TRUSTING YOURSELF

When I was in college, I used to frequently change answers on tests.  Almost every time I ended up changing a right answer for a wrong answer.  Studies have found that abut 80% of the time we change right answers to wrong answers.  I only stopped doing this after one of my professors would go over my test in front of the class and point out the number of times I did this.  So, I stopped changing answers on tests but I then caught myself analyzing things and using a pros and cons list or getting the opinions of a number of people, to help me to make decisions. None of this seems to work.  I have come to believe that my first impression is the best one to go with.  I have had to learn to recognize my first impression or intuitive understanding of things as I can quickly think of another answer and tell myself that it is my first impression.  

I believe that our brains have stored lots of information that is ready for us when we need it.  We just have to trust these first impressions and act on them, even if we don't have a paper trail of how we came to this understanding.  Try it and see what happens.

BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Many of my patients tell me that they feel that there is nothing that they can do to make a difference in the world.  I encourage them to [just] be themselves and do what they believe is right. Over and over I have seen that how people live their lives and the choices that they make, influences other people and how those people live their lives.  When we are being true to ourselves and what we believe, this can change other people's lives.  You may not be able to tell that you have helped others, but you will feel more connected to other people and to yourself.  

TV NEWS: Too Much Stress In Our Lives

It is easy for each of us to underestimate the amount of stress that we experience every day.  I have found that many of my patients experience increased stress when they watch the news on TV.  The focus of the news is often on violence and offers no hope for change.  It is not possible to protect ourelves from the impact of what we see.  Therefore, watching the news can be very traumatic and yet we can become numb to the impact of this.

Update on Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 10:58PM by Dr. Payton

RELAX, LET YOUR BRAIN DO THE WORK: Often when we are trying to figure something out or make a decision, thinking a lot doesn't seem to help. It might be that way because our brains are very good at storing and integrating information.  However, to retrieve this information it does not work to think a lot and  force our brains to respond.  It seems that when we try to force an answer from our brains, this is interpreted as a stress response and our brains alert to the stress and try to figure our where it is coming from. This then blocks our access to the stored information that we are seeking.  It is like what happens if we become anxious before a test and try to make ourselves remember the answers.

So, to retrieve information and even answers, it is helpful to relax and trust that our brains will provide us with the information or answer.  This may seem weird but actually works.  Studies looking at creativity used to recommend brain storming to get creative and innovative ideas. Now they realize that this does not work and that it is better for individuals to clear their minds and see what pops up.  Some have called this experience  "frontal lobe hypofunction." I think that this is like trying not to think too much.  By the way, the stored information in our brains is not located in the so called higher cortical areas of the frontal lobes.  One of the many problems with being stressed is that stress makes it hard for us to access our stored memory and this then adds to our stress level.  

Update on Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 10:53PM by Dr. Payton

WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER: As I was watching college backetball games during "March Madness" of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, I thought about how important sports are to many people.  I wondered why that is.  I asked a number of people and many of them fondly recalled their experiences playing on teams in high school or college.  They  talked about the importance of being with their teammates and how strong the connections were between them.  Many of them also spoke of missing those types of relationships.  Feeling connected to other people is obviously important to us.  

I have seen stress cause people to withdraw from one another and not feel connected to others.  It can even lead to not trusting others and being more likely to be caught up in causes that further divide people, while briefly feeling connected to other people who are part of the cause.  I don't believe that one can truly regain a connection or relationship to others by excluding or judging others.  So, what can we do to reestablish that sense of belonging and being connected to other  people?

Update on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 4:01PM by Dr. Payton

SHIFT AWAY FROM NEGATIVE THINKING: I have noticed that many of my patients who are chronically stressed, dwell on worries and have a lot of difficulty stopping this. Their brains are almost constantly in a crisis mode and this severely restricts their access to stored memories and leaves them more concrete in their thinking.  This makes it that much harder to get away from their worries.  If they can learn to shift their thinking on to neutral or positive images or activities, they can interrupt the stress mode and have access to a more accurate and positive outlook.  To be successful requires practicing shifting thinking away from worries and not letting oneself focus on analyzing the worries.  This is similar to DBT techniques and you might want to check out this form of therapy.