How can neurofeedback help during the chaos of the holiday season?
Do you ever feel overwhelmed and exhausted around the holiday season? if so, you are not alone! According to The American Psychological Association, they found that 31% of people reported feeling more stressed during the Holiday season (2022). It is no secret that there is tons of extra pressure put on us around the holiday times. There's rushing around the packed stores, ensuring the perfect presents, and getting together with people we only see so often. Not to mention the financial stress of traveling and gift giving. What if I were to tell you there is a tool that can help people with seasonal stress, anxiety, and depression? Yep, that's right neurofeedback can do just that! Whether your anxiety is seasonal or not, neurofeedback can help you this holiday season.
What Does Stress Look Like on the Brain?
Stress can come from all types of places, emotional stress, financial stress, and even Holiday stress. Did you know that stress affects our bodies in different ways? Not only does it affect our bodies, but it also affects our brains. Studies show that when we are physically stressed we are mentally stressed too.
Stress affects the brain by altering its structure and function. Prolonged stress can shrink brain regions linked to decision-making and memory, impair neurotransmitter balance, disrupt cognitive functions, and impact emotional regulation. It may impair memory, attention, and increase irritability, mood swings, and difficulty managing emotions. Managing stress through various techniques is crucial for maintaining optimal brain health and cognitive function. Luckily, Neurofeedback can help!
What is Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, medication-free therapy that can create long-lasting positive change in individuals by addressing unbalanced patterns of electrical activity within the brain. Here at Colorado Center of Neurofeedback and Peak Performance, we help your brain with both connectivity training and amplitude training. What does this mean? We use a qEEG Brain Map to collect brain wave activity which we then process into brain maps. We can see if someone has too much or too little of a certain type of brain wave activity and see how the areas of the brain are communicating with each other. We use this information to develop a training plan specific to you. Through neurofeedback, the brain can then stabilize and become well-regulated.
How Neurofeedback can help
Neurofeedback can help people who are struggling with anxiety, stress, depression, and so much more. You may be wondering how does this help me? We design a protocol that fits your needs as an individual because we believe each person's brain is different. From here we will be able to use neurofeedback to help with any anxiety or other symptoms you are trying to address. Four specific ways that neurofeedback can help this holiday season are through stress reduction, improved self-regulation, enhanced resilience, and increased emotional regulation.
Stress Reduction: Neurofeedback aims to regulate brainwave patterns associated with stress responses. By providing individuals with real-time information about their brain activity, it helps them learn to control these patterns, potentially reducing stress levels.
Improved Self-Regulation: Neurofeedback can assist in enhancing self-regulation by teaching individuals how to modulate their brainwave activity. This skill may translate into better stress management by promoting relaxation and reducing hyperarousal states.
Enhanced Resilience: Through consistent neurofeedback sessions, individuals may develop better resilience against stressors, enabling them to respond more effectively to stressful situations.
Emotional Regulation: By training the brain to achieve certain states associated with relaxation or focus, neurofeedback might contribute to better emotional regulation, potentially reducing the impact of stress on emotional health.
Contact us
Talk with one of our board-certified neurotherapists here in the Denver Metro area and Evergreen. If you or someone you know is struggling with stress or anxiety, schedule a free consultation to discuss a treatment plan that is right for you. Feel free to give us a call at (720) 531-0265 for our Wheat Ridge office, or (303) 670-3931 for our Evergreen office. Let's create a stress-free season together.
Reference
As the holiday season begins, America’s stress rises, but less about COVID-19. Psychiatry.org - As Holiday Season Begins, America’s Stress Rises, But Less About COVID-19. (2022, December 1). https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/as-holiday-season-begins-americas-stress-rises#:~:text=31%25%20of%20adults%20say%20they,securing%20holiday%20gifts%20(37%25).