions that needed to be made. He could have learned more about the issues, as she saw them. An empathic conversation, one that did not happen, could have built relationship and provided insights into alternative courses of action.

Following the pathway of keeping perspective and not acting out on emotions could have provided my client with access to other ways of creatively thinking about the situation. Leading by example is great, but other factors also come into play. Ironically, his emotional flooding left him starving for data.

This is a classic amygdala hijack. Dr Daniel Goleman, noted for his work on emotional intelligence, explains how the flood of hormones from the amygdala leads our brains to bypass the normal pathways for higher functioning and throws us into an escalating pattern, where we see things through our fight/flight/freeze lens. When this happens to us, this flood of stress-related hormones leaves us feeling like we have lost 20-30 IQ points. That is not something most of us can afford to do without!

Here are the five top amygdala triggers in the workplace, from Tony Schwartz’ book The Way We are Working Isn’t Working:

1.    Condescension and lack of respect

2.    Being treated unfairly

3.    Being Unappreciated

4.    Feeling that you are not being listened to or heard

5.    Being held to unrealistic deadlines

Especially in today’s climate of economic uncertainty, on the tail end of an ugly recession, there’s a lot of free-floating fear in the air. It doesn’t take much to trigger fear of family security, which is enough to get anybody seriously upset.

If you find yourself struggling with on-the-job stresses that are triggering either the emotional flooding or the emotional tourniquet responses, Goleman advises mindfulness training, such as meditation, to reduce the likelihood of an amygdala hijack. Meditation and similar exercises, such as tai chi, encourages a person to focus on his or her surroundings and process mental data in a calm state of mind. With practice, this kind of thinking will become second nature and can allow a person to retain a sense of calm focus even during crises. Here are some specific steps that one can incorporate in your training to minimize such Amygdala hijacks:

1.    Pay attention. Notice when you are in the middle of a hijack.

2.    Use deep breathing to gain time and space. This lets more oxygen into your brain and lets your rational brain begin to work.

3.    Use a mantra or self-talk, like “I’m okay; this isn’t a real threat. Give me a second to come out of it.”

4.    Ask for a few minutes, a time break, as in: “Let me get back to you on this.”

Hijacks can last a few seconds or a few minutes, but the sooner you break its spell, the better you’ll feel. You’ll learn you can keep in control without losing face.

Quantum Physics of Belief - Awareness

For the past few months, I was writing about our beliefs thru the science of consciousness and extending those patterns to the business world, to suggest innovative ways of using this wisdom to lead and succeed in a business environment that is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. Once we reach a greater understanding of how our thoughts and beliefs, in addition to actions, are actualizing the world, our organizations will run differently. This realization sheds light on how the role of leadership is changing and which types of leaders will become the most sought after in the 21^st century.

As per quantum physics, the thoughts and beliefs of people in an organization have an impact on the events that occur. In particular, when groups of people intend that a particular outcome is achieved, the intentions themselves have an impact on events, so that the outcome is more likely to occur in the direction of the intentions. An intention is a conscious desire for a particular outcome and a belief that the outcome can be influenced.

To have the highest intentions for the success of an organization, be it a business or a nation, people need to feel responsible for it. Taking responsibility for something means you understand you have a role in creating it and therefore can help create something different. Even if we haven’t taken action to contribute to a particular organizational outcome, our thoughts and beliefs are influencing the outcome of any organization of which we are part of. When we accept this responsibility, we stop blaming others for the outcomes, and naturally develop intentions for the success of the organization. These intentions then help promote success.

Our businesses and societies will therefore, be better off when people accept their responsibilities for having created the current conditions and then lend their intentions, if not also their actions, to improving conditions. Ultimately, each individual will have to decide whether they accept this responsibility and where they will place the focus of their intentions. Inevitably, leaders play a pivotal role by either helping or hindering a strong sense of responsibility in their organizations. So the question is ‘how good are our current leadership practices at getting people to feel responsible for the outcomes?’

The answer to this is complex and multi-faceted, but for now let’s focus on the degree of egocentricity that leaders possess. The reality is that most business leaders got to a position of leadership by showing that they were better than others, so it’s natural for them to continue to proliferate that feeling. Furthermore, business structures are hierarchical in nature, and top executives really are held more accountable than those at lower levels. These factors are a natural hindrance to getting all employees of a company to feel responsible for the company’s outcomes.

