MENTAL HEALTH

Here’s How I Optimized My Emotional Brain for Mental Clarity and Physical Vitality

I introduce a four-pronged approach based on my practical system to optimize the limbic system.

In a previous article, I introduced a conceptual and practical system as an example of the thinking brain I developed decades ago and used for my daily mental stimulation. In this story, I focus on how I disciplined my emotional brain (the limbic system) using the thinking brain and the body.

Since each of us is unique, my methods might not apply to others. Therefore, I only focus on the principles and highlights of the approach to give you an idea so that you can create and customize a similar program for yourself. The limbic system is critical as all mental health disorders are associated with unpleasant emotions.

The information about the limbic system and techniques to regulate emotions was helpful to me. Before, I had difficulty managing my emotions, but now I can regulate them effectively thanks to this knowledge and its persistent use.

The body and mind intricately create emotions. Taming the emotional part of the brain is more complex and time-consuming than training the thinking part. But it is doable with a methodical approach, professional support, and dedication.

Understanding our brain and mind is an ongoing journey, with much yet to be discovered. The theories and models we currently possess provide valuable insights. However, they are still just a drop in the ocean compared to the complexity and intricacies of the human brain and mind.

Science is a process of constant refinement and discoveries rather than a collection of fixed facts. The current theories and models of the brain and mind will be challenged and refined in the coming years. It is even possible that some may be proven inaccurate. Everything we know now might be obsolete in the next 100 years.

However, we should not see it as a roadblock but rather as an opportunity for growth and advancement in our understanding. The knowledge we possess today about the brain and mind is far more excellent than it was just a year ago. Therefore, as we continue to research, we can expect to make more strides in our understanding in the future.

I firmly believe that in the next 100 years, we will have a much deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the brain and mind. Of course, knowledge has always been subject to change and evolution. But our generation cannot wait for another 100 years.

Therefore, based on the current body of knowledge and my experience in the field, I’d like to transfer my knowledge in simple language without going into scientific or technical details using four viable approaches to tame the emotional brain and regulate our emotions proactively.

An Overview of the Limbic System

The limbic system is highly complex and responsible for triggering and managing our emotions and memories. In addition, it is connected to other brain regions, such as the pituitary gland and various organs.

The major components are the amygdala, the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the cingulate gyrus. Damages to these brain regions are linked to emotional disorders and mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.

At the highest level, the amygdala is the alert system. The hypothalamus controls the endocrine system’s physiological responses to stress. The hippocampus forms memories. The cingulate gyrus regulates emotional responses.

For example, the amygdala is activated when we face a dangerous situation. The cingulate gyrus is activated when we face emotionally-provoking stimuli such as a scary face. Pleasant tastes or smells can trigger positive emotional responses and are stored in the hippocampus as memories.

A Four-Pronged Approach to Tame My Emotional Brain for Mental Clarity and Physical Vitality

In this section, I only focus on the principles and highlights of the approach to give you an idea so that you can create and customize them for your needs and goals.

1 — Use bodily functions proactively.

The limbic system significantly impacts the body — cells, tissues, and organs. Its components work together to ensure that the body can respond appropriately to different emotional states.

For example, the amygdala creates alerts and prepares the body for stress responses such as fight, flight, or freeze. As it is a critical system for managing unpleasant emotions, I explained the function of the amygdala and practical ways to deal with its hijack in a previous story.

I summarize the practical ways to tame the limbic system by using the body under three subheadings. This is the most extended section, as it makes the most significant impact on the limbic system.

1a — Regular and Personalized Exercise

Exercise plays a complex and multi-faceted role in regulating emotions. While our knowledge is limited, current theories suggest that exercise can help regulate emotions in several ways.

Firstly, exercise can promote the release of hormones and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin associated with positive mood and emotional well-being. This can lead to a reduction in the levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can help lower anxiety and depression.

Secondly, exercise can help regulate emotions by promoting neurogenesis. Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt. Regular activity can lead to the growth of new neural connections and reinforce existing ones, improving emotional regulation. A prime example of this is the effect of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor).

