#caroline leaf

The Sabbath in the Brain “In fact, when we don’t frequently slow down and enter this rest state, this Sabbath in the brain, we disrupt natural functions in the brain. Research shows that when we don’t engage in this disciplined and focused self-reflective pattern of thinking that activates the DMN, we may experience negative self-esteem, depression, worry, anxiety, and health issues, and over-focus on generalized and short-term memory issues. We may get stuck, unable to cope, and have a tendency to focus on the problem and not the solution. In fact, as things go wrong in the processing of information in the default mode network, the mishandled data is passed on to other networks in the brain where it creates additional problems. These additional problems can be experienced as memory issues, cloudy and fuzzy thinking, anxiety, depression, and many other manifestations including neuropsychiatric disorders.

Conflict can be a way to deepen intimacy; we shouldn’t be afraid of it in a relationship. The key is to create conflict that is filled with curiosity and understanding—something that is an invitation to growth and does not lead to suppression or avoidance. The relationship should be a platform for exploration and expansion, one that can embrace different truths at the same time, even if they are in conflict.