Our Over Aroused Brains
Life is all about balance. Our brains are no different, just like our physical self, our mental self also requires balance. But how is our mental health including conditions like anxiety and stress possibly impacted by having an over aroused or unbalanced brain.
Junk Food vs 5+ A Day
Exercise vs Netflix
Stimulation vs Meditation
Social Butterfly vs Quiet Solo Contemplation
Dad Bod vs Shredded Bod
Stress and Anxious vs Calm and Peaceful
Now you could view this as simply ensuring each week you have a balance of activities that can support better brain health, like meditation, yoga or deep sleep. This may work for those of us who are already ‘balanced’, but what happens if our brains are a little bit right of centre?
Over-Aroused Anxious Brain
Surely an over-aroused brain is a good thing? Well, at times, it certainly can be, as an over-aroused brain is responsible for keeping us alive. It’s where our fight or flight response resides, which, when needed, is super handy. However, if we keep in mind (no pun intended) the importance of balance, then living in a world of permanent fight or flight should be viewed as an issue.
So, what does an over-aroused brain look like?
Hyperactive
Busy mind – Numerous thoughts
Fidgety
Impulsive
Easily bored
Risk taker/seeker
Issues falling asleep
Hyperactive
Busy mind – Racing thoughts
Busy mind – Numerous thoughts
Fidgety
Impulsive
Easily bored
Risk taker/seeker
Issues falling asleep
In recent times, due to increases in stimulation and general life pressures, we have seen a rise in people experiencing stress and anxiety. Typically, over-aroused brains tend to show up in people who have lived with elongated periods of stress and anxiety as our brains get used to working and responding in this more hyperaware, unbalanced, tense and anxious state.
Brain Waves – The Science Bit
Science tells us that people who experience symptoms of over-arousal tend to have excess beta brain waves and decreased SMR brain waves.
- Beta is essential for our ability to focus; it’s our active attention state. However, having excess beta that is not balanced with more calm brain states can cause issues over time.
- SMR (Sensorimotor Response) is a brainwave frequency which sits along the borderline between alpha and beta waves. Consider this the “sweet spot of focus”, where we have enhanced executive functioning and are in total and complete control of our attention.
“If you’ve seen a cat on a windowsill watching a bird, then you’ve seen SMR. It’s this liquid, still-body and laser-like focus.
A still body and focused mind is advantageous because you can jump into action much easier from relaxation than tension.
These brain waves are produced when your body is completely still, and your mind is focused on a single task.”
Dr Andrew Hill
Balancing Over-Aroused
When looking at balancing an over-aroused brain, science tells us that our goal should be to reduce the level of beta waves and increase SMR waves. This reduction in excess energy levels allows the mind and body to be more relaxed and calmer, yet alert at the same time.
DeepWave BrainWave Entrainment is one way in which SMR frequencies can be triggered.
DeepWave Brainwave Entrainment enhances mental and emotional well-being by reducing fight or flight activity in the brain’s temporal lobe. This can be very helpful for people suffering from conditions like anxiety.
DeepWave adjusts your brainwave activity using high-frequency LED light. A light that pulses at the same frequency as desirable brain health states, like happy, relaxed, peaceful, optimistic, focused, creative, meditative, compassionate, confident, flow, and even sleepy states. This isn’t so much a treatment for anxiety, but then, exercise isn’t a treatment for obesity.
In the middle of the brain, there is a structure called the amygdala. The amygdala is about the shape and size of an almond and sits in the temporal lobe.
Brainwave Entrainment stimulates clusters of nerve cells deep in the brain that respond to light. These brain centres suppress fight-flight-freeze in the amygdala.
Over time almost everybody finds DeepWave sessions to be immensely relaxing and mood-enhancing. But the first session can sometimes be a little different. People report various effects during and immediately after the first session.
- Around 20% report that they completely bliss out during the first session.
- Around 30% have a subtle improvement in mood.
- Around 20% have a very mild reaction like feeling a bit anxious, have a cry or feel really tired.
- And about 30% felt like their mind was racing and they couldn’t switch off.
If you are looking for natural ways to support your journey towards a more balanced brain state with less anxiety and stress, then DeepWave Brainwave Entrainment is an excellent option!
SMR Focused DeepWave Sessions
Here are some examples of sessions that focus on SMR frequencies which are particularly good for those who are dealing with daily or elongated stress and anxiety.
Length: 30 minutes
Purpose: Mood enhancing, anti-depression
Frequencies: Mixed SMR, Theta and Medium Beta
Description: We all need a pick-me-up from time to time. Feeling low can be all consuming and hard to break out of. This session is designed to help you break out of the habitual mindset of feeling low or depressed. It’s great to use a session to get you feeling better temporarily. Better still, though, is to start to train your brain to be in the frequencies of mind that encourage happy moods.
This session has a stable core of SMR with some moving Theta and Beta to enhance the effects further.
Results in: relaxed, elevated mood, balance
Length: 35 minutes
Purpose: Balance and integration of opposites, empathy, flow, happiness, memory access and release.
Frequencies: 4.45Hz Theta/Delta border, 13.35Hz SMR low Beta, 40.05Hz Gamma, 120.15Hz Hyper-Gamma.
Description: This session alternates back and forward between light and dark, warm and cool, and active and passive frequencies. Inducing very deep meditative relaxation state where emotional/physical release can occur.
This is a great session for reducing overthinking caused by either anxiety or depressive feelings, whilst clearing brain fog, inducing flow states and creative insight
Results in: emotional/physical release, balancing, reducing overthinking, waking up a foggy brain, flow state and creative insight.
Length: 30 minutes
Purpose: Emotional balance, focus & attention, elevated mood, improved sleep
Frequencies: 100% SMR (12-15Hz) with 85% at 14.4Hz
Description: This session uses frequencies in the SMR range solely. SMR is considered a fundamental balance frequency. Practice within this frequency range leads to a heightened ability to respond appropriately in changing situations.
Results in: Improved concentration, focus, brain clarity, elevated mood, improved sleep patterns, and reduced stress
Length: 30 minutes
Purpose: Anxiety, tension, fear and stress relief / calm awareness and focus/feelings of well-being
Frequencies: 0.1Hz, SMR variable (13-14Hz)
Description: This session is designed to help you retrain yourself into what is called an idling state. This is a state where you are ready to either take action or relax, almost like a tipping point in either direction.
Results in: relaxation, focus, calm, and balance.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!