Finally, exercise can also impact the immune system. Regular physical activity can reduce inflammation and positively affect the limbic system, leading to emotional well-being. Furthermore, physical training can also provide an outlet for stress and negative emotions, helping to regulate emotions overall.

1b — Intentional Breathing

Breathing techniques have been used for centuries by many cultures. Studies indicate that intentional breathing can optimize the limbic system and regulate emotions by impacting the body’s physiological responses to stress and emotion, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones.

When we feel anxious or stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and rapid. It might intensify these feelings. By using breathing techniques, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and slow down sympathetic nervous system (ANS) responses. This approach can create a calming effect on the body and mind.

When we feel anxious or stressed, the ANS triggers the fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Using intentional breathing, we might activate the PNS to counterbalance the stress response. Deliberate breathing can lower the levels of stress hormones in the body when feeling anxious or stressed.

Breathing techniques can improve emotional regulation by promoting mindfulness which I cover in the next section.

1c — Intentional Muscle and Nerve Relaxation

Muscles and nerves work non-stop, carrying countless messages. Therefore, intentional muscle and nerve relaxation techniques can improve the function of the limbic system by reducing stress and tension in the body.

When we can relax muscles and nerves, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system decreases, and the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system increases. This shift in activity can calm down the limbic system and regulate emotions.

During the relaxation periods, stress hormones decrease, and feel-good hormones increase. In addition, relaxing muscles and nerves can improve sleep, calm the limbic system, and regulate emotions better.

Relaxation is a coping mechanism. It can also improve our problem-solving and task-switching skills, contributing to regulating emotions.

Awareness and practical use of the vagus nerve are critical for calming the limbic system and regulating emotions. The vagus nerve, as a connected system, regulates the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The vagus nerve is connected to organs, such as the brain, heart, lungs, and digestive system. Therefore activating this nerve can create pleasant emotions similar to breathing and exercise. Therefore, practitioners use this technique to improve the mental health of patients.

Breathing exercises can activate the vagus nerve to slow heart rate and reduce blood pressure. Gentle activities such as stretching, yoga, dancing, walking, pilates, singing, humming, and meditation can also activate the vagus nerve.

2 — Leverage the power of the thinking brain.

My expertise in learning the functions of the neocortex, the thinking part of the brain, has been a powerful tool to tame the limbic system and regulate my emotions. The prefrontal cortex can send signals to calm the alert system in the emotional brain.

I explained the details in previous articles related to chronic stress and unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, and depression. Empowering the neocortex can lower the impact of these unpleasant emotions.

There are multiple ways to strengthen the neocortex and make an everlasting impact on the emotional and primitive parts of the brain.

From my experience, some of the best tools are mindfulness practices such as meditation, visualization, self-talk, and working in a flow state. These practices motivate us to focus on and pay attention to the present moment and observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment.

Self-reflection, expressive writing, journaling, and laughter yoga helped me regulate my emotions by allowing me to process my unpleasant feelings and gain insight into the causes of emotional reactions.

Emotional regulation skills such as identifying emotions, labeling emotions, and reframing thoughts that create particular feelings can be learned and practiced to improve emotional states.

Therefore, writing down our thoughts and emotions can help us understand emotional states and identify patterns contributing to emotional distress.

A constant focus and attention can strengthen the neocortex and shrink the amygdala. The limbic system then cannot quickly shut down a stronger neocortex when we face emotional turbulence. This is the crucial mechanism of emotional regulation and emotional resilience.

One critical technique for me was converting unpleasant emotions to pleasant ones. For example, I learned to turn boredom into joy and envy into admiration, as I explained in the link stories. This practice has been valuable for me to feel less unpleasant and more pleasant emotions.

Another critical tool for regulating emotions is cognitive reappraisal or cognitive flexibility. It involves changing how we interpret and think about a situation to change our emotional response.

As mentioned in the relaxation point, problem-solving with task switching is another crucial power of the neocortex.

3 — Optimize hormones and neurotransmitters.

Hormones and neurotransmitters affect neurons and neural connections in various brain parts, playing a critical role in the emotional profile. Therefore, we need to optimize them.

