Blackwell Mental Performance

Blackwell Mental Performance Are you ready to break through your mental barriers to reach your full potential?

Not familiar with this concept at all😳Anyone else not familiar with this?😉😉Currently, this one word sums up my relations...
07/30/2022

Not familiar with this concept at all😳
Anyone else not familiar with this?😉😉

Currently, this one word sums up my relationship with Instagram.

What starts as a post idea, turns into a daydream and then I get lost cause 🐿
and then rabbit hole down researching something that came up somewhere along the way and no post ends up getting created.

I’ve noticed this concept comes up in different parts of my life when I am being challenged to do something new and step out of my comfort zone. Its time though

A break in the rain long enough to enjoy a day out and recharge the soul
06/14/2022

A break in the rain long enough to enjoy a day out and recharge the soul

The Faux Window of ToleranceMy last post was about our window of tolerance- our optimal zone of arousal to function and ...
12/13/2021

The Faux Window of Tolerance

My last post was about our window of tolerance- our optimal zone of arousal to function and deal with stress. When your nervous system becomes dysregulated it can take you outside of your window. What our system deems safe or dangerous is unique to the individual and shaped by past experiences. So what happens then if you are constantly in a prolonged situation that your system perceives as dangerous?

Something I noticed when I first started working with the military was the difficulty returning home after deployments, specifically having a hard time with down time. Paradoxically, it seemed more stressful and uncomfortable trying to relax then it was to keep up the fast pace.

When you are in a chronic state of hyperarousal or hypoarousal due to danger and there is no ability to self-regulate (feeling a felt sense of internal safety) there is no window of tolerance. A faux window is created to cope with the sense of danger, and it becomes our safe haven. We create a false sense of safety. This is when danger becomes the safe place and safety feels dangerous.

What can you do? This is why working on deconditioning your nervous system is so important for military, especially those in special operations forces. Some techniques include processing the negative experiences stored in the body and brain using brainspotting, breathing techniques, Safe and Sound Protocol, biofeedback, neurofeedback and audio visual entrainment to recalibrate the system. Ideally, you’d be doing these things between deployments and/or training exercises so your system can recover before you go back out and add more dysregulation.

How amazing would it be to actually be relaxed when you are trying to relax? Getting dysregulated happens. It’s unavoidable. Create a plan so you can bounce back and recover from dysregulation so your high performance lifestyle is more sustainable. Let me help!

Window of Tolerance Developed by Dan Siegel, the window of tolerance describes the best “span of arousal within which a ...
12/11/2021

Window of Tolerance

Developed by Dan Siegel, the window of tolerance describes the best “span of arousal within which a system can maintain the harmonious and adaptive flow.”

What does this mean? We all have a window of tolerance which is our optimal zone of arousal to function and deal with daily stress. If you’re in your window, you feel like you can deal with whatever is happening in your life. You still feel pressure and stress but it’s not bothering you too much and feels manageable. Ideally your window is wide, so you can cope with life’s challenges without becoming dysregulated.

Chronic stress, injuries and/or trauma can make it more difficult to regulate your emotions and your widow becomes very narrow. When your optimal zone of arousal is narrow, it doesn’t take much to throw you off.

Dysregulation happens when you go outside of your window. This is when our defenses kick in and you become either hyperaroused or hypoaroused.

Hyperarousal (fight/flight) is an excessive activation/energy. It’s when your nervous system goes on high alert and you might experience anxiety, fear, panic, hypervigilance, muscle tension or anger.

Hypoarousal (freeze, collapse) is not enough arousal/energy because of overload and overwhelm to the nervous system. Here you might experience feeling disconnected, depressed, numbness, low energy, or dissociation.

If you find yourself out of the window, you can use breathing, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, grounding, tai chi, exercise (hyperaroused) or movement (hypoaroused), co regulating with someone you trust who is not dysregulated or any other POSITIVE coping skill you’ve developed that helps you feel grounded.

If you aren’t sure how to self-regulate or what works best for you, this is something I can help with! Shoot me a DM or email and we can set up a time to chat!

Images from www.mindmypeelings.com

VAGUS BABY!The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves serving as the body’s ...
12/10/2021

VAGUS BABY!
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves serving as the body’s superhighway, carrying information between the brain and internal organs. It links the brainstem to the heart, lungs and gut.

