Is Your Brain Stuck?
- Have you been living with anxiety or stress for a while?
- Do you wake at 3am worrying?
- Are you living in a permanent state of anxiousness?
- Have you forgotten what a calm state feels like?
- Did you know it’s possible for your brain to get a stuck in an ‘anxious’ beta brain wave state?
Believe it or not, our brains can get stuck in a fight or flight cycle, especially when we have lived in a protracted state of anxiousness. Trying to ‘get’ calm can be blooming hard. All the good stuff that should calm our minds, like meditation and proper sleep becomes almost impossible for the anxious stressed-out brains.
So why is this? And what have beta brain waves got to do with it?
What Are Beta Brain Waves?
Each of our brain states correspond with a different state of awareness.
Each brain wave type has a different function and impacts / controls / manages a specific outcome for our state of mind and level of consciousness.
- Alpha wave = Relaxed, Lucid, Calm and not thinking
- Theta wave = Deep relaxation, Mediation, Mental Imagery
- Delta wave = Deep, Dreamless State
- Beta waves = Awake, Alert, Consciousness – used during alert mental activity
Beta waves are present when we are alert, focused, and mentally active. Because of this, it’s no surprise that beta brainwaves are the most common type of brain wave activity seen in our brains.
Types of Beta Waves
Neuroscientists who study brainwaves with EEG machines have found that there are two different types of beta activity, high & low. And importantly in stressed humans there is a difference in how bodies and minds work depending on whether they access either a low or high beta wave.
So, let’s break it down.
Beta Type
- Rolandic beta rhythms – This beta wave activity appears when we prepare to move our bodies. It then disappears briefly as we make the action, returning shortly afterward.
- Frontal Beta Rhythms – This beta wave occurs when logical thinking happens. The amount of beta activity varies depending on the difficulty level of the mental task the person is performing.
Low and High Ranges
- Low beta brainwaves – Which range between 12.5 to 21 Hz, are likely to be present as your mind moves from a lower brain state (alpha) during meditation or daydreaming toward thinking about something specific or engaging in an activity.
- High beta brainwaves – Which range between 20.5 to 32 Hz, are accessed and engaged during intense task, like arguing or debating.
Beta waves sound great so far, without them our ability to learn new things or concentrate on the task in front of us would be more than a little hampered. However, we also know that high beta brainwaves states are also associated with:
- an increase in mental stress
- an increase in anxiety levels
- our inability to relax
- our ‘fight or flight’ response
As an example, if you have ever been so wound up about something you could not get to sleep or stop thinking, you are probably experiencing a high beta brain state.
What’s the Problem with Beta Brainwaves?
Beta brain waves become a problem for us when we can’t get away from them. When we are stuck and unable to reach the relaxing and renewing brain waves of alpha, theta, and delta.
When our brain stays too long in these beta waves, the hemispheres become less synchronized, resulting in:
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Overthinking
- Insomnia
- Stress
- Paranoia
This is backed up by studies of people with stress disorders, such as PTSD who show abnormalities in brain wave activity, including beta waves.
The impact of being ‘stuck’ in a beta state does not stop there, we see an over activation of our adrenal glands which produces an excessive amount of cortisol.
Cortisol normally is your friend when it comes to a genuine emergency as this chemical gives us energy and motivation to act quickly and avoid danger. However, long-term stress can result in your brain and adrenal glands getting caught in a cortisol driven feedback loop…. keeping you stuck in this higher stress state. This vicious cycle results in an overproduction of cortisol, too much beta brain wave activity, and less synchronisation between brain hemispheres.
What’s the Problem with Beta Brainwaves?
Beta brain waves become a problem for us when we can’t get away from them. When we are stuck and unable to reach the relaxing and renewing brain waves of alpha, theta, and delta.
When our brain stays too long in these beta waves, the hemispheres become less synchronized, resulting in:
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Overthinking
- Insomnia
- Stress
- Paranoia
This is backed up by studies of people with stress disorders, such as PTSD who show abnormalities in brain wave activity, including beta waves.
The impact of being ‘stuck’ in a beta state does not stop there, we see an over activation of our adrenal glands which produces an excessive amount of cortisol.
Cortisol normally is your friend when it comes to a genuine emergency as this chemical gives us energy and motivation to act quickly and avoid danger. However, long-term stress can result in your brain and adrenal glands getting caught in a cortisol driven feedback loop…. keeping you stuck in this higher stress state. This vicious cycle results in an overproduction of cortisol, too much beta brain wave activity, and less synchronisation between brain hemispheres.
I’m Stuck And Can’t Chill?
So, if all that makes sense and you think you are stuck, what can you do about it?
If you have been stressed or anxious for a while, it’s possible that you are stuck with an over dominance of the high beta brain wave that is keeping you in fight or flight mode. In these cases, the brain needs some balance, and to do that you could use the technique of Brainwave Entrainment to ‘push’ your brain out of beta, and into alpha, theta, or delta frequencies ranges. This is a safe and straightforward way of reducing excess beta waves and consequently chilling out and relaxing your busy brain. Over time Brainwave Entrainment may be able to help balance the brain, bring those quieter frequencies to the forefront, and stop the brain defaulting into a beta state.
I’ve Got A Problem To Solve – Beta Can you Help Me?
Most of the time, most people do not have a problem generating sufficient beta waves to engage in ‘thinking’ activities. However, if you are trying to study or focus on mental tasks and find it difficult, stimulating beta brain wave activity may help.
So, if mental clarity is what you are after, if you are stuck on a problem and are looking for a solution, or you need to get your brain ready for a big day or week ahead, then getting a boost of beta waves via light brainwave entrainment may be able to help you.
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