It is important to recognize and understand how mind-based skills become limited when we have shifted into protective and defensive states.
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+.
Throughout this article series, it has often been noted that when we have shifted into activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states that our mind-based skills become less effective. This is an important recognition. The reason being that if we attempt to utilize these skills when we have shifted into these states, it is likely that they will be ineffective. In addition to not having the desired effect, this unexpected outcome can lead to further cues deepening the existing activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown state. As a result, it becomes possible that we will become stuck in these states, thereby limiting our ability to fully pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
The purpose of this article is to further describe not only the underlying neurophysiological mechanism by which this occurs but also provide a practical example to illustrate the concept. In addition, actionable strategies to manage the activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states and return to grounded and anchored states will be discussed. Once we have returned to these states, it becomes possible to then implement the mind-based skills to supplement our body-based skills. This allows for us to fully leverage our biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
At the outset of this article, it is useful to describe in more detail, from a neurophysiological perspective, why our mind-based skills lose their effectiveness when we have shifted into activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states. When we are presented with cues along any of the three pathways which are associated with risk, uncertainty, or threat, we will instantaneously and subconsciously experience a shift in our biological state depending on the magnitude of the cue. This is primarily mediated through both our neurophysiology and the release of cortisol.
From a neurophysiological perspective, the result of these cues of uncertainty, risk, and threat leads to activation of our amygdala. In turn, this leads to a shift in our salience network, such that a negativity bias emerges. Evolutionarily speaking, this is protective in nature. On account of activation of our amygdala, in essence, our physiology shifts into a threat detection and response system. In order to ensure protection and survival, this system must be on the lookout for any potential cues which may threaten our safety or survival. This is why we shift towards a negativity bias. In addition, we simultaneously will experience a redirecting of our neurophysiological resources such that there is reduced prefrontal cortical activity, resulting in reduction in cognitive control and executive functioning. We do not control this neurophysiological process, rather it occurs subconsciously and spontaneously. As a result of the end outcome of reduced prefrontal cortical activity, our cognitive control, including ability to utilize mind-based skills, is unavoidably reduced. This provides the mechanistic understanding of why we are unable to effectively utilize our mind-based skills from activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states.
With the above understanding in mind, it is also important to consider that when we shift back towards anchored and grounded states, there will be a reduction in our negativity bias, our salience network will re-orient, and we will experience a simultaneous increase in our prefrontal cortical activity, executive functioning, and cognitive capacity. This explains why we are able to then re-access our mind-based skills once we have returned to anchored and grounded states.
In order to further illustrate the aforementioned processes, it is helpful to consider a specific example. Utilizing the specific mind-based skill of self-talk, further consideration will be given to explain how the underlying neurophysiology makes it difficult, if not impossible, to effectively utilize this skill when we have shifted away from anchored and grounded states.
When we experience cues of uncertainty, risk, and threat along any of the three pathways, the aforementioned neurophysiological processes will occur. On account of the increased negativity bias, our self-talk will inevitably become more oriented to towards a pessimistic perspective. In addition, with resulting decreased cognitive capacity, we will be less able to control and re-direct the content of our self-talk and consider alternate explanations for the experiences we are encountering. This combination rapidly leads to a situation in which we experience and pay attention predominantly to negative explanations and cues along each of the three pathways and simultaneously are unable to fully consider other explanations. As a result, our self-talk will unavoidably become more negative and pessimistic. In turn this provides further cues of uncertainty, risk, and threat to our biology, which then further deepens the above described neurophysiological process.
Within many domains of performance psychology, the recommendation when we are experiencing high demand or high stress situations and are feeling anxious or worried is to adjust our self-talk towards a more optimistic perspective or to consider situations in which we have been successful in the past. The above discussion informs how this strategy is unlikely to be successful. If we have truly shifted into activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states we will not be able to change the content or tone of our self-talk. In fact, if we are able to adjust these attributes of our self-talk, it is an indication that we have a remaining element of anchored and grounded state.
To further illustrate the concepts described above, consideration will now turn towards a biologically consistent strategy to manage our biology when we have shifted into activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states. From the perspective of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, when we identify a shift in our biological state away from anchored and grounded states, the initial strategy is to implement body-based skills. An especially powerful skill to utilize in such a situation is breathing. In particular, a breathing pattern with a prolonged exhalation, utilizing abdominal breathing mechanics, and breathing through the nose is typically effective in restoring an element of anchored and grounded states.
To be sure, it is important that we practice this breathing skill in advance of relying upon it. As with any other physical skill, it is essential that we practice the skills in low demand or low stress scenarios in order to develop a capacity to utilize the skill in higher demand situations when the stakes may be greater. Once we have shifted back towards an anchored and grounded state, we can then reintroduce mind-based skills to further leverage our biology, strengthen our anchored and grounded state, and return to the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
The above discussion serves to inform from a mechanistic perspective and an applied example how we are unable to utilize to the greatest capacity our mind-based skills when we have shifted away from anchored and grounded states. In the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, it is inevitable that such shifts will occur. If we are to improve our nervous system flexibility and enhance our ability to shift back towards anchored and grounded states it is important that we understand that body-based skills must be initially utilized to return to anchored and grounded states when these shifts have occurred. As noted above, an attempt to utilize mind-based skills from activated, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states will likely be ineffective and may result, inadvertently, in a further deepening of these states. By utilizing body-based skills, we are able to shift back towards anchored and grounded states and then utilize mind-based skills.
To learn more, including about polyvagal informed coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, 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+.