That Little Voice In Your Head
We all have that little voice in our head; the one that tells you you aren’t good enough, that what you said yesterday during happy hour was stupid or that you should skip your gym routine today. The mind does this because its primary purpose is to ensure our survival so it constantly monitors for factors that could jeopardize that survival.
Turns out this little voice has a very specific location in the brain! it is called the The Default Mode Network which is a network of different brain regions best known for being active when a person is not engaged in conscious thinking but rather “mind wondering“ which, in my field means the worries, the ruminations, the self judgment, which can be a cause of anxiety or unhappiness for people. A reduced DMN activity has been shown to improve self-judgment and emotion regulation, and mental state overall.
The DMN can be positively modulated by
Acupuncture - Acupuncture has been shown to help maintain biochemical balance within the brain.
Antidepressants – Abnormalities in DMN connectivity are reduced following treatment with antidepressant medications in PTSD
Cognitive training; I usually recommend Luminello, also great for ADHD, cognitive decline and just general cognitive sharpness
Meditation – Regular meditation is able to cause structural, lasting positive changes in the DMN. Start with a Youtube video you like. This is something you work your way up to! It will be hard at the beginning but it is a skill you developing. It will get easier, for longer stretches of time.
Mindfulness - being in the moment as a direct opposite to the mind wandering. The nature of the mind is to create one thousand thoughts per minute, leading to ruminations, worry and making up problems we never end up having! Focus on your breathing. Just your breathing. You cannot focus on your breathing and on anxious thoughts at the same time.
Physical activity and exercise - welcome to my pet peeve! Physical Activity, and more likely Aerobic Training, may alter the DMN in a positive way.
Psychotherapy – In PTSD, the abnormalities in the default mode network normalize in individuals who respond to psychotherapy interventions. I am a big fan of therapy and recommend it more often than not. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for instance, can teach you to dispute those anxious, self deprecating thoughts so you take away their power and their impact on your day to day moods.