I must point out that I am not talking about just holding people accountable for the results of their job. There is a huge difference between a person feeling motivated to achieve specific job results vs. feeling responsible for the outcomes of the business.

Getting all employees to feel responsible for business outcomes requires that we adopt a different belief about what type of leader is most effective and then begin to choose different types of leaders. We need leaders who are humble, to the point of being understated and even self-effacing. This doesn’t mean they are not strong enough to make tough decisions, because they need to be, but they need to be able to stand in the presence of their followers without usurping their power. Business research actually shows this type of leader is more effective.

As a leader, the way you perceive the world around you has a huge impact on your decisions. The way you perceive is determined by all the life you have been living (or NOT living) until now!

There are many levels of decision making and the way you perceive your surroundings determine if you are a great decision maker or just an average Joe trying to make it through the day.

There is a new paradigm emerging. Until now mankind has allowed itself to blame anything and anybody for almost everything and thus leave huge opportunities to take responsibility behind. Huge opportunities to become better at being human beings and greater Leaders in our families, our lives, our communities and even in our countries have been left behind.

This psychological malfunction has brought humanity to where we are today and the leaders of today – whether we are leading multinational companies or we are leading our selves through life, are going to be extinct very soon if this continues. Evolution is determined by survival of the fittest and until now this blaming strategy has somehow worked – at least to some degree. The strategy is: I am right therefore you are wrong! Or I am innocent and you are guilty. Polarization. Segregation.

We must realize that this strategy will destroy us if we continue. Or at least it will destroy the archetype of blaming which is needed, and make a perfect transition into a new era. The old strategy was dividing everything – in me and you, good or bad etc. The new strategy which we will need to make a decent world is: Wholeness!

We have to learn to think in 'us' instead of 'you or me'. Every decision a leader makes that is based solely on his or her own perception of life is doomed to fail. (S)He does not realize that even the smallest decision is a thread in a web that includes all living creatures, and anything from 'outside' can make their decision fail. You can't make a decision without being aware of everything else that can influence your decision and you can't be aware if you don't train your awareness!! Just like you can't play piano like Mozart without practicing!

This awareness has multiple levels. The first level is to be aware of yourself! You have to be aware of your emotions, your thoughts, your (determined) actions, and your behavior. You MUST know why you have the feelings you experience. You have to know why you think the thoughts you are thinking. You have to know why you are acting the way you are acting. You have to be able to watch your self from outside your self!

The next level is the same but your awareness now includes other people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior. The ability to be aware of other peoples’ lives is much easier if you know and understand what is going on inside your self. First it is our family and close colleagues. Next it is those that I don't know personally but they come and go in my life. It is people from other departments in my company; it's the people on the street and in the shops. Those I see but not necessarily talk to.

The third level is to apply the same awareness to the whole world. Be aware of everything; All the time. And make decisions accordingly…

We are going to change evolution. This is not an easy task. But on top of the biological evolution we now have to focus on the evolution of consciousness; We even have to add the evolution of consciousness.

We all have a responsibility for this planet. It is not just those we pay to run our country that has this responsibility. We ALL have! And the only way we can do it right is by training our personal awareness skills.

One of the absolute key traits of The New Leader is Self Awareness. Know thy self. This kind of personal mastery demands having a heightened understanding of one's own behavior, limitations and motivations, skills and a mindset of Global awareness.

The patriarchal leader is on his way to extinction. He did not make it through evolution of awareness and now The New Leader evolves and takes over the world stage. The old leader was disciplined and there were no room for emotions as they could negatively influence decisions – well some people really believed this stuff! On our way to Leadership at the World Stage, Awareness and Leadership becomes wholeness. The outcome is Impact, Power, Insight, Integrity, Ethics beyond measure and Social and Emotional Intelligence. Creative Intelligence followed by Spiritual Intelligence will also be active ingredients in Leader Skills in the future.

The lessons we learn from scientific and business research can give us great insight into how to improve the leadership of nations. Here is a radical statement but one that is supported by research: stop making governments responsible for the economy. The science and business research show us that we are collectively creating the conditions of our economy and, furthermore, that getting everyone to take responsibility for it will improve the conditions. Yet we are continually expecting our leaders to fix it and then blaming them when they can’t.

I have no desire to get into a discussion of which political ideals are more correct. However, I do think John F. Kennedy was on the right track when he said “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.  These words reflect an understanding of the importance of each person taking responsibility for the world we are creating.

