The Left and Right Brain

Have you ever thought about how the brain works?

No? Same.

With so many things going on in my mind on a day-to-day basis, I don’t really have time to sit down and think about how my brain is functioning.

Even though my professional background is in the mental health field, you’d think I would be more intentional about checking in with myself — or my brain — but no. I’m not. Not always.

Gone are the days when I’d wake up, make myself a cup of coffee, journal, reflect, and read my Bible.

Don’t get me wrong, being a mama is a joy, but this also means that my life before being a mama looks different. A whole lot different. And that’s ok. That doesn’t mean I can’t slow down and reflect; it just looks different now.

I love reflecting because to me reflecting leads to awareness, which leads to healing and growth.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how my brain works. I’m becoming more aware of which hemisphere I’m more dominant in when I feel unbalanced (i.e. stressed, anxious, or sad). This awareness helps me give my brain what it needs to be balanced once again.

The left hemisphere is the part of the brain that focuses on logic, language, and structure. When in an imbalanced state, people tend to detach themselves from their feelings and basically gaslight themselves into thinking “It’s fine, whatever. I didn’t care that much anyway.”

The right hemisphere is the part of the brain that focuses on meaning, intuition, and emotions. When in an imbalanced state, people tend to be flooded with emotions and basically feel like everything around them is falling apart.

Now, it’s completely possible and normal to experience both of these states at different times. We are complex beings after all. However, what matters most is how you treat yourself when you’re in one of these states.

Do you gaslight yourself and pretend everything is okay?

Do you drown in your emotions and react with intensity at every little thing?

I’m guilty of both.

Thankfully, there’s a solution.

You can start by acknowledging your feelings. This helps reduce the intensity of your feelings greatly. In fact, whenever I struggle to identify what I’m feeling I go to this nifty website: feelingswheel.com. The moment I label what I’m feeling, I already feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest.

Then, validate your feelings — no matter how small you think the situation is. Meet yourself where you are, and be kind and patient with yourself. This part is so important and it will do wonders for your mental health.

Next, if you feel comfortable, talk to your spouse, family member or friend about what you’re going through. It helps to externally process something (even if you’re an internal processor like me). The process of talking about an experience helps connect the two hemispheres, because you’re putting your feelings (right hemisphere) into words (left hemisphere).

If you’re not comfortable talking about what you’re going through with anyone, talk to God. He cares, I promise. God cares about every single thing that grieves your heart and He wants to meet you where you are, as you are.

Please feel free to share in the comments below any tips or techniques that work for you!