In my previous blog, I invited my readers to consider how even young children can learn brain basics. Their knowledge of this can be very empowering, helping them understand and manage their thoughts and feelings, including some often-challenging ones, like fear and anxiety.
I suggested that parents and caregivers start with basic brain information: what neurons are and the processes of them becoming wired to each other in order to function. (A fun fact to add to this information: if an electrician was tasked with wiring the brain, it would take them 30 million years to complete the job! (Ghosts from the Nursery). Also, an excellent new brain map was published online after my last blog was posted.)
I shared Dr. Bruce Perry’s image of the four levels of the brain – the brainstem, midbrain, limbic system and cortex – and two other critical parts, the amygdala and hippocampus. Then, I shared Dr. Dan Seigel’s image of the brain being like a house with several floors that are all connected to give a foundational overview of the brain and how it functions. Equipping children with this information gives them the foundations for the next area I invite you to share with children: brain states.
You can begin providing this information by asking children, “What state do we live in?” If you have family relatives or friends who live in other states, you can ask them to recall the names of those states. You can share that much like the various states that exist in our United States, their brain is operating in one of five possible brain states, and that each of these impacts how they are feeling and behaving.
Share that their brain shifts from one brain state to another based on what is happening around them, and in their minds as they notice how safe they feel – if they are calm and relaxed, whether they can be creative or able to do their homework, or are they more emotional, anxious, afraid, or terribly frightened, which is called being terrified. It’s all about which brain part is more in charge of a person than the other parts.
Share that at any given moment when we are operating from a particular brain part it is called being in a brain state. Invite children to imagine that in their brains a particular brain area is lighting up because it is in charge.
Use the following two charts to explain each brain state:
The second chart explains how thinking is impacted based on which brain state someone is in. A person can be creative when in a calm brain state and using their pre-frontal cortex, which explains why someone can come up with amazing ideas when taking a relaxing walk or a warm bath or shower. A person can still be capable of thinking concretely when their subcortex brain area is in charge, an area which is a little lower in their brain than the prefrontal cortex. Moving down to times when the limbic area is in charge, we see that a person will be more emotional. You can try to be logical with them but when in a limbic brain state, that won’t work. Moving down, when someone is operating from their midbrain, they will be reactive, meaning they might respond with high levels of passion including being angry. When the brainstem is in charge, the person is no longer aware of themself or what might be going on for someone else. This is where a person in a “blind rage” is operating. They might not even remember what they said or did when in this brain state.
This chart also includes how a person experiences time depending on which brain state they are in. It explains why someone who is terrified or fearful can’t think about what might happen in a few hours or days. This is why a child who is fearful or terrified while being yelled at by a parent cannot appreciate the warning, “Your mother/father will punish you when they get home in a few hours,” or “If you don’t correct that attitude I won’t take you to the movies this weekend.” It is only when in a higher brain state that they can appreciate something more in the future.
Additional brain information about how a person’s heart rate and functional IQ are impacted by a person’s brain state:
All this brain state information can help children – and all of us – better understand why someone is behaving a certain way, is more or less able to focus, think, not be at the mercy of emotions or use the part of the brain that involves thinking clearly and logically. It can empower children and adults to find ways to be more in charge of their brains. For children who are fearful or have anger issues, this information can help them positively reduce these, which can improve their emotional health and the health of their relationships.
In my next blog, I will share information about the various neurochemicals the brain produces and how these impact thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors.
Invitation for Reflection
- How familiar are you with this information about brain states? If it is new to you, how might it be helpful to you?
- How do you think it might be helpful to children in your life?
- If you do some of your own research by Googling “How to Teach Children about their Brains,” what descriptions and charts you did find there that might be helpful in teaching the children in your life about their brains?