Balancing Being & Doing - How to Identify Your Unhelpful Thoughts 'DOING.'

Hello Doer,

How are you “BEING” today?

In this blog, you will find out:

1. What is Unbalanced Doing?

2. The Two Parts of the Mind.

3. Balancing Your Being & Doing.

BEING + DOING = BALANCE

Have you ever thought,

“What makes you keep doing things that you find it hard to stop and simply BE?”

My answer is what I call Unbalanced Doing, also known as DOING, DOING.

As you know, all your doing starts with your thoughts, which is a mental process. Therefore, doing, in this case refers to each of your thoughts.

What is UNBALANCED DOING?

Unbalanced doing is when you allow and act upon your unconscious and unhelpful thoughts or beliefs.

When you are used to the HABIT of UNBALANCED DOING,

1. You are doing inside (mentally) and outside (acting) at the same time working both the emotional and the thinking mind at once.

2. Believe most of your thoughts (helpful or unhelpful) without paying attention, staying in the present moment, or being curious, thinking, and seeing the relationships between occurring events.

3. Reactive to things, rather than being proactive.

Think Mind (Thinking and Emotional)

Human beings, with their advanced and sophisticated brains, are born "Doers." They are both thinking (psychologically) and behavioural (physically) organisms, which requires both the emotional and thinking parts of the mind. I mean, you all have got here by doing. You have started doing things since you were conceived and continue to do more until you lose balance. It begins with a loss of awareness, enjoyment, time, interest, or else you are clinically proven to be unable to function.

Have you ever thought,

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What makes you ‘Do’ and continue to ‘Do’ more until you lose balance, slowly making your wellbeing worse?

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Do, More Doing, Complex Doing

The habit of doing things is created and starts in your mind. Throughout billions of years, the human brain has evolved from merely figuring out simple tasks such as:

1. What to eat and where to get it. (Pleasure)

2. What is going to eat you and what to do to stay away from it. (Threat)

The Two Parts of Your Mind

The Thinking Mind

Nowadays, the known brilliant part of your mind is capable of more complex, creative thinking, and skills that have advanced modern ways of living. Human beings, in comparison to other animals, have and can develop sophisticated ways of doing things that have improved education, science, technologies, engineering, arts, etc. which is processed by the 'Executive Function,' the higher, thinking part of the brain.

The Emotional Mind

These new complicated thoughts have left the marvellous unknown part of the mind more confused. When your mind is left unmanaged, it can sometimes bring about distortions, complicated feelings, and counterproductive behaviours.

Despite the higher functioning and advanced human brain, it is interesting how challenging it can be to:

1. Stand back from thinking.

2. Differentiate thoughts from feelings.

3. Distinguish between what you are thinking and what is happening.

Attention

The complicated ways of DOING (thinking, feeling, and acting) boil down to your thoughts about what is being or doing in your presence or imagination. The brain is always searching the environment for pleasure and threat. Most importantly, the next thing that will excite it. Your brain quickly forgets what is right in front of it and loses attention. It has a habit of jumping to conclusions and leaving you with confusion!

Meaning

The way you think makes all the difference to your wellbeing and your way of living. The irresistible urge to derive unhelpful meanings, e.g., using language to interpret what you believe you know, or draw conclusions out of the unknown, can affect your way of thinking, feeling, and acting. The mind can easily lose focus, reacting, and making judgements while leaving you with doubts, insecurity, and indecisiveness.

Habits

Unchallenged unhelpful thoughts are a habit we take from childhood. I believe that I was not taught how to simply “BE” as a young child. The same goes for most young people, which leads to the habit of unbalanced doing. I was also led to believe that external circumstances alone caused my feelings and actions. This was one of the most detrimental self-defeating beliefs in creating problems.

The continuous habits of doing using both parts of the mind (Thinking and Emotional) can be devastating, leading to thinking errors and reoccurring unpleasant emotions. The result for functioning individuals like yourself can be stressful, with constant unpleasant feelings of sadness, jealousy, guilt, shame, fear, and mild anxiety. Ongoing unhealthy doing that causes re-occurrence of these feelings can lead to clinical psychological wellbeing issues such as severe anxiety and depression.