Quantum Physics of Belief - Empathy

For the past few months, I was writing about quantum physics and business research to explore innovative ways of using the latest research and wisdom to lead and succeed in a global business environment that is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. As leaders, we need to know what’s going on with our teams and employees. Are they facing major obstacles? Is their rational thinking overridden with fear? They are not always willing to say they need help, as they may perceive it as a sign of weakness or they may believe there will be negative repercussions.

Two weeks ago, in an earlier article on emotions, I have described how science is now showing us ways to read the emotions of other people, so we can proactively offer help. I am certainly aware of the unease or self-conscious discomfort that many people feel when a term such as "empathy" is introduced in a business environment. However, in this article, let me show how to take empathy to the next level.

Empathy is the act of recognizing and sharing the feelings (such as jubilation or fear) that are being experienced by another person. New scientific discovery is giving us confidence to expand on this traditional definition by including the ability to pick up on the feelings, bodily sensations of another person. Indeed, empathy is valued currency. It allows us to create bonds of trust, it gives us insights into what others may be feeling or thinking; it helps us understand how or why others are reacting to situations, it sharpens our "people acumen" and informs our decisions. As leaders, this helps us know if an employee needs our help to clear an obstacle or needs to receive some encouragement.

A large number of experiments using functional MRI have shown that certain brain regions are active when people experience a certain emotion and the same regions are active when they see another person experiencing the same emotion. The practice of “feeling into” another person is reportedly used in psychotherapy, and now we can use it in other areas of our lives, including the more mundane business world.

There are numerous studies that link empathy to business results. They include studies that correlate empathy with increased sales, with the performance of the best managers of product development teams and with enhanced performance in an increasingly diverse workforce.

Yes, increasingly, the topic of empathy is encroaching on the business world. We are now even seeing terms such as "empathy marketing" and "empathy selling". Not long ago, I came across the term "user empathy", referring to user interface.

Empathy; which is the ability to imagine yourself in someone else's position, to imagine what they are feeling, to understand what makes people tick, to create relationships and to be caring of others; is very difficult to outsource or automate, and yet is increasingly important to businesses in a global economic environment.

The modern management guru, Dr. Daniel Goleman wrote, "Leaders with empathy, do more than sympathize with people around them: they use their knowledge to improve their companies in subtle, but important ways." This doesn't mean that they agree with everyone's view or try to please everybody. Rather, they "thoughtfully consider employees' feelings – along with other factors – in the process of making intelligent decisions."

Empathy, then, is an ability that is well-worth cultivating. It's a soft, sometimes abstract tool in a leader's toolkit that can lead to hard, tangible results. But where does empathy come from? Is it a process of thinking or of emotion? From a scientific perspective as explained above, I believe that it is both: We need to use our reasoning ability to understand another person's thoughts, feelings, reactions, concerns, motives; This means truly making an effort to stop and think for a moment about the other person's perspective in order to begin to understand where they are coming from: And then we need the emotional capacity to care for that person's concern; Caring does not mean that we would always agree with the person, that we would change our position, but it does mean that we would be in tune with what that person is going through, so that we can respond in a manner that acknowledges their thoughts, feelings or concerns.

When candor is communicated with empathy and caring and not the prideful arrogance of an over inflated ego good things begin to happen. Empathetic communicators display a level of authenticity and transparency that is not present with those who choose to communicate behind the carefully crafted facade propped-up by a very fragile ego. Understanding this communication principle is what helps turn anger into respect and doubt into trust.

So this leads me to a question that I am sometimes asked: "Can you teach someone to be empathetic?" We all know some people who are naturally and consistently empathetic – these are the people who can easily forge positive connections with others. They are people who use empathy to engender trust and build bonds; they are catalysts who are able to create positive communities for the greater good. But even if empathy does not come naturally to some of us, I firmly believe that we can develop this capacity.

Here are a few practical tips you might consider to help you do this:

Smile at people.

Use people's name. Also remember the names of people's spouse and children so that you can refer to them by name.

Take a personal interest in people. Show people that you care, and genuine curiosity about their lives. Ask questions about their hobbies, their challenges, their families, their aspirations.

Listen – truly listen to people. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart. Pay attention to others' body language, to their tone of voice, to the hidden emotions behind what they are saying to you, and to the context.

Don't interrupt people. Don't dismiss their concerns offhand. Don't rush to give advice. Don't change the subject. Allow people their moment.

Be fully present when you are with people. Don't check your email, look at your watch or take phone calls when a direct report drops into your office to talk to you. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if your boss did that to you?

