effective brain function | Marian Buck Murray

In our society we’re trained to give the brain most of, if not all, the credit. Many of us believe that the brain is the only place to go when we want to solve a problem. We say things like: I’m wracking my brain. Let me think about it. And, I’m trying to wrap my head around it…

When left unchecked, all of this brain activity takes an enormous amount of energy. Especially when we’re worried. It’s easy to overthink and overanalyze our circumstances. And, sometimes, often without realizing it, we can get trapped in a punishing mind loop.

The brain, of course, with its myriad functions, is an amazingly intricate and powerful organ. However, when we rely solely on the brain to help us, we miss out on the treasure chest of wisdom residing in the rest of the body. A mind loop, after all, rarely resolves itself with thinking alone.

And when it comes to accessing creative or intuitive flow, it’s the thinking brain that presents the biggest hurdles. Typically, the more we think about being creative or intuitive, the more we doubt and second-guess ourselves. A self-doubting, second-guessing mind blocks intuition, and cripples creative flow. The longer we engage with the mind loop, the further we take ourselves from the luscious experience of flow.

So, while recognizing and respecting the power of the brain, it’s important to consult the body and heart, in order to facilitate flow.

Here are some ways to help yourself drop out of a busy mind loop:

Breath Deeply – Deep breath will help activate the relaxation response. In addition, by focusing on your breath, you take your focus off of your busy mind.

Move your Body Parts– Mindfully move different parts of your body. Pay attention to your hand, your leg, your foot, etc. Notice any sensations with that arise with each part of your body. Notice any information or metaphors your body might be expressing. Observe what happens with your thoughts when you purposefully steer them to your body.

Get up and Dance! — Dancing, especially to music you love, will help you break out of a troubling mind set. Get silly and exaggerate your moves. If you’re up for it, shake your body from top to toe. Shaking will help release anxiety and loosen your body and mind.

Chant — Chanting a simple mantra, such as Om, for 10 -20 minutes is an effective way to exit a mind loop. By focusing on a simple phrase, chanting will help you transcend the mind. In addition, chanting helps activate the vagus nerve, thereby relaxing the nervous system. If you’re new to chanting, start with a few minutes, and work up to longer periods of time.

Use the Heart Breath — The heart breath will help you relax a busy brain. According to experts, the heart’s electromagnetic energy field is as much as 5000 times greater than the brain’s. This means that we can use the heart to entrain the brain into a calmer brain wave state. This will help boost effective brain function. Click here to access my Heart Breath Meditation on Insight Timer.

Use EFT tapping – An anxious mind can trigger a spike in cortisol. EFT Tapping has been clinically proven to be one of the most effective techniques for reducing cortisol. By reducing cortisol and calming the nervous system, we help ourselves drop out of the mind loop. This enables us to think more clearly, in a solution-based way. Contact me to learn more about EFT Tapping.

Here’s to giving your busy mind a well deserved break!

Peace,
Marian

Contact me to learn how EFT Tapping can help you exit a painful mind loop.

It’s said that some people would rather die than speak in public. You might be one of them. Certainly, if you’re a sensitive person, you might avoid public speaking at all costs.

Public speaking can be difficult for the sensitive person, because we’re often more concerned about what other people feel and think. This can create a sense of anxiety, and anxiety, of course, makes it really hard to articulate clearly.

When we’re feeling anxious, or overly stressed, we experience a rise in cortisol. This rise in cortisol triggers blood loss from the thinking part of our brain. High cortisol limits the brain’s ability to process and articulate information. This, obviously, makes effortless articulation nearly impossible – especially on the stage or in front of a group.

So what to do? Here are some steps to make public speaking easier for you. These are the steps I take each time I speak or offer a workshop:

Be prepared. No matter the type of speaking engagement, it’s crucial to do your work ahead of time. This means doing your research, refining and updating your knowledge, planning your talk, writing your outline, and creating any hand-outs or informational documents. Ahead of time. Preparation will help you deepen your well of knowledge about your topic. It’s this well of knowledge that will help keep you in the flow once you’re on stage.

Let Go. Once you’ve done your preparation, you’re ready to let go. Allow time (plenty) before your event to permit the creative process to take over. Keep a notebook handy to write down spontaneous ideas and additions to add to your outline. This is the time to give your mind a break. You’ve done the work, it’s time to trust the process.

Relax. Use the hours before your event to relax. Meditate. Listen to soothing music. Take a walk in Nature. Keep your energy field as clear as possible from negative disruptions. Get yourself into the ‘zone’ of relaxed energy flow.

Use Stress-Relief Tools. So, you’ve done your preparation. You’ve allowed the creative process to work with you. You’ve relaxed (hopefully). Now, when your moment on stage is imminent, use in-the-moment tools to relieve stress. These tools include:

Deep Breathing – Slow, deep breaths will turn on the relaxation response.

EFT Tapping – Tapping on the karate chop, or other points – this helps to reduce cortisol, so you can think more clearly.

Heart Breath – Close your eyes, and Imagine that you’re taking slow, deep breaths in and out of your heart. Allow yourself to sense the energy in your heart lightening and expanding. Breathe this way for 1 minute or longer. The Heart Breath helps to entrain the brain to be calmer and more effective.

Speak. You’re fully prepared. You have a deep well of knowledge. You might even have a brief outline by your side to refer to if needed. You’ve used your relaxation tools. Now it’s time to let go, and move into your zone. Allow your knowledge and talent to flow through you. Speak. It’s all within you. You’ve got this, go for it!

Need help getting up the courage to speak, or to put yourself ‘out there’? Reach out to me, and learn how EFT tapping can help.

Blessings,

Marian

Exit the Mind Loop

Speak Easy: 5 Steps to Easier Public Speaking