Introduction to Neuroscience for Coaches
Transcript of Introduction to Neuroscience for Coaches
Top 10 Applications of Neuroscience for Coaches
1. Empower clients with brain awareness: Hand Brain Model 2. Create a brain fit for purpose: Clarify, Design, Shape Model3. Healthy, supportive, resilient: The Brain Care Package4. Raise awareness of Threat & Reward Responses5. Cultivate Trust6. Explore client’s Connectivity7. Find Flow8. Hot or Cold Network activation9. Nudge generously10. Intentionally Direct Attention
! Famously!known!as!the!‘stress!hormone’!because!it!is!released!in!response!to!stress.!
! Involved!in!how!we!think!and!behave!and!our!feelings!of!motivation,!reward!and!attention.!
! Involved!in!social!behavior,!increasing!trust,!decreasing!fear,!increasing!generosity!and!also!
cognitive!functions.!
! Best&known!for!its!role!in!the!fight&or!flight!response.!
! Important!for!mood!regulation,!appetite,!sleep,!memory!and!learning.!
Prefrontal Cortex
Hypothalamus
Amygdala
Prefrontal Basal Ganglia
! Affectionately!thought!of!as!the!CEO!of!conductor!of!the!brain!responsible!for!a!lot!of!higher8level!cognitive!functions,!including!attention!and!processing.!
! Key!to!storing!routines,!repetitive!behaviors!and!thoughts!–!the!home!of!habits.!
! Known!for!being!part!of!the!limbic!system!that!is!heavily!involved!in!regulating!our!emotional!life.!
! Responsible!for!various!metabolic!processes!and!synthesizing!and!secreting!neurohormones.!
Insular Cortex Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Hippocampus Striatum & Nucleus Accumbens
! Involved!in!pleasure,!reward,!motivation,!reinforcement!learning,!fear!and!impulsivity.!
! Enables!us!a!degree!of!awareness!and!is!involved!in!our!ability!to!be!‘in!tune’!with!ourselves.!
! Primarily!responsible!for!conflict!or!error!detection.!
! Has!roles!in!the!consolidation!of!information!from!short1!to!long1term!memory.!
Threat Response
• Unfairness
• Lack of control
• Confidence being challenged
• Uncertainty
What activates the Threat Response?
Threat response
• Decreased immunity• Impairs learning• Affects memory
Cortisol release
Impairs: • Creative insight• Analytic thinking• Problem solving
Amygdala -> ACC -> Frontal lobes
Decreased efficiency, effectiveness, productivity
Uses up Oxygen & Glucose
Decreases working memory capacity
Reward ResponseWhat activates the Reward Response?
• Celebration
• Control
• Confidence
• Certainty
• Contribution
• Connection
Reward response
Engagement •Do difficult things• Take risks• Think deeply
Dopamine release
Links to positive emotions:
• Happiness• Joy• Desire
VTA + NA + Reward network
Focus, attention, reinforcing behaviour, increase productivity
Perceive more options when problem
solving
Reward ResponseWhy is it brilliant?
• Reinforces behaviour • Increases absorption
• Increases processing capacity
• Helps memories form
Neuroscience of Flow
Needed for flow: 1. Intensely focused attention2. Clear goals3. Immediate feedback4. Challenge / skills ratio5. Sense of control6. Rich environment
•An intense and focused concentration on the present moment
•The merging of actions and awareness
•A loss of reflective self-consciousness
•A sense of personal control over the situation
•Temporal distortion (normally time slowing down)
•The experience is intrinsically rewarding.
Neuroscience of Flow
Rapid attentional set shifting
DopamineCognitive efficiency, creativity
MindfulnessNeuroplasticity
Hypnosis
Oxytocin
Lactating letdown reflexUterine contraction
Wound healingAutism
Feeling contentReduce anxiety
Feeling calmFeeling secure
Increasing trustDecreasing fear
Increase generosity
• Involved in Trust
• Involved in Connection
• Increases generosity
• Reduces cortisol levels & anxiety
• Improves team-work
• Increases ability to infer emotional state of others
• Feels more calm, content, secure
Oxytocin
• Laugh
• Find opportunities to Contribute
• Have a walking meeting
• Listening to calming music
• Invest in social interaction time
• Physical contact (Hug, handshake, massage)Verbal massage
• Give people your full attention (and be empathetic)• Metta meditation• Demonstrate trust (feeling trusted makes us more
trustworthy)
Oxytocin
Decision Making
The somatic marker hypothesis proposes that decision-making is a process that depends on emotion and that both the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex are parts of a neural circuit critical for judgment and decision making.
Two Cognitive Systems
Automatic Reflective
Uncontrolled Controlled
Effortless Effortful
Associative Deductive
Fast Slow
Unconscious Self-aware
Skilled Rule-following
System 1Hot
System AEmotional
System 2Cold
System BDeliberative