The long wandering nerve has multiple branches that interact with the pharynx, larynx, heart, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, liver, spleen, gallbladder, and kidneys. It plays a role in functions like heart rate, digestion, excretion and even plays a role in taste, swallowing and speech. Polyvagal theory (last post) recognizes that both branches of the vagus nerve calm the body but in different ways.

The ventral branch affects body functioning above the diaphragm. When we are in the ventral branch of the parasympathetic, we are socially engaged also referred to as “rest and digest.” In this state we feel grounded, safe, and able to connect with others.

The dorsal vagal branch affects the body below the diaphragm and is involved with digestive issues. When we are in dorsal vagal, we are in the freeze response and shut down, become immobile or dissociate. This might look like low energy, feeling depressed, not wanting to socialize, feeling numb and disconnected from our body.

Luckily, you can activate your vagus nerve. By stimulating the vagus nerve *regularly* you are increasing vagal tone by sending the message that it’s time to relax.


Polyvagal Theory from Dr Stephen Porges, identifies three autonomic nervous system (ANS) reaction patterns, which are ac...
12/08/2021

Polyvagal Theory from Dr Stephen Porges, identifies three autonomic nervous system (ANS) reaction patterns, which are activated in a specific order.

Our ANS is our personal alarm system, scanning our environment and experiences making sure we are safe. The goal is survival and it alerts us to any perceived danger. This scanning is going on constantly and happens outside of our awareness.

The ANS has 2 main branches: sympathetic, parasympathetic.

The sympathetic branch is found in the middle part of the spinal cord. It prepares us for action, responding to danger cues, releasing adrenaline and fueling the “fight or flight” response.

The parasympathetic branch has two pathways and is found in the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve starts from the brain stem and travels in two directions. Going upward connecting the nerves with the neck, throat, eyes and ears and downward through the heart, lungs, diaphragm and stomach. The two parts of the vagus are ventral vagal and dorsal vagal. Ventral vagal responds to cues of safety and connection while dorsal vagal responds to cues of extreme danger, taking us out of connection and into a protective state of collapse (freeze response).

Understanding the fight/flight/freeze states and recognizing when you are in them gives you insight into what’s going on in your body so you can apply the tools that will be the most beneficial in helping you shift states.

Can’t stop, won’t stop.
12/07/2021

Can’t stop, won’t stop.

Sitting here trying to put down all my knowledge/thoughts on paper so I can create content to post and eventually a cour...
12/03/2021

Sitting here trying to put down all my knowledge/thoughts on paper so I can create content to post and eventually a course. I find myself instead going down rabbit holes, researching further about all things I love🤣🤣🤷🏼‍♀️
Then I came across this quote and had to share

🤓

UPDATE AND ORIGIN STORY It’s official! I no longer offer counseling services; my focus will be mental performance coachi...
11/08/2021

UPDATE AND ORIGIN STORY
 
It’s official! I no longer offer counseling services; my focus will be mental performance coaching.
 
My origin story
Three years ago, I quite my job to start my own mental performance coaching practice. Two weeks after my last day I found an office and started figuring things out. Two weeks after that, we were under mandatory evacuation due to hurricane Florence.  While evacuated, I had my first website built, had the headshots on the website done, decided on my business name and got my logo. 
 
Due to some incorrect information, I set my practice up as a PLLC. I didn’t know it at the time but that actually prevented me from being able to offer coaching on my website and under the business I created.

After the hurricane it took months to get up and going. Then my husband deployed to Iraq adding a new level of challenge. Two months after he got home, COVID hit and I had no idea what was going to happen. I was able to build my business back up again, only to find out we would be moving to Japan. After the move I filed the paperwork to amend my business structure so I could keep the name and logo that I love so much, and it was approved. I know you aren’t supposed to get so attached but man, we’ve been through so much together and I worked my ass off for it. 
 
I definitely took the long road to get where I am today, but I am now officially Blackwell Mental Performance, LLC and can advertise coaching under that name. 
 

Despite the challenges, I don’t regret any of it. I operate totally different today then when I originally set out due to these experiences.

For anyone who needs to hear this: Your goals may seem impossible; you may want to quit from time to time. You will make mistakes. You might not have clarity, or it might not look like what you expected. It may take waaaayyyy longer than you imagined. You might question your decisions or why you are even doing this when it’s so hard…
 
KEEP GOING! You got this!!

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