Does it ever feel like you’re on an endless loop? Trying to see some progress, or change, but you’re still stuck in that same old place? Confucius’s quote, “It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop.” Reminds us that we are not in a competition to have the best life, most friends, or filthy wealth. It doesn’t matter that we aren’t reaching our goals fast enough, as long as we make sure that we’re still trying. Let’s dive into exactly what happens when our brains aren’t making any progress, and how we can find ways to get back on track.
1. Cognitive Bottlenecks
When mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc.) don’t seem to slow down, the brain typically reduces the efficiency in how it processes information. This is why things feel foggy and confusing when we’re trying to figure out what’s happening. Have you ever had something really stressful happen, and found that it’s sort of hard or slow to recall all the details? This can be very discouraging. Despite all your hard work, your mental health symptoms are persistent. Our brains have a limited thinking space, and mental health symptoms tend to overcrowd that space fast. This is one of the biggest ways that creates the illusion that nothing is changing.
2. Is my neuroplasticity working?
In order for the brain to recover and adapt from mental health struggles, the brain needs to create new neural pathways and improve existing healthy ones. This, too, is a barrier, as this takes a lot of time. Emotional regulation circuits require consistent use, so they can shift. Habits and coping mechanisms need to be reinforced so they can come naturally. It’s like training a dog, you need to reinforce negative and positive reactions so the dog has the ability to differentiate the two, and lean towards the one that brings the treats.
3. The brain is the most complex mystery in the history of the universe.
Well, we already know that. But Guess what? That makes changes slower, too. Our mental health is not controlled by just one area of the brain. A lot of systems need to work together. Consisting of our emotion regulation, (amygdala, prefrontal cortex), memory and rumination, (hippocampus), stress response, (HPA axis) and Motivation and reward. (dopamine pathways) So many of our systems are working together, so change doesn’t happen straightaway.
What can we do to try to see changes fast?
I’m going to share a few ways that we can encourage our brains to shift, and respond to the new way of living. One with little to no mental health symptoms.
Change your environment – The nervous system is always looking to your surroundings. Small environmental changes can lower cognitive overload and stress. So clean your room, or open a window, change the lighting, go outside, or walk for 5 minutes!
Do an action that gives you a sense of control – if you feel helpless, it will slow your mental health progress. The brain releases reward signals when you complete a small task. Send a message to someone, drink more water, make your bed, write down your thoughts.
Reduce overwhelm as opposed to adding more effort- We tend to push harder, but the brain can work productively only when you remove strain. The stress system activates when you feel pressured, which doesn’t allow emotional regulation to flow. Shorten your to-do list, say no to things that drain you, and take a break without feeling bad. These things will give you a sense of relief.
In summary, when your brain seems stuck, it doesn’t mean that you haven’t stopped running. You’re just running a little slower than you hope to. There are so many ways to improve our mental health, and it all works toward our neuro well-being & self-development.
Talk to you soon,
– R.J.
Neuro-Wellbeing & The Developing Self 
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