Hormonal and neurotransmitter balance translates into a better emotional profile manifesting good feelings.

Conversely, hormonal imbalance and issues with neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, or norepinephrine can create unpleasant feelings.

Key points that can contribute to hormonal balance are customized nutrition, personalized workouts, a rock-solid sleep regimen, lowering chronic stress and inflammation, mindfulness practices, meditation, meaningful connections, and getting hormones checked regularly.

Addressing the addiction problem was the best contributor to my emotional maturity and improving my mental health.

4 — Use the power of meaningful relationships, social connections, and powerful therapies.

Meaningful relationships and social support are essential for balancing the activities of the limbic system and regulating emotions.

I used social connections to tame my limbic system after learning our emotional brain was open and craved social relationships, conversations, touch, and intimacy.

Talking to loved ones, friends, relatives, and trusted colleagues about our feelings can help us process our unpleasant emotions and gain new perspectives.

Having a solid support system can make us feel more secure. Loneliness adversely affects the limbic system.

Self of belongingness, trust, empathy, and compassion for others can also increase self-love, calm the limbic system, and regulate emotions. Thus, the quality of the relationship matter for emotional regulation.

In addition to self-therapy with meaningful communication, getting therapeutic support from professionals can also calm down the limbic system and contribute to regulating our emotions. Therapy is not only for healing but also for preventing emotional dysregulation.

Some standard therapies are CBT, DBT, and ACT which can change negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to emotional distress. I will cover them in another article.

Summary and Conclusions

Emotional regulation and mastery are the ability to control emotions and reactions to situations and events.

The limbic system’s role in creating and managing emotions and their effects on the body and other organs are critical for maintaining overall mental and physical health.

Any dysfunction in the limbic system can lead to emotional and psychological disorders. Therefore, it’s essential to maintain a healthy limbic system.

The limbic system plays a crucial role in regulating the autonomic nervous system, which controls heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion.

When the limbic system is activated, it can also influence the immune system, making us more susceptible to illnesses or infections.

The limbic system, in the center of the brain, is a complex brain structure linked to various parts of the brain and other organs. It plays a crucial role in regulating emotional responses and motivation.

The limbic system’s relationship with the hypothalamus regulates the endocrine system (hormones). For example, the hypothalamus releases hormones that regulate hunger, thirst, and temperature. It also affects the immune system function through various hormones.

We can increase emotional intelligence, improve emotional maturity, and gain emotional mastery by changing our lifestyles unless we have underlying mental health conditions. In addition, we can enhance our intuitive capabilities by gaining emotional mastery.

Our healthy habits can contribute to our emotional profile and improve our relationships with others. Emotionally intelligent people not only understand their own emotions but also gain clues about other people’s emotions.

Key Takeaways from this Story

Leverage bodily fundamentals like restorative sleep, regular exercise, relaxation, and breathing techniques.

Optimize hormones and neurotransmitters with healthy lifestyle habits.

Reduce chronic stress and inflammation with healthy lifestyle choices.

Feel various emotions, understand them with intimate observations, and express them rather than suppress them.

Set emotional boundaries and establish solid emotional self-defense.

Practice cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness to change how you interpret and think about a situation and focus on the present moment.

Refrain from multitasking and perfection, and intentionally work in a flow state.

Forgive your and others’ mistakes, love yourself, show empathy and compassion to others, and participate in charitable activities.

Use coping strategies and emotional regulation therapy to manage and cope with difficult emotions.

Seek social and professional support and be patient and remember emotional regulation is a continuous journey and skill that can be learned and improved with practice.

Living with mental clarity and regulated emotions can be joyful and satisfying. It is a privilege to have a good night’s sleep and awaken fresh in a healthy body and clear mind, ready to connect with others meaningfully and serve them with pleasure.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

I aim to educate, create awareness, and empower my readers to take control of their health and well-being. To raise awareness about health issues, I have written around 2000 articles that present holistic health from my research, personal observations, and unique experiences.

I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.

Disclaimer: Please note that my posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.

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