Brain training for adults can help address patterns that develop during periods of severe stress or trauma. Our brains develop coping strategies to help us manage difficult experiences, but these can become habits that no longer serve us.
Stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, childhood trauma, alcohol and drug use, and illness can affect brain function. Some people may react too quickly in stressful situations, while others freeze during conflict and struggle to express themselves.
Chronic stress and anxiety can also affect sleep and emotional wellbeing. Repetitive thoughts, cravings and addictive behaviours may make it difficult to break unhelpful patterns.
Brain training at Brain Harmonics uses neurofeedback to help people work towards more effective patterns of brain activity.
When our brain can balance these imbalances, life and new stressors are much easier to cope with.
Stress, Anxiety
Stress serves an important purpose. For example, it can help you react quickly to avoid danger while driving. However, long-term stress can affect both your brain and body. Over time, stress may become your new normal and affect your sleep. Poor sleep can leave you exhausted and make it harder to concentrate. You may feel wide awake when you need to sleep, then struggle to focus during the day. Anxiety can be even more difficult to manage. It may appear without an obvious reason, even when you try to rationalise your feelings. Severe anxiety can make everyday interactions feel unsafe or overwhelming. Your brain is designed to protect you. Sometimes, however, its responses can develop into patterns that negatively affect daily life.
Sleep Issues
Long-term stress, anxiety, illness, medication, drug or alcohol misuse, anaesthesia, pregnancy and childbirth can all affect sleep. Interrupted sleep patterns can make it difficult to fall asleep, cause frequent waking or leave you feeling tired in the morning. Stress can also contribute to a pattern of staying awake when your body needs rest. Poor sleep may then affect your concentration and emotional wellbeing. Brain training teaches you techniques to help your brain settle and relax with your eyes closed. Sleep is one area that Brain Harmonics aims to support through brain training.
Depression & Internal Happiness
Ongoing or severe stress can keep us stuck in emergency mode. Our minds work harder to regain control, using up valuable energy. Eventually, the body's fight-or-flight system can become exhausted. We may then experience helplessness, hopelessness, depression or racing thoughts. These symptoms can also affect sleep quality. Ongoing depression affects both mental and physical wellbeing. We also assess internal happiness levels. This helps us understand how external stressors may be affecting you. When internal happiness is also unbalanced, depression markers may feel more severe.
Memory, Focus & Concentration
Several factors can affect memory, focus and concentration. Your brain may struggle to retrieve information, remember names or follow directions. You might feel exhausted or as though you're in a fog. You may find it difficult to follow a conversation or remember what someone has just said. Age, trauma and long-term stress can also affect how your brain processes information. Sleep problems can contribute to tiredness and difficulty concentrating. Other factors include illness, medication, and drug or alcohol abuse. Several of these factors may occur together. Our assessment helps us identify patterns of brain activity that may be affecting your memory and concentration. We can then advise you on possible support based on our findings.
Do you feel you suffer from one or more of these issues?
