Buddhism has the middle way. There's a saying, "Everything in moderation." The fable of Goldilocks and the Three Bears involves three choices where "the first is wrong in one way, the second in another or opposite way, and only the third, in the middle, is just right."
So it isn't surprising that, according to a recent article in New Scientist, Take control of your brain's master switch to optimize how you think, the human brain has three gears that are coordinated by a small bundle of cells called the locus coeruleus, Latin for 'blue dot."
Download Take control of your brain's master switch to optimise how you think | New Scientist
This research has now reached a critical mass, with multiple scientific papers calling for a greater appreciation of the locus coeruleus. Of particular interest is the discovery that it has four different modes of activity, each with distinct effects on our thinking and behaviour. It is this that led Storoni to describe the blue dot as the brain’s “gear system” in her new book Hyperefficient: Optimise your brain to transform the way you work.
According to this metaphor, Gear 0 is the state of the locus coeruleus when you are asleep. It is almost completely silent at this point, apart from transient bursts of activity that seem to enhance the long-term storage of memories.
,,,Once we awaken, the locus coeruleus moves into Gear 1 – a low hum of baseline activity. The noradrenaline eases the brain into consciousness, but it is a state of low arousal. As a result, sharp focus is lacking and we may be prone to mind-wandering.
As levels of noradrenaline increase, communication across the different regions of the brain becomes easier. Neurons in the prefrontal cortex, the area typically associated with self-control and abstract reasoning, respond first because they are sensitive to low levels of noradrenaline. Crucially, the hum of activity in the locus coeruleus is now accompanied by spikes of noradrenaline released in response to relevant stimuli.
This combination of moderate baseline activity and short-lived bursts of neurotransmitter release is characteristic of Gear 2 and allows the brain to process new information more efficiently. If they are large enough, these spikes can trigger a “network reset” – a shift in focus to new and important information – which is essential for flexible thinking. “It reorganises the forebrain, precisely at the moment when you need to switch your attention and adapt your behaviour,” says Sara.
Problems may arise when the hum turns to a roar. This is what happens in Gear 3. Here, high levels of noradrenaline streaming from the locus coeruleus can activate areas of the brain associated with emotional processing. These tend to have receptors that respond only when concentrations of the neurotransmitter have reached a higher threshold.
This can lead to the fight-or-flight response – useful if we are in danger and need to be hyperalert. Unfortunately, many situations that don’t involve danger, such as pressure at work, can also put the locus coeruleus into its top gear. We may then feel overwhelmed when what we need is greater focus.
In people with anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, the locus coeruleus may become too easily locked into the high-arousal mode of Gear 3. “We know that there is increasing release of norepinephrine, both in wakefulness and sleep, in patients suffering from PTSD,” says Sara.
...Given these findings, many neuroscientists now consider moderate locus coeruleus activity – that is, Gear 2 – to be key to optimum cognitive performance, a sweet spot between dreamy and frantic. “It’s when the prefrontal cortex is completely engaged and working at its best,” says Storoni.
So how do we get our brain to spend more time in Gear 2, which is associated with the pleasant "flow state" marked by being totally engaged in a task and losing track of time? The article contains some tips.
Flow occurs when you engage in an activity that is just challenging enough for you. So choosing the right task difficulty may be one way to change mental gears and harness the power of the locus coeruleus. Shine also points to evidence that practices like meditation can enhance overall focus and emotional regulation. “I think of it as a way of training the arousal system – which the locus coeruleus is a part of – so that you have much more conscious control in everyday life,” he says.
Another strategy is to make the most of the mind-body connection. Storoni says the locus coeruleus has a direct relationship with the autonomic nervous system, which regulates things like our heart rate and breathing. This means physical movement can influence its gearing. For instance, light exercise – such as a brisk walk – in the early morning can move us from Gear 1 to Gear 2. To wind down from Gear 3, meanwhile, we might engage in yoga and controlled breathing.
...We might also reconsider the way we manage our work. Monotonous or boring tasks can shift us down into Gear 1, for example, so that we lose focus and begin daydreaming. Here, the solution involves increasing mental load. “Perhaps by doing something in parallel, a form of multitasking,” says Storoni. Listening to music is one option, but sometimes you may need something that requires more concentration, such as an audiobook. With intense work, we face the opposite problem: the brain can only spend so much time in Gear 2 before it starts feeling fatigue. That’s why we should arrange regular breaks.
...But simply knowing about your brain’s gears can make a difference. The key is self awareness: noting when your brain is under- or overstimulated and adapting your behaviour appropriately. It may have taken more than two centuries, but it is time we all learned to respect our little blue dot.
Recent Comments