Mindfulness

In my most recent series of articles I'm discussing our brains role in forming habits - especially the habit of drinking alcohol. Let's dive in to today's topic!

Why do we give in to our desire for alcohol?

We discussed desire in a previous article. You can read it here. Remember, desire isn't involuntary. It’s learned, and you taught yourself. You’ve increased that desire so much that it seems involuntary.

Now, you may be feeling competing desires. Your thinking, rational brain says, “I want…

Do you realize that your brain is designed to help you survive? This sounds like a good thing doesn’t it? And it is, but it can sometimes also cause some problems.

Your Brain is Rigged for Survival

Our brains provide us rewards when we do things that perpetuate our survival. These things include:

• Eating
• Seeking Shelter
• Sex

When we first do these things, the brain releases a little dopamine and this feels great! We get a reward, so to speak. Our brains use that as a feedback loop. When …

In my last article I discussed desire and how it is a learned behavior. You can read it here. Today I'm going to discuss how emotions play a role in habit creation.

Our emotions are created by what we think - so the emotion of desire is created by a thought. Staying on the topic of drinking alcohol - our desire for alcohol is created by a thought. So, what are the thoughts we have that create our desire for alcohol?

One of the most powerful thoughts we have is, “I want that.” It seems like suc…

Did you know that wild animals don't have the same stress-related illnesses that we humans have? Why is that? 

It's mostly due to the nature of the human brain. We can ruminate about our past and fret about the future. Psychoneuroimmunology (the study of how the mind influences the immune system), has shown that what we think IS our reality - whether it's real or not!

We were designed to experience acute stress - stressors that are short in nature and infrequent. When we are in danger, our ama…

From worldwide pandemics to difficult relationships, our world is filled with circumstances that cause stress. 

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that dealing with persistent, long-term stress (like that from a toxic work environment or from caring for an elderly parent) can actually change the expression of your genes, leading to an increase in inflammation that can bring on a variety of health issues.

Learning how to cope with stress in a …