Stress Management Using Mind-Body Bridging

1. Stress Management Using Mind-Body Bridging Debra Disney, MSEd, LCPC Counselor

3. Objectives Participants will be able to: • Describe the brain’s role in stress • Apply Mind-Body Bridging to reduce stress

4. Mind/Body BridgingDr. Stanley Block

5. Mind-Body Bridging Mapping TITLE • Think of something unpleasant that has occurred in the past week. • If the memory of that event were a short story, what would the descriptive title be? • Write that title in the oval. This is for your eyes only.

6. Mind-Body Bridging Mapping I do not have enough money for my bills this month.

7. Mind-Body Bridging 1st Map Scatter your thoughts and feelings anywhere outside of the oval. I do not have enough money for my bills this month. What if we lose our house? I have too many bills I’ll never be able to retire. My spouse spends too much money. Feelings: Angry, scared, sad, guilty

8. Mind-Body Bridging Mapping I have too many bills What if we lose our house? I do not have enough money for my bills this month. I’ll never be able to retire. My spouse spends too much money. Feelings: Angry, scared, sad, guilty Adjectives to describe the tone of what I wrote: Negative, scattered Words to describe body tension: tight chest, rapid breathing

9. Mind-Body Bridging • Adjectives to describe the tone of what I wrote: • Words to describe body tension:

10. Mind-Body Bridging • Mind-Body Connection • When the mind has scattered thoughts • The body tends to feel tension (warning lights) • We tend to not be functioning at our best • What are your warning lights?

11. Mind-Body Bridging 2nd Map Same “title”

12. Mind-Body Bridging COMING TO YOUR SENSES Observe senses, with no judgment • Touch • Sound • Scent • Sight • Taste • Breath • Movement • Dance between thoughts and senses • Thoughts will arise • Label them as thoughts • No judgment • Senses • Gently come back to hightening your awareness of the sense of the present moment • No judgment

13. Mind-Body Bridging 2nd Map Scatter your thoughts and feelings. Same “title”

14. Mind-Body Bridging 2nd Map Same “title” Adjectives to describe the tone of what I wrote: ______________ Words to describe body tension: ___________________

15. Mind-Body Bridging Compare the Two Maps • Similarities or differences in the tone of what you wrote? • Similarities or differences in the level of body tension while you wrote? • Based on the 2nd map, how might your level of functioning change?

16. Mind-Body Bridging Map 1 • When the mind has scattered thoughts • The body tends to feel tension • We tend to not be functioning at our best in contrast Map 2 • When the thoughts are not as scattered • The body tends to feel less tension • We tend to function better.

17. Mind-Body Bridging Did I specifically ask you to calm down or relax? During the step called “coming to your senses” what do you remember me asking you to do? Go back to the initial situation you were remembering. If you had used the technique of “Coming to Your Senses” when that situation first happened, do you think your level of functioning might have been better?

18. Mind-Body Bridging • Evolved for helpful reasons • Helps us to identify with who we are as individuals • to identify with being a part of a family • a religion • a culture • a nation • It helps us to create our individual identity IDENTITY-SYSTEM (I-System)

19. Mind-Body Bridging IDENTITY-SYSTEM (I-System) • When the I-system is overactive • it becomes a commotion machine • the source of all human angst • falsely identify with thoughts/feelings that separate us from others • limits our awareness of our connection with others • creates anxiety • disrupts the harmony and balance of the mind-body connection

20. Mind-Body Bridging Wellspring of Healing Power Goodness Wisdom Identity System overactive TRUE SELF • Natural functioning • connected to our own inner wellspring of health and well-being • Existing day-to-day • busy head and tense body • very limited way of seeing the world

21. Mind-Body Bridging • Goal: Rest the I-system • Not a goal: Getting rid of the I-system Without the I-system: • humans would lack self-interest • no direction/no drive

22. Anatomy of a Brain one brain – two minds Who Is Driving the Bus? Deb’s words: Emotional Driver Thinker Driver Neuroscience: Default Mode Network Natural Free Functioning Dr. Block’s: Overactive I-system I-system at rest (Map 1) (Map 2)

23. Anatomy of a BrainThe brain functions today the same as in pre-historic times • Prefrontal Cortex – Thinker Driver • Limbic System (with Amygdala) – Emotional Driver

24. Anatomy of a Brain • When is the Emotional Driver in charge? • Feeling of fear, danger • Chased by lions/tigers/bears • Taking a test, arguing with loved ones, etc? • What happens? • You sense danger • Adrenaline rush • Body agitated • No time to think • Amygdala hijack • FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE • No access to rational thought

25. Who Is Driving the Bus? Emotional Driver or Thinker Driver • Mind/body connection: • Look for the early warning signs your body gives to you. • What are the signs YOUR body gives to you, to warn you that you are on the path of the AMYGDALA HIJACK? • Headache? Stomach in knots? Fast breathing? Muscle tension?