Tune in to non-verbal communication. This is the way that people often communicate what they think or feel, even when their verbal communication says something quite different.

Practice the "93% rule". When communicating about feelings and attitudes,  words – the things we say – account for only 7% of the total message that people receive. The other 93% of the message that we communicate when we speak is contained in our tone of voice and body language. It's important, then, to spend some time to understand how we come across when we communicate with others about our feelings and attitudes.

Encourage people, particularly the quiet ones, when they speak up in meetings. A simple thing like an attentive nod can boost people's confidence.

Give genuine recognition and praise. Pay attention to what people are doing and catch them doing the right things. When you give praise, spend a little effort to make your genuine words memorable: "You are an asset to this team because... "; "This was pure genius"; "I would have missed this if you hadn't picked it up."

Empathy is an emotional and thinking muscle that becomes stronger the more we use it. Try some of these suggestions and watch the reactions of those you work with. I believe you will notice some positive results.

Years ago, I had come across a saying that went something like this: the measure of a man [or woman], is how they treat someone who is of absolutely no use to them. Empathy should not be selective: It should be a daily habit. If I were to create a bumper sticker, I would say: Empathy: Don't Leave Home Without It!

When you “feel into” another person, you are using a part of your brain not typically used in business. There are three levels of your brain and each perceives differently. The lower level reptile brain, which is seldom used in business today, perceives thru subtle, instinctive vibes. To feel into another person, project your awareness to the other person, envision moving down in your brain toward your instinctive senses, and notice the way your body feels.

This is where knowledge of how your own emotions feel in your body really pays off, because you will feel the other people’s emotions the same way you feel your own. When the other person is feeling empowered and confident, you may feel energy rising in your body, perhaps warmness around your chest. If, on the other hand, you feel your energy drop or tighten, the other person is likely tense, worried, feeling overwhelmed, or holding something back. You can feel the steady waves of harmonious people and the adrenaline of people who are afraid or operating from their ego.

This technique works in person, by phone or even email, as long as you feel a connection to the other person and can project your awareness to them. While you are learning this technique it’s important to keep in mind to always verify with the person that you have accurately detected what they are feeling.

Quantum Physics of Belief - Positive Thinking

We have different degrees of happiness and different kinds of suffering. Material objects give rise to physical happiness while spiritual development gives rise to mental happiness. Since we experience both physical and mental happiness, we need both material and spiritual development. This is why, for our own good and that of society we need to balance material progress with inner development. ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Do you recognize the inner demons (such as your fear, self limiting beliefs etc.) obstructing your journey to your happiness and success? Listen to my radio show on Saturday April 7th at 8PM CDT and learn a 5 step (Chod) process to fighting those demons.
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If you have listened to my radio show last Saturday on March 31^st you probably heard my guest Dr. Ed Moloney talk about the importance and power of positive thinking. Most modern Management gurus would all acknowledge that people perform better when they are feeling positive. So, as leaders we naturally want our teams and organizations to be positive environments. However, most leaders are not aware of the factors that influence the positivity of environments. We think we are controlling environments when we monitor what is said and done, but experimentation tells us that thoughts themselves become pervasive and set the tone in an environment.

It is commonly acknowledged that positive environments are conducive to higher performance. Among other things, positivity in an environment helps people think more clearly and doesn’t waste the energy that negative emotions demand. Conventionally, we get people to feel more positive by taking action such as showing appreciation for their work or inspiring them to be of service to customers. Now we see there are other factors that must be considered in creating a positive environment.

First, we must become more careful with our own thoughts. Consider what the impact we will have on an employee or group when we harbor fears of them failing, or when we allow our minds to be overrun with anxiety. We may think there is no harm in our thoughts, as long as we control what we say and do, but remember that the episode from the movie Apollo 13 tells us otherwise. In that movie, the Flight Director Gene Kranz (played by Ed Harris) says two powerful things: “Failure is NOT an Option.” And “I will not allow that [negative] thought to exist in this space” (even if it was only a thought by a crew member!)

We also must become more attentive to the thoughts that are pervasive in our organizations. We need to detect and control the thought energy of our organizations as diligently as we measure and control the performance outcomes. This has implications to the criteria we use for hiring and promoting, as well as the priorities we choose to address.

We have all experienced negative people who can be among our best performers. We generally tolerate their negativity until and unless they say or do something that are harmful to the group. However, now we see that their mere presence has a detrimental impact to the organization.

