The Find Out My Mind [PATCHED]
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Our test and insights are based on real science. The findings about brain types are based on a study of 650,000 people and published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. Learn more here.
Think about a desk stacked high with bits and pieces of different projects, memos, and important papers. When you need to find a specific piece of information, this clutter might make your job pretty difficult.
The key finding was that our brains have two major types of processes: those that operate automatically (usually called System 1) and those that are more effortful (System 2). The research that demonstrated this won Daniel Kahneman the Nobel Prize.
I found this rough distinction to be somewhat helpful for my counseling clients, but it has been difficult to translate it into useful tools. So I have been working to find a better application for therapy, and recently arrived at what I call the Three Frames of Mind.
This is the state of being totally immersed in, or connected to, what we are doing in the present moment. When we are fully present in a conversation, skiing down a mountain, crying after hearing about a friend having cancer, or taking the first bite of the best slice of pizza in the world; basically, when our thoughts and attention are fully connected to what is happening here-and-now, that is engaged mind.
People that are able to engage in their daily activities (rather than zoning out or becoming distracted by other thoughts) are generally happier and more satisfied with their lives and relationships. Recent research even shows that being in engaged mind reduces base levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Our brain is constantly conducting an enormous range of tasks. For example, we become aware of any changes in the environment (new sounds, changes in light or temperature, quick movements, etc.) and any pains or bodily sensations that deserve to be noticed (and some that don't). We effortlessly make evaluations and judgments about things being positive or negative (including ourselves), categorize our experiences, and make decisions about things we need to do and have to remember. We have scenes from our past triggered and have feelings and sensations about things that might occur in the future. We form habits to automate major parts of our lives and are pulled out of moments with memories or questions. This non-stop flow of information is part of being human, and we spend a large percentage of our lives swimming in this stream. This is automatic mind.
The content of automatic mind is determined by current internal and environmental conditions, instincts, perceptions, and prior learning. The flow is essential for our survival and helps us adapt among countless other things, but it is also full of misinformation, distortions, and biases.
If automatic thoughts and feelings are pleasant, then spending a lot of time in this frame is great! But when those things are more negative, troubling, or so strong that we can't stay engaged, then automatic mind can become an unbearable place that we try to escape from. Most people come to counseling for things related to automatic mind.
Example: During a slow moment of the conversation with my friend, my mind wanders to what I am doing after we part. I mentally run through a list of things to get at the grocery store and also replay an argument I got into with someone else a few hours earlier that makes me get a bit anxious. I am not completely present in what is happening here-and-now. Instead, I am off and running with this automatic flow, losing track of the details of the conversation in the process, and feeling anxious.
Since we are self-aware creatures, we have the ability to intentionally step back from our current thoughts, feelings, and experiences to observe them, manipulate information in our minds, and solve problems. All of the complex reasoning we can do is what I call analytic mind.
Since there are so many different ways analytic mind can work, I offer six broad categories below. Also, many of these thought processes also take place in analytic mind. The difference here is that analytic mind is when we intentionally choose to use these abilities.
Other problems can arise here when we stay in this frame too much by "over-analyzing" things, develop a rigidity of thinking, or don't use it enough. Our analytic mind also comes into conflict with automatically generated emotions and intuition, which can leave us in a state of confusion, indecision, or "cognitive dissonance."
There are a few basic ways I think these "frames of mind" can be used to better our lives. First, I think this breakdown can help us understand the different functions our minds have and can help us developed a better understanding of what frame we'd want to be in at any given time. For example, when there is something fun or important going on, we should be engaged. Or when there is a complex problem at hand, we should analyze it.
Furthermore, I think it can show ways that these capacities can all work together to make us better. As we try to be deeply engaged in our lives, automatic mind creates a barrier but also assists in keeping a read on what else is going on in the environment. Our ability to reflect on our experiences can give us new information to analyze and learn from, which over time and repetitions will become habits in our automatic minds.
During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.
In mindfulness meditation, you broaden your conscious awareness. You focus on what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions. But let them pass without judgment.
Focusing your attention is what helps free your mind from the many distractions that cause stress and worry. You can focus your attention on such things as a specific object, an image, a mantra, or even your breathing.
Don't let the thought of meditating the "right" way add to your stress. If you choose to, you can attend special meditation centers or group classes led by trained instructors. But you can also practice meditation easily on your own. Or you may find apps to use, too.
When you use this method, slow down your walking pace so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as "lifting," "moving" and "placing" as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground. Focus on the sights, sounds and smells around you.
Keep in mind, for instance, that it's common for your mind to wander during meditation, no matter how long you've been practicing meditation. If you're meditating to calm your mind and your attention wanders, slowly return to the object, sensation or movement you're focusing on.
Experiment, and you'll likely find out what types of meditation work best for you and what you enjoy doing. Adapt meditation to your needs at the moment. Remember, there's no right way or wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps you reduce your stress and feel better overall.
Paul and I walked through a few different strategies to help him shift his thinking. Generally, there is no one-size-fits-all. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, try to pick and choose which ones work best for you.
Get more data points. The real cure for catastrophizing is confidence, and confidence comes from experience. What Paul needed most was not for me to write a note excusing him from his test. He needed evidence that he belonged where he was. With every test Paul passed, he could be a bit more confident about the next one. It is normal to feel anxious before a big test. In those moments, Paul needed to be able to remind himself of exams that had gone well.
If you suffer from anxiety, you probably have a contentious and complicated relationship with your mind. It feels like your mind tortures you. It gives you all these thoughts about what you should be scared of and horrible things that could happen to you.
The problem is not the fact that your mind gives you negative thoughts; the problem is that you take your mind so seriously. Just because your mind says something is important does not mean it actually is important. Just because something feels important also does not mean it is important.
There is a healthier way to approach your mind: don't take it so seriously. Don't believe everything it says. Don't treat your mind as a trustworthy source of information, especially about the things that make you anxious.
Your mind is just doing what minds do. Our minds like to warn us about stuff because our minds think they are keeping us safe by doing this. Your mind would always rather err on the side of giving you a warning than not because it is more likely to keep you physically safe that way, and your mind cares about that more than anything. But just because your mind is doing its job, that doesn't mean the thoughts actually mean anything. Again, thoughts are just thoughts.
When you have a thought that you touched something dirty and you might catch a deadly disease, that's just a random neuron firing in your brain. It means nothing. Treat it as such: be dismissive toward your mind and don't give it any of your attention or time.
When you have a thought that your anxiety will never get better, that's just a buzzing sound in your head. Treat it as such: sarcastically say to your mind, "Good one, thanks for that, keep 'em coming!"
Remember, when you treat your mind this way, it doesn't mean your mind will necessarily stop saying things like this. Your mind is going to do what it wants to do; you don't have control over the thoughts that pop into your head. No one actually does. The important thing is not what thoughts you have, it's what you do when you have those thoughts. 2b1af7f3a8