Finding Your Calm: The Science Behind Small Shifts

I have been seeing “Small changes for big movement”, “Little steps for great strides” and similar quotes, flood my social media these days. 

I gotta tell you, I am loving it! 

I have carried this daily mantra for years. I initially picked up the phrase, “small things often” from the Gottmans in regards to relationships and it has changed the way I approach my life. 

I imagine the next big thing you will start seeing is talk about our limbic brain and the powerful presence it plays in our lives.

I have been sharing about tapping into your calm through limbic techniques and the science behind small shifts for quite some time. 

In short, the limbic part of your brain allows direct access to establishing calm, creating new patterns and pathways, increasing productivity and taking charge of your overall health and well being. 

One key understanding is that your brain is wired to want to feel safe more than it wants change. When you attempt to make change, an alarm goes off in the fear zone of your brain. Your self-defense responses step in and you likely find yourself in self-sabotage mode. 

Even when you are trying to make good changes an alarm will sound.

This is why it is beneficial to create pathways that bring you to the present, help steady you and keep you from giving up or retreating to old habits. 

Most importantly, began paying attention to and learn how your body communicates depending on the external circumstances. Start to realize when you are feeling off balance, experiencing stress or low level energy. Once you are able to notice those moments, you can integrate limbic calming techniques to reset your emotional and physical state. With much practice you will be able to give your body what it needs before you reach overwhelm, high levels of stress and discomfort.  

One easily accessible nerve that is hardwired to your limbic brain is your olfactory nerve. The olfactory nerve is responsible for your sense of smell and this is what makes it so very powerful. Using essential oils is simple and powerful. Keep a small bottle of and uplifting or grounding oil close by, pop the top the minute you realize you are in a funk and take a deep breath. If you have a few minutes to spare, integrate the breath work technique I shared in last week’s blog with the essential oil and watch the magic unfold.

In establishing an open line of communication with your body and giving yourself a key calming technique you will be able to create new pathways to presence.