In general, this knowledge demands that we become more cognizant of group energy, including how it is generated and its impact on performance. Most leaders are currently unaware that thoughts alone can become pervasive and affect the entire organization, either positively or negatively.

Coming back to the original topic of positive thinking, we would all generally agree that thinking positively is a good thing; especially, when we are feeling positive.

But, what about when things go crappy? What about those days when you are so stressed the veins pop out of your forehead? When you hate your job — or you have lost it? What about those days when you are sucker-punched by a series of unfortunate events that makes the life of Job look like a garden party?

Here is the secret that is not really a secret. It’s revolutionary, exciting science.

Positive thinking really does change your brain. Not in some magical, woo-woo kind of way, but in a real physical way.

The science is called Neuroplasticity. It means that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains. The idea was first introduced by William James in 1890, but it was not accepted by many who uniformly believed the brain is rigidly mapped out, with certain parts of the brain controlling certain functions. If that part is dead or damaged, the function is altered or lost. Well, it appears they were wrong.

Neuroplasticity now enjoys wide acceptance as scientists are proving the brain is endlessly adaptable and dynamic.

It has the power to change its own structure, even for those with the severe neurological afflictions. People with problems like strokes, cerebral palsy, and mental illness can train other areas of their brains through repetitive mental and physical activities. It is completely life-altering.

So what does this have to do with positive thinking and with you?

It means that repetitive positive thought and positive activity can rewire your brain and strengthen brain areas that stimulate positive feelings.

In his widely-acclaimed book, The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, Norman Doidge M.D. states plainly that the brain has the capacity to rewire itself and/or form new neural pathways — if we do the work. Just like exercise, the work requires repetition and activity to reinforce new learning.

Here are some actions you can take to change your own brain during the bad times.

Fear of failure

Everyone fears doing something new because we don’t want to fail. The truth is, we can do most anything if we take action, stop negative thinking, and shift our perceptions of the truth about our abilities.

Action steps: Force yourself to stop thinking about reasons you can’t do something, even if you don’t feel brave or capable. Every time a negative thought creeps in, retrain your brain to think a positive thought about your abilities instead. Then take small actions every day toward achieving your goal or desired change.  Nike’s slogan, “Just do it,” has real validity.

Over-thinking/Worrying

Have you ever found yourself trapped in obsessive over-thinking about a problem or in a state of anxiety or worry that lasts for days or even weeks? It drains your energy, affects your sleep, and spirals your mood and outlook on life. Focusing on your problem only strengthens the worry function in your brain.

Action steps: When you find yourself in that cycle of worry or compulsive thinking, remember the three R’s — rename, re-frame, and redirect. When the worry begins, mentally yell “Stop!” Rename the issue by reminding yourself that worry isn’t real. Rename it as a compulsive reaction, not reality. Re-frame your thinking by focusing on positive or distracting thoughts, even if you still feel anxious. Force yourself to think different thoughts. Redirect your actions. Go do something uplifting, fun or mentally engaging. The key is following these steps repeatedly, every time you worry obsessively, to break the pattern and rewire your brain.

Mood Disorders/Phobias

Sometimes we might feel blue or out-of-sorts, and it’s just a temporary fog that settles in and lifts after a few days. Some mood disorders, like depression or serious anxieties that morph into phobias, can be debilitating and unrelenting. Psychologists and therapists have used treatments based on Neuroplasticity to get to the cognitive root of these disorders and put a patient’s life back on track.

Action steps: A serious mood disorder or phobia requires the help of a trained counselor. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a type of treatment that helps people learn how to identify and change destructive thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and feelings. If you suffer from severe anxiety or depression, you need someone skilled to help you get to the root of these thoughts and to show you how to change them. Ask them about CBT.

Scientists are now looking at Neuroplasticity to approach a wide variety of cognitive problems and disorders including:

Auditory processing problems

Autism and hypersensitivity

Cerebral palsy

Chronic pain

Cognitive problems after brain surgery

Depression and anxiety

Issues related to love and sex

Learning disorders and reading problems

Loss of senses — vision, balance and hearing

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Psychological trauma

Stroke and brain injury recovery

The aging brain and memory

In his book, Dr. Doidge chronicles amazing case histories of patients whose astonishing progress had previously been dismissed as hopeless. Through the applications of this science, we all have the ability to be happier and more positive, raise our IQ’s, rejuvenate aging brains, and learn new skills with ease.