Balancing Your Being and Doing

What you can do to identify, challenge and change your unhelpful thoughts is to balance your 'BEING' with whatever you are 'DOING.' Both parts of the mind are continually doing, and by being, you will have the power to observe your thoughts with a feeling of neutrality and not getting attached. The emotional mind needs to “BE” to work in harmony with the thinking mind (doing mind). In doing so, it will give you the feeling of control, composure, and confidence in all your endeavours. You will feel balanced, healthy, and yet be more productive.

In using this simple technique, it saved me lots of energy and made me feel liberated, happy while becoming more productive. For you to stop the habit of unbalanced doing, you want to develop the skills of balancing both parts (thinking and emotional) of your mind, BALANCING BEING & DOING. I understand that no one taught you how to be, but here is your chance to educate yourself.

Do you want to develop your “BEING” skills in identifying your negative, unhelpful thoughts?

Let’s Talk!

#think #mind #emotional #nurturing

The Being & Doing Organ: How Your Brain Processes Information in Creating Thought, Feeling & Action.

Hello Doer,

How are you "BEING" Today?

This blog aims to briefly;

1. Introduce and explain the functions of the 3 main areas of the brain.

2. What happens within these parts in connecting your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

3. How the brain senses and perceives information.

BEING + DONG = AWARENESS

The 3 Parts of the Human Brain

1. The Hindbrain

2. The Midbrain

3. The Forebrain

The Hindbrain

The brain’s survival relies on a continuous stream of information from both the body and the environment. Too little or too much information determines the persons’ feeling, physiology, facial expression and behaviour at a given time.

The oldest part of the brain (also known as the primitive brain, reptilian brain, or lizard brain) includes the brain stem, the basal ganglia, and the midbrain. This is the part of the brain that human beings share with other mammals.

The hindbrain connects to the Cerebellum in coordinating and controlling the body movement. The hindbrain and the midbrain forms the “root” of the brain, and they are involved in the unconscious and automatic processes required for human survival.

The MidBrain

The Midbrain also is known as the “Emotional Centre” or “Limbic System.” Neuroscientists have shown that this complicated mid part of the brain region (limbic system) fills our thoughts with different emotions. We feel emotions in the brain, and various brain centres support mixed feelings.

The Amygdala

The amygdala sits as part of the limbic system act as an "alarm centre," thus preparing the body for a fight or flight response if it creates the feeling of fear and anger. The "Fight or Flight" mode is part of humans' survival instincts shaped by millennia of evolution. The neurotransmitters and hormones in our body cause automatic bodily responses to different emotions.

Scientists have branched the typical unconscious responses (Automatic Nervous System) into two sets called:

1. "Fight or flight" Responses that prepare the body for a reaction in the face of danger (Sympathetic Nervous Response).

2. "Rest and Digest" Responses are what happens to the body when it produces a calm and relaxed feeling in the mind, using energy saved up for digesting food. It is when the body relaxes and enjoys the pleasure when people are not facing threatening or dangerous situations (Parasympathetic Nervous Response).

The brain, as the control centre of the nervous system, releases appropriate neuro-chemicals based on information sent in response to a particular stimulus. It works with other organs in the body, each playing a specific role in preparing a person to flee or fight in response to a perceived threat to survival. It works in harmony with the physiological reaction and emotional facial expression displayed.

The "Stress Hormone"

The unpleasant feeling of the chemical release of cortisol prepares the body for a fight or flight response. It has a powerful impact on the higher functioning part of the brain (hence, the emotional part of the brain becomes instinctive and quickly takes over the rational thinking brain). The release of the chemicals’ response produced by epinephrine or adrenalin makes the mind hold on to emotive memories that might have triggered it. The emotional centre of the brain is highly in use, focusing on the perceived threat while shutting down the rational thinking part of the mind.

Other areas of the Limbic System include

• Thalamus: This is the primary "Hub" for receiving sensory information to and from the thinking brain (besides the sense of smell). It helps keep us awake, fall asleep, and gives us our sense of awareness.

