The Emotional Life Of Your Brain: How Its Uniqu...
To Increase Positive Outlook: Fill your home and workspace with upbeat reminders of happy times, like photos of your family or vacations, and change the pictures every two weeks. Find opportunities to compliment others and make the effort to express gratitude often, by offering a warm thank you and writing down the things you appreciate in others and in your life.
The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Uniqu...
Why we behave the way we do has been the life study of pioneering neuroscientist Richard Davidson. Helping us to understand our own emotional responses and discover our unique 'emotional style', Davidson and Begley also show how we can retrain our brains through mindfulness and meditation to alter lifelong patterns of destructive or unhelpful behaviour. Practical and illuminating, this book expands our view of what it means to be human.
In the emotional styles theory, six dimensions of emotional life are postulated: outlook, resilience, social intuition, self-awareness, sensitivity to context, and attention. The emotional styles, which are based on an individual combination of these six dimensions, represent the way an individual adopts and responds to the world, and predicts the probability to feel certain emotions or moods. In several empirical studies, Davidson and colleagues have show that the proposed emotional styles were associated with specific neural networks and that indicators of each of the six dimensions can be detected in one or more brain structures (Davidson and Begley, 2012). In the following sections, the proposed six dimensions of emotional life are outlined in more detail.
The second dimension of emotional styles theory is resilience, which can be described as the time it takes an individual to recover from negative emotions. A highly resilient person recovers quickly from negative emotions, such as fear or sadness. In contrast, someone with a low level of resilience recovers from negative emotions more slowly and struggles with them for a longer time (Davidson and Begley, 2012). A high level of resilience is associated with a strong neuronal connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (Kim and Whalen, 2009; Davidson and McEwen, 2012). Furthermore, research suggests that low levels of resilience increase the risk of developing a depression later in life (Laird et al., 2019).
What is your emotional fingerprint? Why are some people so quick to recover from setbacks? Why are some so attuned to others that they seem psychic? Why are some people always up and others always down? In his thirty-year quest to answer these questions, pioneering neuroscientist Richard J. Davidson discovered that each of us has an Emotional Style, composed of Resilience, Outlook, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention. Where we fall on these six continuums determines our own "emotional fingerprint." Sharing Dr. Davidson's fascinating case histories and experiments, The Emotional Life of Your Brain offers a new model for treating conditions like autism and depression as it empowers us all to better understand ourselves--and live more meaningful lives. About the AuthorRichard J. Davidson is a professor and director of the W. M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Sharon Begley is the senior health and science correspondent at Reuters. She is the bestselling author of Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain.
"Whether he is measuring neural activity in the laboratory or climbing the Himalayas to meet the Dalai Lama, Davidson is an inveterate explorer who has spent a lifetime probing the deep mystery of human feeling. Don't miss this smart and lively book by the world's foremost expert on emotion and the brain."--Daniel Gilbert, Ph.D., author of Stumbling on Happiness "The Emotional Life of Your Brain is an eye-opener, replete with breakthrough research that will change the way you see yourself and everyone you know. Richard Davidson and Sharon Begley make a star team: cutting-edge findings formulated in a delightful, can't-put-it-down read. I loved this book."--Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence "What a gift from the world's leading neuroscientist who works on what makes life worth living. This is a must-read for everyone who is interested in positive psychology."--Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., author of Learned Optimism
Why do some people plod stoically through crises while others collapse? Science writer Sharon Begley and neuropsychologist Richard Davidson argue that each of us has an 'emotional style': a pattern of responses to life's events that is allied to underlying brain systems. Looking at dimensions from social intuition to context sensitivity, the authors suggest that we can achieve better equilibrium by rewiring our emotional style through research-inspired exercises.
Davidson's research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style as well as methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices. His studies have centered on people across the lifespan, from birth through old age. In addition, he has conducted studies with individuals with emotional disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography and modern genetic and epigenetic methods.
Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. Children entering adolescence are going through many changes in their bodies and brains. These include physical, intellectual, psychological and social challenges, as well as development of their own moral compass. The changes are rapid and often take place at different rates. It can be an exciting yet challenging time in the life of a teenager. Adolescence is the time when your child becomes more independent and begins to explore their identity.
The physical, hormonal and emotional changes your child experiences during adolescence may affect their self-esteem. Teenagers who develop early or late compared to their peers may be self-conscious of their bodies. Fitting in becomes ever more important to their self-esteem. Self-esteem can be complex. Some adolescents may have high self-esteem around their families but low self-esteem around their peers.
By Mika Ono Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is there a problem that's getting to be too much to handle by yourself? Just need some advice? TSRI employees, graduate students, and family members can draw on the free, confidential services of the Employee and Graduate Student Counseling Department in times of need. "I see it as a sign of strength to know when you need help," says Jan Hill, director of the service. "I encourage people to contact me sooner rather than later, while a problem is still in its early stages." Through confidential one-on-one sessions, Hill helps individuals with issues such as marriage and relationships, substance abuse, parenting issues, elder care, financial and legal difficulties, emotional concerns, stress, and job-related issues. Some people come in to talk with her once; others see her on an ongoing basis; still others are referred to resources in the community, such as support groups, child and elder care services, or financial or legal counseling. Hill notes that the concerns of individuals at TSRI reflect both the community at large and the unique characteristics of the institute. "Everything you read about in the paper, I see in my office," says Hill. "At the same time, TSRI has an unusually high-achieving population and a very mobile one, which creates its own set of pressures. "In science, you need your brain like a surgeon needs his or her hands," she says. Hill actively works to promote mental health, as well as respond to concerns. To counteract stress and foster a sense of community, she has helped launch a number of programs on campus, including: LINKS, an initiative that offers faculty, staff, and students opportunities for having fun, learning, and meeting new people while pursuing a hobby or interest. The activities under the LINKS umbrella currently include: Arts and Crafts, the Latin Dance Club, the Movie Club, ScrippsAssists, Torrey Mesa Ski Club, TSRI Softball, Soccer, Spanish Class, Scripps Outstanding Speakers Toastmasters Club, Weight Watchers, and Yoga. For more information and contacts for each of these groups, see the LINKS web page.
The Society of International Spouses, which was started with Director of the International Office Lina Quinsaat to support the spouses of international scholars, who often arrive in the area with few friends and limited English language skills. The group offers the spouses a chance to connect with each other, go on outings, hear speakers, and attend cooking classes.
Lunch & Learn Series, which brings speakers to campus on a monthly basis. Recent topics have included volunteering, safeguarding your legal interests, balancing personal and professional demands, and managing stress.
Personal Skills for Life and Work, quarterly workshops designed to assist TSRI employees in learning skills and habits that will benefit them in both their personal and professional lives.
A library of books and videos. A list of available resources, which can be signed out and returned at a later date, is posted on the department's book list page and video list page.
In addition, Hill offers career counseling and exploration, particularly for graduate students and research associates who are in the process of charting their career paths. Hill has been with Scripps for 13 years, first as part of the Scripps Health system then with TSRI, and finds her role rewarding. "It's great to be a social worker and still have the flexibility to set up preventive programs," she says. "That is a wonderful combination for me." Hill can be reached at her confidential line, x4-2950, or via e-mail, janhill@scripps.edu. Her office on the ground level of the Administrative Building, 3301 N. Torrey Pines Court, is accessible through a private entrance off the courtyard between the Administrative Building and the Conference Center. She can usually schedule an appointment within a week. Jan Hill can be reached at her confidential line, x4-2950, or via e-mail, janhill@scripps.edu. 041b061a72