Seasons of the Mind

This blog discusses the mind and its many wonders. The more we know about the mind the better, for it is the computer that drives our whole system. If we are wise we learn about how to work with this precious powerful resource. While I totally believe in and have read the scientific evidence about the power of the mind, we also need to be aware of some of the things that can seem to go wrong.

So here we are at this time of year when summer has quickly turned to fall. For some of us that means our favorite season is over with, while for others it is just beginning. I was talking to a young woman earlier this week and she mentioned that while she was happy with the progress she is making in working her way out of depression she is rather apprehensive about the possibility of "winter blues" bringing her back down. So, I thought this would be a good time to discuss the subject of Seasonal Affect Disorder from the perspective of what is going on within the mind.

At best this condition can put a damper on the fall/winter season, but at its worse it can really wreak havoc on our lives and bring about deepened depression. Let's talk a little about what it is (if you want more info you can just google it). In general SAD is a grouping of depressive symptoms but what makes it different from general depression is that it is related to the seasons. We can track the occurrence of SAD like a weather map: the shorter the days and the more northern the location, the greater the chance of it occurring. Herein lies the key: the decrease of daylight is really the culprit.

Our brains could be described as chemical factories and one of the keys that brings about the typical symptoms of this condition is melatonin. Less light = more melatonoin produced in our brain. It almost seems like we go into hibernation - we have increased appetite and weight gain, we want to sleep more and may become sleepy during the day, we have less energy and not as much interest in activities and we crave carbs!

So what can we do when this occurs?

Discussing what is going on in your life is almost always helpful - whether it is just the effects of the slow down/grinding halt of SAD or some other issues that perhaps need to be processed. The chemical change brought about by the difference in the amount of melatonin produced by your brain can often change your mood and thus your ability to tolerate life's ups and downs. Another possibility is to talk to your health care provider about medication during the fall/winter months. For most people SAD thankfully leaves along with the last whispers of cold weather and/or gray skies.

Mayo clinic among others gives a solid thumbs up to Light Therapy (phototherapy). It makes sense that if too little light (cloudy conditions and shorter days) helps create this problem, then the addition of light via a light box will help to reduce it.

Above all remember that our thoughts produce our feelings. Feelings are as chemical as melatonin --- We may not be able to move to a sunnier climate but we all certainly have the ability to use the power of our minds to create a happier life. If you believe you will be more depressed this winter you will; if you believe you will be able to do better, you will. Either way you are right.

Until next time~

May you see your many blessings...

Dr. DyAnn

"Calm Down!!"

No matter how smart, educated or advantaged a person is - no matter how great a thinker they may be, the more powerful subconscious mind will ALWAYS trump the cognitive mind. Furthermore, no matter how powerful a person's resolve or will is, the subconscious mind is immeasurably stronger. There is a little trick to this which I am going to share with you.

The subconscious mind "believes" what we tell it. Here is a typical example. I was in a well known coffee shop (B&N) recently and overheard two young women talking about their New Year's resolutions to exercise. "Ya, but I won't last more than a couple weeks. That is what always happens." Yes, that young woman is absolutely correct! She might have all the well-intention and desire in the world to keep exercising, but she sunk herself with that simple statement.
Our subconscious mind is always listening to us - hearing what we say, think and believe. It as if her inner mind said, "Oh okay, the cut off point is two weeks." I would guarantee that her exercise program failed.
But it did not need to! We don't need to fail at our resolutions year after year. And we don't need to "fail" at anything else. Our history does NOT need to predict our future... if we know how to use our powerful subconscious mind.

One of the reasons the subconscious mind is so powerful is that it is the seat of our emotions; our emotional brain is much more powerful than the cognitive (conscious) brain. Unless we calm the mind and what is called the sympathetic nervous system we can't hear our own wisdom. Want some proof? Just try to "think straight' when you are in a panic over something. Frustrated because you are late and can't find your car keys? You won't be able to recall where you last put them if your emotions are running high. If you know how to calm yourself you will remember that odd place where you last set them down... believe me, I know this works!
Relaxation is the key.
Thru relaxation we access all parts of the brain and our being... including memory. All memory as I mentioned in my last blog, as well as our emotions, are seated in the subconscious mind. But when we are overcome (literally) by emotion, our brain goes into stress reaction. "I can't find my keys! I'm going to be late -where the heck are they?! Now I'm going to have to deal with explaining why I am late. I'm never going to find them #$%^**!!!!"

In the above scenario we literally block the memory of where our keys are located. Any situation in which we need to think, or even be reasonable is not going to have the best results when we are less than calm and relaxed. Think of the last time you were in a heated discussion with someone. The more our emotional level goes up, the less reasonable things that come out of our mouth! We tend to lose control.

It all circles back to relaxation.
When we are calm and relaxed, our emotions are calm or can be calmed down. We can center ourselves. We can rise above the emotions, take them into consideration, say reasonable things and make more reasonable decisions.
There are many self calming techniques. Here is one to try. Roll your eyes up to the ceiling, breathe slowly....and close your eyes. Take your time doing this. Then ask yourself how you want to respond to the situation.
The point is to calm your system down. You are moving out of the fight/flight stress response. That is not where you do your best thinking! When you calm yourself down you are in control of your thoughts and your emotions.

You are in control of your life.
So whether it is those keys you can't find, someone that is pushing your buttons and getting an emotional response out of you, or the dull panic of something you are worried about, the key is to calm yourself, thereby accessing the powerful subconscious mind. We have unlimited wisdom within, but we cannot access it in a hyper state.