26. How can we manage stress? Key concepts A foundational factor in stress management is to find what works for you to keep the THINKER DRIVER in the driver’s seat. (Be aware of physical signs of hijack)

27. KEY CONCEPTS Calm body leads to a calm mind. Calm mind leads to a calm body. One of the best ways to quickly achieve a calm body/mind is to “Come to Your Senses”

28. Mind-Body Bridging Self Power (True self connected to Wellspring of Healing, Power, Goodness, and Wisdom) Stressful Challenges Identity-System is overactive and is “driving the bus” Self Power is “driving the bus” (I-system is at rest)

29. Mind-Body Bridging Bridging Tools Thought Labeling Original thought: “That shouldn’t have happened.” becomes “I’m having the thought thatshouldn’t have happened.” Coming to Your Senses (sensory awareness to rest the I-system and rediscover True Self’s connection to the Wellspring) Mapping(drawing the oval, scattering thoughts, to reveal the I-system)

30. Mind-Body Bridging REQUIREMENTS How I think my world should be

31. REQUIREMENTS I should have more time to myself. I shouldn’t have to work so hard. How I think my world should be I should make more money. I should have more time with my children

32. requirements Look at each thought, one at a time. Consider the possibility of that not happening. Is there any body tension you feel when you think of that thing not happening? “++” - A lot of body tension “+” - Some body tension If there is no body tension, no plus sign. Please repeat this for each item.

33. REQUIREMENTS I shouldn’t have to work so hard. + I should have more time to myself. How I think my world should be I should make more money. ++ I should have more time with my children ++

34. REQUIREMENTS • Mind-Body Connection • When thoughts are “REQUIREMENTS” (mental rules) • The body tends to feel tension (warning lights) • We tend to not be functioning at our best • Is your thought an EXPECTATION or a REQUIREMENT? • Body tension is the warning light

35. REQUIREMENTS I should have more time to myself. I shouldn’t have to work so hard. + How I think my world should be I should make more money. ++ I should have more time with my children ++

36. REQUIREMENTS We all have natural expectations about how the world should be. “I would like to have enough money for my bills.”

37. Mind-Body Bridging Self Power (True self connected to Wellspring of Healing, Power, Goodness, and Wisdom) I would like to have enough money for my bills. I would like to have enough money for my bills. Identity-System is overactive and is “driving the bus” Self Power is “driving the bus” (I-system is at rest)

38. Mind-Body Bridging Wellspring of Healing Power Goodness Wisdom Identity System overactive TRUE SELF • Natural functioning • connected to our own inner wellspring of health and well-being • Existing day-to-day • busy head and tense body • very limited way of seeing the world

39. KEY CONCEPT • It is not what happens to us that causes the most stress. • What a person believes about stressful events is more • powerful than the existence of the stressful event. • (Blauer-Wu, 2002)

40. PERCEPTIONS Beliefs (Expectations Or Requirements?) Feeling Event Happens Behavior Hot Peppers Story

41. Defusing Requirements • Step 1: • Awareness that I’ve turned a preference into a requirement. • How do I know that I’ve turned a preference into a requirement? • Body tension and a cluttered mind alert me to that.

42. Using your body as a compass Cluttered thoughts Headache Muscle Aches Muscle Tension I-system Tightness Natural Executive Functioning Clear Headed Calm Relaxed Flexible

43. Defusing Requirements • Step 2: • Use Bridging Tools • Thought Labeling • Coming to My Senses • Mapping

44. Discussed brain’s role – thinker driver vs emotional driver Applied Mind-Body Bridging Tools Thought-labeling Coming to Your Senses Mapping (to reveal the Identity System) Summary

45. What I hope you remember It is not what happens to us that causes the most stress. What we ________ about what happens to us tends to cause the most stress. A foundational factor in stress management is keeping the _____________ driver in the driver’s seat of the brain.

46. What I hope you remember • The early warning signs that alert us to the fact that we are on the path to an emotional hijack: • Different for each person

47. What I hope you remember If the emotional driver starts hijacking the bus, some effective ways to let the thinker driver back in the driver’s seat is to 1) Label your __________. 2) Come to Your ____________. 3) Befriend your Identity System by Mapping. Calm body leads to a calm _______. Calm mind leads to a calm _______.