THIS ENCOMPASSES HOW PEOPLE THINK, FEEL AND BEHAVE. The global pandemic has really shined a light on these issues, underscoring the relationship among them! Without our usual support systems - grounding routines, favorite escapes, social gatherings, support networks, simple proximity to and social contact with other humans, self-nurturing practices, separation between work and personal life, and things to look forward to - many people who describe themselves as mentally and emotionally resilient, struggled. And those who already experienced difficulties in this realm really struggled during the lockdowns and social isolation. These issues deserve attention because they’re so foundational to how we view ourselves and our lives. 

WHAT IS SELF-REGULATION?  Self-regulation consists of practices which enable us to soothe and calm ourselves when we experience intense emotions. These practices affect emotion and thought. Self-regulation offers a way to manage arousal levels and thus navigate difficult emotions by adjusting our attention, observing bodily sensations, and partnering with our physiology. 

These practices allow us to modify our reactivity, or how quickly and forcefully we respond to both internal and external stimuli. It offers an embodied approach – one that honors both mind and body – rather than a limited cognitive approach, which can easily get overwhelmed in the face of powerful emotions. 

WHY SELF-REGULATION IS IMPORTANT. As our inner and outer lives become more intense, less certain, more complicated, and increasingly demanding, this skill becomes more valuable in navigating our crazy world. Learning to deal with painful, uncomfortable, difficult emotions is fundamental. It is a learned skill and yet, many people don’t learn it as part of growing up. 

Painful emotions that we fear and avoid get suppressed and instead manifest as phobias, addictions, and dysfunctional coping behaviors. As a result, yesterday’s solutions often become today’s problems. If you can’t integrate your emotions and experiences, you become fragmented and unable to resource your full self when responding effectively to challenges. 

HOW NEUROFEEDBACK CAN HELP. The ways that we think, feel, and behave in our external lives are outgrowths of our brain’s habits - its electrical and energetic patterns of activity in response to incoming information. Training your brain promotes relaxation, stress management, self-regulation and a more efficient, organized brain. 

These skills are fundamental to our ability to think clearly, navigate our complicated emotional lives, and manage stressors from a place of calm. They can help repattern our habitual ways of interacting with the world, by creating space between the stressor and our reaction, enabling us to be less reactive and more thoughtful in our responses, and facilitating fluid transitions among intense emotions. 

Many NeurOptimal® users report:  

• having greater access to calm when solving problems and making decisions under pressure; 

• managing powerful emotions such as fear, anger, and worry more adeptly; 

• being less prone to catastrophic thinking; 

• responding to adversity without panicking or shutting down; 

• better improvisational skills when the unexpected happens; 

• thinking creatively to conjure new solutions when things don’t go as planned.