Is the modern lifestyle hijacking our brains?
When did it become so trendy to be 'busy'? The fast paced nature of our society and daily access to screens may in fact be hijacking our amygdala.
So I know we can't always avoid screen time and sometimes things just need to get done. But what can we do to regain control of our brain?
LIFESTYLEwithtiss
3/10/21 by talkswithtiss
The other day I decided to stop. I decided to stop looking at my phone, stop answering people's texts immediately, stop saying 'yes' just because... and stopped just 'going with the flow'.
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In doing this, something crazy happened.
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I started to realise the difference between what I wanted and what OTHERS wanted for me.
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Yes, I know this sounds basic. Surely it's just common sense? It turns out that this is in fact science.
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In a fascinating FX medicine podcast between presenter Andrew Whitfield-Cook and guest speaker Dr. David Perlmutter, Perlmutter introduces the concept of 'Disconnection Syndrome'.
What is Disconnection Syndrome you may ask? Disconnection Syndrome is the dominance of impulsive behaviours in our mind, driven by our modern world.
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Essentially, the fast paced nature of our society, consumption of pro-inflammatory foods, lack of sleep, decreased levels of exercise, lack of exposure to nature and our increased time in front of screens, are all hijacking our ability to make wise decisions.
When we start to allow ourselves to be dogmatically fed information our brains actually switch gears.
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It switches from reliance on the pre-frontal cortex area of our brains ("the adult in the room" - Perlmutter) to the amygdala (the impulsive child seeking instant gratification).
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This intriguing discovery reveals a new method in concepts such as weight loss. Simply spoon-feeding an individual with a diet tailored to their specific dietary needs is no longer a viable solution alone.
Long-term, individual's need to be taught the basic decision making techniques in order to resist the dogmatic information they are being exposed to on a daily basis. With the internet at our finger tips, the problem is NOT a lack of information. The problem is translation of this information in a thoughtful, considered, self-driven and active manner. We are essentially deciding from a place of reaction, a place of fear instead of our intentional, reflective, long-term quadrant of the brain.
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So what can we do to reclaim our brain and resist the impulsivity of our amygdala? Here are a few places to start:
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Spend time in nature (this will reduce levels of inflammation and cortisol; think reflective not reactive).
Be conscious with social media (think about how much time you actually want to spend online and log-on with a purpose. Allocate specific times towards social media and reclaim the rest of that time towards maintaining face-to-face relationships, exercising, cooking, resting.) Don't let technology control you.
Get adequate sleep (Sleep deprivation significantly increases the reactivity of your amygdala, increasing your chances of making reactive, impulsive decisions).
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet (Excess body fat is pro-inflammatory and actually increases your hunger hormone - ghrelin and again, increases reliance on your reactive amygdala). Break habits by actively choosing anti-inflammatory foods such as berries, avocados, almonds, broccoli and fatty fish.
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"...behaviors from eating sugar and junk food to staying up late binge-watching Netflix. We do whatever it is that's not necessarily in our best interest but we do it because we don't have the ability many times to access the other part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, that allows us to basically allow the adult back into the room and help us with our decision." (Perlmutter, 2019)
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The good news is, our brains are PLASTIC. If we are able to decrease levels of inflammation in our body, we are able to tap into our pre-frontal cortex and engage in neuroplasticity. Actively decreasing inflammation ultimately enables the growth of new brain cells, activating neurogenesis.
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With the right knowledge at our fingertips and an active, intentional mindset, we have the POWER to make short-term lifestyle changes that will ultimately impact our long-term happiness.
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Reference List
Perlmutter, D. (2019). Brain Wash: How to create mental clarity & detox your mind for clearer thinking. Wellness Force. Retrieved 22 April, 2021 from Dr. David Perlmutter | Brain Wash: How To Create Mental Clarity & Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking - Wellness Force
Ricker, M. & Haas, W. (2017). Anti-Inflammatory diet in clinical practice: A review. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 32(3), 318-325. doi:10.1177/0884533617700353
Whitfield-Cook, A. (2020). Brain Wash: The rise of neuroinflammation with Dr David Perlmutter. FX Medicine. Retrieved 22 April, 2021 from Brain Wash: The Rise of Neuroinflammation with Dr David Perlmutter | FX Medicine