The need to disconnect the mind

Everyday, People use the expression “disconnect your mind” to refer to the need to eliminate stress. That is, it is a way of expressing that desire to be able to forget about the anxieties and worries derived from daily tasks and responsibilities.

Following this desire, We usually do different activities to alleviate stress. Activities that can range from taking a short vacation, to less planned things or small pleasures such as listening to music, going for a run or taking a hot bath.

How does automatic shutdown work?

Beyond the conscious and deliberate choice about what action to take or what path to follow with the aim of reducing our stress, Our brain has an “automatic shutdown” mechanism. This disconnection begins when certain levels of exhaustion are exceeded.

This means that, although we are not always able to consciously disconnect our mind, our brain does. You can even take a vacation if you “deem” it necessary for our health.

This mechanism works in a peculiar way. For example, have you ever felt dull, which prevented you from concentrating on your work, despite your efforts? That is a clear example of the automatic disconnection of our brain. By preventing correct concentration, we are forced to resort to a task that consumes less cognitive resources..

Scientific investigations

At the University of Wisconsin, researchers discovered that There are certain nerve cells that tend to disconnect for short periods of time. Above all, during the course of activities that do not require your action. This phenomenon is known as “focused sleep,” since these neurons enter a state very similar to that of habitual sleep. In other words, the brain can “fall asleep in parts.”

Professor Andrew F. Leuchter of the University of California has discovered that Depressed people have serious problems when it comes to wanting to “disconnect their mind.” Leuchter’s study began by recruiting 121 volunteers with different diagnoses of depression to evaluate the synchronization of their brain waves with various areas of the brain.

Among the brain areas that are at rest, these people have greater interconnection and activity. But, far from being something favorable, this fact reveals that Their brains do not automatically “switch off,” as they do not recognize states of saturation.

In conclusion, People with depression find themselves in a vicious cycle of thoughts from which they have a hard time getting out. This is because depressed people are not able to control the cognitive exchange between some of their brain areas, so it is not possible for them to disconnect those that are not active.

That is This enormous neural interaction demonstrated by depressed people does not represent an advantage. Quite the contrary, this fact is what prevents them from achieving an adequate disconnection.

The change to disconnect the mind

Not everything is lost, Getting out of this circle of recurring thoughts is possible. Nowadays, there are numerous techniques designed to minimize depressive symptoms and, although their results may not show immediately, they are undoubtedly useful for training and re-educating the brain.

Like all changes in life, this one should be gradual, involving time, dedication and, most importantly, a sincere interest in improving the quality of life. With enthusiasm and patience it is possible to achieve that ideal state that allows our brain to disconnect when it needs it most.

Full attention

Mindfulness or mindfulness It is a tool that can bring us great benefits. Through this technique, we learn to “disconnect” our brain from those thoughts that harm us the most.

Although in reality, rather than disconnecting, it is about focusing on the present, subtracting the presence of other types of more recurrent thoughts. Through mindfulness, harmful thoughts are observed, however, we do not judge them. As many Buddhist teachers put it: “Watch those thoughts as if they were clouds passing by.”.

In this way, by not identifying with our thoughts, it does not cause an emotional reaction in us. Therefore, we are able to remain in a state of calm despite the circumstances.

However, this technique will have more effect if we train a little every day. Let’s imagine that we want strong and muscular arms, couldn’t we get it in a single day at the gym? The same goes for mindfulness. The brain is a muscle that, little by little, we will shape to, in this way, maintain better control of those thoughts that overwhelm us so much.

Mindfulness or full awareness has been used successfully in contexts that are eminently
clinical, but nowadays studies are also directed at other areas. Among them, This type of conscious attention has been extended to the educational level and there is numerous research being carried out.

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