Editor's note: The below piece is the first submission of a new monthly column published by the Cochrane Eagle, titled 'Brain Breaks with Barb.' The column is written by Barb Earle – a speaker, certified neuro-transformational coach and health and well-being expert with ties to the Cochrane community. Her work seeks to empower individuals and businesses to harness the power of perspective and claim higher levels of brilliance.
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Stress has taken on a new dimension in our world. It has exponentially expanded in ways we could’ve never predicted. Our days are full of additional distractions, uncertainty, fear and worry. To manage it all; our mind and body work overtime. Left unchecked it will eventually impact our quality of life.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
A notable hallmark of being human is our ability to chose one thought over another; even during times of stress. Taping into this ability requires us to engage in one of the greatest assets we have: our attention.
In doing so, something extraordinary happens; we create space to understand our thoughts, emotions, and actions. We can intentionally shift our perspective and think more effectively.
A multitude of other events in our brain also become possible. Our capacity to recover from stress increases, giving us quicker access to higher functional thinking. We are more aware of the impact that our reactions have on ourselves and others. Switching from chaos to focus is much more readily available. Black and white thinking transforms into seeing a broader viewpoint.
Our attention gives us the opportunity to realize, reevaluate, revise and recalculate. It guides us back to what’s important in our life and work. That’s a lot of amazing events to help us manage stress and gain greater clarity.
However, our attention takes practice. How does one start?
Here’s one way:
Start with what you know – your senses.
Name one thing you can see, touch, hear, smell and taste.
Take one breath in-between each sense.
Practise paying attention to your senses with breath four to five times a day.
If you need a hint, try putting a timer on your watch to remind you.
With the onset of stress, repeat this paying attention tool. Notice any changes in your stress level. Notice if you there’s space to chose another more effective thought.
Here’s what happens in the brain: thought pathways are constantly being created and rewired. Through repetition, they become stronger and well-developed. So when we specifically practise a stress management tool, those pathways become readily available, even during times of stress. We are able to choose one thought over another.
Simply by paying attention. Let your brilliant brain do the rest.
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