Get ready to explore the fascinating workings of the brain with insights from renowned neuroscientist Dr. Dan Siegel and his well-known “hand model” of the brain.
In this episode, we walk through a simple yet powerful explanation of how the brain regulates emotions and shapes our reactions. Through Dr. Siegel’s model, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of what happens in the brain when we feel overwhelmed or reactive.
In particular, we focus on the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that helps guide our decisions and responses. This area plays a crucial role in connecting with others, calming fear, and creating the important space between impulse and action.
As we continue exploring how the brain works, we also discuss the importance of regulation and healthy engagement in everyday life. Understanding these patterns can help us respond more thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically.
Be sure to stay tuned for the next episode as we continue this journey into the brain and the foundations of mental health.
Resources
As we discussed today, here are 4 parts of the brain, based on a model created by Dr. Dan Siegel.
The brain stem:
- It controls fundamental body functions such as breathing, eye movements, blood pressure, heartbeat, and swallowing
- Responsible for the fight, flight, freeze response
The limbic stem: the emotional part of the brain,
- When we perceive a threat, the amygdala sounds an alarm, releasing a cascade of chemicals in the body. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flood our system, immediately preparing us for fight or flight
- How do we focus our attention
- How we remember things
The cortex is the higher part of the brain.
We can call this the executive region – we want this part to remain regulated to maintain a connection with each other. We’ll talk briefly about what happens when we get dysregulated and how this keeps us from connecting with ourselves and others.
- helps you to manage and mention your emotions
- It helps with thinking and planning
The prefrontal cortex – also called the “master controller”:
- regulate the body, the ability to tune into someone else, which allows compassion or empathy (what happens when we feel rejected or triggered),
- response flexibility: allows you to put a space between an impulse and an action,
- the ability to calm fears – teach your upstairs part of the brain to calm fears
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Have a great week!
Melissa