• Hypothalamus: This helps regulate body condition. It produces hormones that control body temperature, sleep, and moods, as well as sexual responses. It secretes chemicals that create emotions of pleasure and misery.

• Hippocampus: This links to our memory, moods, and self-control. It stores short-term memories (such as learning) and consolidates them into long-term memories.

The Forebrain

The forebrain, also known as “Rational brain,” “The prefrontal cortex,” or "Executive Functions," is located in the Cerebral Cortex (Neocortex). It is unique to humans as it controls higher functions such as conscious decision making, emotions and personality not commonly seen in other species of animals. It is responsible for handling complex skills and complicated thoughts (meanings we attach to things).

The "Feeling-Thinking" Connection: How The Brain Senses and Perceives Information

Thought

What the human senses (sight, touch, taste, hear, smell) is collected in the midbrain (limbic system). If it is not an immediate pain (boiling pot) threat, or pleasure (chocolate), the information collected by the sense organs about the world around us (stimuli) is sent to the thinking brain for processing. The thinking brain will then interpret (our thought) and categorise (threat or pleasure) the information to give us our perception.

Feeling

The meaning the information receives returns to the midbrain (limbic system), creating our feeling (pleasant or unpleasant).

Action

The feeling created will determine the response to the stimulus. Mostly, a pleasant emotion will move you towards the thing or event (approach). With the unpleasant feeling, most people will avoid the situation or object (avoidance).

Think Mind & Emotional Nurturing

Human behaviour emerges from the dynamic interactions between the three parts of the brain, specifically at areas with a high degree of connectivity (the midbrain or the hub). The three areas are interconnected and must work in harmony for the human to feel motivated, energized, and balanced. However, this is not always the case. The higher part of the brain relies on some information from the environment, body, and other parts of the brain.

Information that goes through the consciously controlled part of the brain (Thinking Brain) has several possible outcomes. As a result, you have a choice on what thought to focus on in creating your feeling and action.

The emotional brain nurtures the thinking brain, which shows the strong connection between our thoughts and feelings in response to our actions, creating our results. The thinking mind and the emotional mind both form the two parts of the mysterious, marvellous human mind.

Do you want to learn to understand yourself in managing your mind and emotions?

Lets Talk!

References

1. David, A. (2019) The Secret Life of the Brain: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Mind

2. McDowell, P. E. (2015) Thinking about Thinking: Cognition, Science, and Psychotherapy

3. Spilsbury, R (2013) Emotions From Birth to Old Age (Your Body for Life)

The Being & Doing Organ: Doing Nothing Does Not Exist. Humans are Psychological and Physical Doers.

Hello Doer,

How are you being today?

This blog will briefly explain the shared human brain chemicals and how the presence of each makes you a doer.

BEING + DOING = SELF DISCOVERY

What else could you be doing (thinking) when you believe you are physically doing nothing?

Psychological and Physical Doings

As living organisms, what makes us human beings is our doings (the complicated thoughts, feelings, and actions). The brilliant brain is continuously doing, helping us to function and stay alive daily. The two parts of the mind (Thinking Mind and Emotional Mind) housed in the #brain are continually processing what we sense and interpreting it to become our perception. Both the psychological process of doing and the physical actions carried out, as a result, shape our reality, making human beings #doers.

No matter what you think you are doing or not doing, the human brain will continuously release appropriate bodily chemicals. These determine our state of being and motivate our actions at a particular moment.

Whether you are sleeping or sitting quietly and observing or watching TV, feeling hungry or thirsty, saying, or not saying something, you are still thinking, feeling, and taking some form of action. It is this doing, starting with a thought about what we have sensed (Stimulus), and the meaning we give to it, that either moves us towards (approach) or away from (avoid) what we perceive. That is to say; Your thoughts create the feeling that is the result of your action.

