An important consideration across all aspects of our life is how our underlying biological state strongly influences our inner dialogue, actions, and responses.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
Past articles have discussed how our underlying biological state strongly influences how we understand and perceive our current situation and how the shifts resulting from the cues we experience may differ on the basis of our state at the time. There are many important implications which emerge from these concepts. This acknowledgement can help with understanding not only our own experiences across the internal, external, and relational pathways, but also those of the people around us.
Our biological state strongly influences the manner in which we experience stimuli across the internal, external, and relational pathways. It also strongly influences how we perceive situations and process that information in the context of our inner dialogue and narratives. The manner in which we do this then exerts significant impact on our subsequent actions, thoughts, and behaviors. For this reason, our biological state effectively determines how we experience and relate to the world. Furthermore, as our state shifts, the way in which we experience the events within and around us can dramatically change our perceptions and responses.
From an anchored and grounded state, we will typically have an inner dialogue that is calm and hopeful, as well as optimistic and open to different interpretations and explanations. This is commonly associated with a growth mindset. When we are in activated and attacking states, we will typically have a greater negativity bias, we will be less open to different explanations, more protective and defensive of our opinions, and we will often feel a greater degree of fear and apprehension. This is frequently associated with a fixed mindset. From overwhelmed and shutdown states, we will often have a perspective that is hopeless and one in which we cannot consider alternate explanations or ways in which events will unfold in a positive way. This is often associated with a scarcity mindset. From these descriptions, it is clear how differently we can experience the events in our life on the basis of our biological state.
It is important to recognize that our mindset and thinking pattern at any given moment will have a strong impact on our inner narrative, decision making, and actions. We need only consider our own experience in life to understand how drastically differently we may think and behave from each of the three primary biological states and their associated thinking patterns and mindsets described above. Not only does this impact how we think about a given situation and influences how we respond, act, and behave but similarly impacts all those around us.
Given the importance and influence of our biological state on the way in which we think, our mindset, and our ensuing actions and behaviors, it becomes important to develop this understanding and apply it throughout our lives. By embodying this concept, we recognize that the way in which we may be thinking in a given moment, as well as behaving and reacting, is not fixed or reflective of us as individuals, but rather emerges from our underlying biological state. Furthermore, we recognize that the same scenario is occurring for those around us.
As our underlying biological state has strong influences on our thinking and mindset, it becomes important to ensure that we consider this variable when making decisions, particularly those that are of importance and significance. When we are choosing how to respond to a scenario or what action to take, it becomes very important to consider the degree to which our underlying biological state may be influencing how we perceive our situation and its impact on our inner narrative and assessment of options. Typically, when we are considering important decisions, it is preferable to ensure an anchored and grounded state. This allows us to be open to various possibilities and alternate explanations, to ensure that we are looking at the situation in an optimistic and hopeful fashion, and that we are not reacting in a defensive or attacking manner.
When we are experiencing the actions and behaviors of those around us, it is important to consider this perspective as well. The same process is unfolding for those individuals as it does for us. As such the manner in which others are acting and behaving is reflective of their biological state rather than who they are as an individual.
Through embodiment of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, we develop the ability to strengthen our anchored and grounded states and enhance our nervous system flexibility. As discussed in past articles, this provides the capacity to maintain an anchored and grounded state to a greater degree, as well as return to such states when we experience the inevitable shifts towards activated, attacking, overwhelmed, and shutdown states which will occur in life. Furthermore, through embodiment of this perspective, we better understand how to leverage our biology in response to the various experiences in our life, such that we can make decisions about our actions and behaviors which are most aligned with our underlying purpose and objectives. Typically this occurs when we respond to situations from an anchored and grounded state rather than when we have shifted into activated, attacking, overwhelmed, and shutdown states.
Another benefit of embodying this perspective is that it affords us greater compassion and understanding, not only for ourselves, but all those around us. When we can recognize that our actions and behaviors are reflective of our biological state rather than innate and inherent characteristics, we can better understand how to manage difficult situations within our lives as well as those around us. We are also better equipped to minimize the degree to which we may reactively judge or criticize ourselves and others for their actions and behaviors when we can understand how these emerge from the underlying biological state.
This becomes particularly important when working in high demand situations with others as the magnitude and frequency of cues in these scenarios towards activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states is heightened. As a result, all those in these situations, including us and those around us, are susceptible to these shifts in biological state with the ensuing impact on our thinking, decision making, actions, and behaviors. When we are better able to maintain aspects of anchored and grounded states, the attributes of these states can emerge naturally to the benefit of us and those around us.
Through development of the mind-based and body-based skills within the framework of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, we are best able to manage the inevitable biological state shifts that occur for us, as well as those around us. By implementing strategies and tactics to leverage our biology, we are best able to return to anchored and grounded states so that we can ensure to the greatest degree possible that our choices, decisions, actions, and behaviors are most consistent with our purpose and objectives.
To learn more, including about polyvagal informed coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand remains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.