“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them on everything that you do.”
Day 18 Morning Scorecard and Values Self-Reflection:
Reticular Activating System: Your Internal Alarm System
Reticular Activating System in Brainstem
The gatekeeper between the mind and the body is called the reticular activating system and is located in the lower part of your brain. This is one of the oldest parts of the brain and plays a major part in wakefulness. As it is the system that gets activated when a teacher tells you to “sit up straight.” It is also the main communication tool between what your mind decides to do and what your body ends up actually doing. The reticular activating system is also what gets activated when a person goes against their value system, causing them to “wake up” and take notice. So when you feel on edge or get the sensation that something "just isn't quite right," this means your reticular activating system is being activated. Everyone's value system is unique, but we all know the feeling of unease that accompanies going against "who we are." When you go against your value system, by looking the other way when someone is in trouble or by taking something that doesn't belong to you, your reticular activating system will fill you your body with anxiety neurochemicals. However, if you go against your value system often enough the brain will adjust your values to a new normal. So the next time your body is telling you to pay attention, ask yourself what's better to "change your values" or "change your behavior. "
FACT: The reticular activating system is compromised during binge drinking.
TAKEAWAY: Your brain's individual value system goes offline when you drink too much.
Altruism: Helping Others
For the majority of human's time on earth, we lived in tribal cultures with an emphasis on intergroup dependence, meaning that helping others meant helping yourself. In a tribe, what was good for one member was good for all members. However, in today's world, it appears we are moving towards a winner take all culture, leaving many people behind to "figure it out for themselves." However, increasing levels of anxiety and depression in the general population shows this attitude is having a very negative effect on our internal well-being. As our isolation from one another may be causing "diseases of disconnection," where our tribal centered brains don't understand how to cope in this new world of separation. This may be one reason why doctors are "social prescribing" volunteering as the best way to fight depression, giving the patient a purpose while also connecting them to their communities. Initial studies are even showing that this "prescription" is more effective at curing depression than the best anti-depressants on the market. So maybe then we can all learn something from this new medical trend and reach out to those around us instead of always looking out for "number one."
FACT: Before the body goes into fight or flight mode it always searches for support first. If that support isn’t readily available the fight or flight mode kicks into gear.
TAKEAWAY: We can avoid unnecessary stress and fear if we have a strong social support network to act as a protective barrier.
“Always remember your focus determines your reality.”