Neurotransmitters

#Neurotransmitters play a vital role in how the brain works in controlling and coordinating an individual's body. The feelings generated from the brain, down through the whole body, depend on the complicated exchange between probably over one hundred different kinds of neurotransmitters. At any one time, complex mixes of these chemicals are released inside the body as signals, influencing our brain, causing and affecting our doings. The levels and balance of these brain chemicals in our body change everything we do from unconscious thinking to conscious movements, such as learning, sleeping, and our mood.

Hormones

Hormones work like chemical signals; they are chemical messengers in particular glands in the body and cause-specific organs to respond in a certain way. Feelings are described best as sensations in the body. The feeling of happiness or sadness depends on hormones and other chemical signals released from the brain. The brain chemicals increase or decrease brain activity associated with body movements called emotion.

The Pleasurable Brain Chemicals

Of the 100+ neurotransmitters, it is only a small percentage that influences most of our functioning. Here are some common brain chemicals and hormones that dictate our mood and regulate troublesome emotions.

Serotonin

• Researches show that Serotonin regulates mood, sleep, and has a broader effect on appetite.

• It is associated with learning and memory. The sense, or belief, of feeling important generates the flow of Serotonin.

• A low level of Serotonin results in anxiety depending on the thought, gender, personality, and circumstance. It sometimes leads to aggression or depression in the person.

Endorphin

• Scientific evidence clearly shows that Endorphins reduce levels of stress by balancing mood and helping to control stress and anxiety.

• "The Feel Good" chemical helps suppress physical pain, acting as pain relief while positively boosting your mood.

• Endorphins are released naturally during exercise and other physical activities.

• Any activity that releases endorphins will reduce discomfort and thus enhance the capacity for empathy.

Dopamine

• Dopamine is known to generate feelings of pleasure hence the common name "The Dopamine Effect."

• It is associated with the controlling of movement and rewards the learning process, which explains the increased degree of motivation.

• When in conjunction with Serotonin, they generate “the feeling of Happiness." Dopamine could also raise the level of alertness in a person when coupled with noradrenalin.

• This is the feeling you get when you believe that you will be successful at meeting your essential needs and desirable wants. It is connected with goal striving and attainment, creating a feeling of euphoria.

Oxytocin

• "The Love Hormone" gives the feeling of trust, secures a more excellent bond between mother and child, helps us build empathy, and is also involved in romantic attachment, maternal love, and infatuation.

• It is associated with social bonding and friendly social interactions, such as the physical display of emotions and feelings of generosity.

• It influences the parts of the brain involved in controlling emotions and depresses the fear and anxiety centre (amygdala). It helps reduce the effects of stress hormones called Cortisol. Emotionally stressed people tend to have low levels of Oxytocin in their bloodstream.

Other Hormones

"Adrenaline Rush"

• Among other effects, adrenaline releases in the body and stimulates the heart, so it beats faster.

• This is required to prepare the body for 'flight and fight' mode in the face of a threat. In a stressful situation, the release of Cortisol is present in the body.

• It is also released when we feel excited (can be used as motivation or drive) or shocked.

Vasopressin

Finally, vasopressin is another hormone that encourages friendliness in us. Being friendly is linked to aspects of our social behaviour. In addition to its purpose in assisting us in drinking water, vasopressin could influence some degree of defensive or aggressive behaviour depending on gender. It ensures we are better able to read facial expressions in recognising who to trust.

We produce these chemicals by communicating with our nerve cells (Neurons) at any time. In reacting to stimuli based on our thoughts; (information sent to the brain), the chemicals surge in the body and could change your mood from happiness to despair in a split second.

Doing nothing does not exist as human beings are psychologically and physically doing. The secret I found in balancing my brain chemicals is "BEING". This has helped me rest and rejuvenate my mind. I create effortless energy daily with the ability to motivate myself in achieving my doing.

Do you want to be a personal scientist in learning to balance your BEING & DOING?

Let’s Talk!

References

1. David, A. (2019) The Secret Life of the Brain: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Mind

2. McDowell, P. E. (2015) Thinking about Thinking: Cognition, Science, and Psychotherapy

3. Spilsbury, R (2013) Emotions From Birth to Old Age (Your Body for Life)