Have fun practicing self-soothing, calming techniques. That is where your real success lies!

Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn

Brain Power

By now you realize that I have a huge interest in how our brains work. I thought it might be interesting to have a few inside peeks at some things that go on with our brains. I hope you find some thing that is helpful for you.

I used to have the world's record for misplaced car keys until a dear friend gave me one of those giant clips. I always use it to attach them to my purse. I think she got tired of time wasted running around looking for my lost keys. (Hi Jane!)

The way our brains work, we can reduce moments of forgetfulness by jazzing up our temporal lobes. That is the portion of the brain where short term memory is stored. From short term location, items are either moved along into long term or tossed because they are no longer needed. So, how do we increase nerve activity in the temporal lobe? Take on new challenges! Something as simple as learning a new card game, taking a cooking class, even finding a new route to work gets that sleepy temporal lobe up and moving again. And no more of those embarrassing moments of forgetting where you left your CAR in the mall parking lot!

One of my favorite researchers in Dr. Daniel Amen of UC Irvine. He is a real pioneer in brain research and imaging. Also, if you want to take a great self test to learn if you have any form of ADD check him out on line. You will find an amazing wealth of information that may prove to be helpful.

Now that we have our car and our keys let's talk about SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder). The further north we go the greater the incidence of "winter depression". I have had clients who are almost debilitated by it. SAD is caused by a drop in dopamine. Dopamine keeps the brain working correctly as it is a central nervous system stimulant. Without it symptoms of depression rise.
A little known fact is that when we change to a more typical summer diet and eat less protein, our dopamine levels drop as does our ability to concentrate and focus. So, be sure to get enough protein (4 oz of meat daily for example) so that your brain's supply of the amino acids work to bring the dopamine levels up. For those of us on a vegetarian diet, this is an extra caution. Some of my clients swear by using tanning beds once a week for 15 minutes (along with imaging that Caribbean vacation). University of Miami researchers report that a 15 minute massage (even a self massage) boosts the brain's ability to focus and stay on track. They explain that it rids us of stress, which throws off the brain's natural chemical balance. So whatever helps you to reduce stress also helps your brain chemistry, thus putting you in a better mood.

Sleep disruptions impact our brain chemistry. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which impacts the speed of the functioning of our brain cells. Something as simple as changing the time you go to sleep can disrupt this delicate balance. One result can be difficulty with recall- you know, having the word "on the tip of your tongue." Dr Pavel Yutsis author of Why Can't I Remember (Avery) suggests increasing the intake of the amino acids found in eggs, soy, rice and leafy greens. You can also take the amino acid as a supplement _ phosphatidylserine. It will take up to 12 weeks to correct the deficiency but memory and ability for recall is said to improve by 15 percent. I have not had anyone try this, but this is what the research is saying.

This information is just the tip of the ice burg in the fascinating world of our amazing mind. I would remind you to speak with a trusted health professional who has an awareness of the information shared here. I have found folks who run vitamin stores to be a good resource.

A happy heart probably has the best impact on creating a healthy mind! And from that point the mind is LIMITLESS in what it can do.
Be a joy to others and it will come back to you!
Dr. DyAnn

Brain Quiz

I thought it might be fun to read a few facts about how your brain operates, and more specifically the differences in how men's vs women's brains work. It might help you get thru the holiday season more easily as you come to understand one another.

Who has more total brain cells- men or women?
Correct answer is ........men. Even when corrected for increased total body weight. It has been estimated that men have about four percent more neurons than women do. However, just so you women don't groan too loudly, it is the women who have a greater number of cellular connections than men. This means that women have greater access to both sides of their brains
So in practical terms which you may find useful, it is the men who are more detail oriented and who get more directly to the point. Women, on the other hand are more fluent, thus women usually have more to say. In my work as a therapist I often would help couples with communication, including explaining that when a man says "so what's the point" he was not trying to insult his female partner, his brain simply operates from that perspective. And that a woman tends to have more of a need to paint things in great detail because they access both sides of the brain, thus giving them more perspective and more to talk about.

Have you ever seen a man do this: he is presented with a problem in finding his way while driving and he turns down the radio . This is an example of how a man's wiring has him preferring to do one task at a time (thus not listening to the car radio and reading a map) in a rather compartmentalized manner. In contrast, a women usually can multi-task (due to those extra connections in the brain.) And a woman knows when they are lost because she has access to the whole brain. Even comedians joke about the man not asking for directions!

Men's and women's brains differ also in the emotional center. In this area, the women have the larger component compared to men. This makes bonding easier for women and in general is why women tend to have more and need more friends and social relationships. It probably is no surprise that the nesting instinct is more pronounced in women and she has a greater need to have her home in order. It is also the women who will feel more off balance if the couple relocates.


Her are some interesting odds and ends about our brains.

Who reads facial expressions better? (women)
Who has a sharper sense of taste and smell (women)
Greater blood pressure reactivity to sexually arousing pictures (men)
Better at solving math problems (men)
Judges speed better (men)
Recognizes when problems are present in a relationship (women)
Tend to be more unreasonably optimistic (men)
Better peripheral vision (women)
More responsive to sex hormones (men)
Do men or women lie more? (men)
Who are the better liars? (women)

I hope you had fun learning about the differences in how the male and female brain works. The information will hopefully assist you in recognizing that the differences in how we think, communicate and present feelings are basically because of how we are wired, and not to be taken personally. In addition, knowing about these differences can help you to understand those of the opposite sex better so that you can have a more rewarding relationship.

Until next time
Dr. DyAnn