Your Ultimate Self

Wealth | Health | Wellness

Tag: Cognition

  • Reclaiming our Power: The Battle of the Mind

    How we view the relationship we have with our thoughts seriously changes the way we interact with our own mind and leads to some interesting outcomes. Instead of letting our thoughts dominate our mental space and lead us toward negative behaviors that cause distress to ourselves and those around us, we can learn to acknowledge the thoughts and meet them with a more objective familiarity; regaining the power that was reserved for our self.

    “Your Mind is your instrument. Learn to be its master and not its slave.”

    ― Remez Sasson

    Before we can change how the thoughts we harbor affect us we have to acknowledge that they are a fundamental part of our biology. They originate from the mind and they arise from both external and internal events that we perceive from our senses. The more we try to fight with our thoughts, repress them, or try to control them the more power we give to them and the bigger monsters they become in our head. This is what leads to rumination and even acting out, mainly to our detriment, due to the thoughts which only turns to increase our own stress and put us in these all so familiar negative thought – behavior loops: (Negative thoughts – inappropriate behavior [drug, acting out, self abuse, overeating, under-eating, etc] – stress – even more negative thoughts) 

    With all this information we can change the questions we ask ourselves about this issue. No longer does it serve us to ask, “How do I get rid of these thoughts” but instead we are enlightened to ask, “How do I move forward after having these thoughts”. Like a surfer that doesn’t fight the wave; an exercise in futility and potential catastrophe, we have to learn how to ride the currents and waves of thoughts that arise in the ocean of our minds. The best way I have learned to do this for myself and many others is to practice mindfulness by sitting with the thought. Instead of fighting the thought, trying to judge the thought and immediately remove it from my mind I simply sit with the thought and allow it to pass by like a cloud on a breezy spring afternoon. 

    Understanding that you are not your thoughts is a key element of this practice. Our thoughts are byproducts of the mind and we have the choice to choose the thoughts we want to bring into our lives as well as accepting the thoughts we want to deem as real. With these two fundamental understandings and a nonjudgmental outlook we can transform our own relationship with our thoughts, reclaim our internal power, and loosen the vice grip thoughts hold on our emotions and behaviors that we so often feel is out of our control. 

    Dr. Shaikh M.D

  • Interoceptive Awareness, the 6th sense

    We spend most of our days with our bodies functioning in tandem with our minds, a kind of autopilot that allows us to focus on more complicated tasks. However, some type of internal disturbance may break our focus or flow we engage in. This disturbance can range from the hunger pangs of an empty stomach to the feelings of urgency of a full bladder. Our ability to sense these internal states within our own bodies is what is referred to as interoceptive awareness. 

    To clarify, the way we sense the outside world is through the 5 senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and vision. That is how we process information external to our own bodies. Interoception, however is the means in which we process information within our body; signals from the gut, lungs, heart, musculoskeletal system, etc. Think about the the last time you had a “gut feeling” or felt off about a new person you just met. 

    Of course, it wouldn’t be of much use if all of our internal sensations were being brought to the forefront of our conscious awareness 24/7. However, being able to tap into the more nuanced signals our bodies send can serve those that have the awareness. Research has shown that some of us are intrinsically better at others when it comes to interpreting and receiving signals from within. This would serve to explain how some of us are better at regulating our food intake when we look through the lens of the obesity epidemic in the U.S, or how some are able to understand the triggers of anxiety when it comes to self management. 

    With all this being said, interoception is still a phenomena being studied and current understandings are being expanded upon. Whether scientists perform research on the vagus nerve and its connection to the stomach or the areas of the brain such as the insula, we can be assured new insights into the 6th sense that allows us to remain in communication with our own body as time goes on. 

    If you’d like to learn more about how I incorporate interoceptive awareness into my transformational coaching practice and how it can be used to increase your cognitive, physical, and emotional health use the contact form to send me a message and lets connect.  

    Dr. Shaikh M.D

  • Cognitive Reappraisal

    Imagine a scenario where you are dealing with a stressor. This includes handling an unruly family member, facing disputes at work, or even having an argument with your spouse. The way we view that stress and characterize it has serious implications on the effect that it has on us. In most circumstances the narrative we create around the stressor is more harmful than the stressor itself.

    For example, when we lose our job, there are multiple meanings we can create around the situation. When we don’t get something we want, we can also create various interpretations. For the former incident, most people frame it negatively. They focus on their perceived lack of abilities, talents, and worthiness. This mindset leads to the formation of limiting beliefs which are carried with us as we navigate our professional, personal, and spiritual endeavors. 

    However, if we take that same incident (losing a job or not getting the object of our desire), we can look at it from another perspective: that this experience is motivating me to become a better version of myself, or that it is a learning event that will fuel my growth and allow me to be more successful in the future. Can you see how when we take a step back and objectively look at the scenario we can consciously ascribe meaning to a difficult or challenging situation? 

    Indeed, this is the essence of cognitive reappraisal. We take a step back from the challenging situation that we are dealing with and use an objective lens to see the meaning that we are making of it. We can then dissect the meaning that we are making of the challenge and see how that meaning limits or expands the future actions we will take as a result.

    In brief, we can alter our realities and outcomes based on our own perception and mind. Since one of the constants in life are challenges and stress which usually can not be changed immediately, one would be wise to shift the perception and narratives we create alongside them so that we can create the best outcomes for our lives and the lives of those around us. 

    Dr. Shaikh M.D