Mindfulness, meditation, and  breath awareness.  Is this all a big fad or can you actually gain a cognitive edge from sitting for 15-20 minutes each day focusing on the breath? A recent study published in Science Daily states even after 4 days of 20 minute breath awareness exercises, cognitive improvement can be measured.   Furthermore, Daniel Seigel and others have linked mindful practices to the building the middle prefrontal cortex area of the brain, the area that integrates cortical, limbic, brainstem, somatic and social input.  In short, the middle prefrontal region of the brain, when developed and strengthened like a muscle, can create a state of self-awareness that allows one to navigate the river of thought and experience without getting stuck in the banks of  either rigidity (too much judgment) or chaos (too much perception).  This notion of modulated balance between perception and judgment has significant implications for MBTI practitioners who use the awareness of the 4  functions (dominant, auxiliary, tertiary and inferior) to coach clients using the MBTI model.

In breath awareness exercises, one is instructed to find on the breath first at the level of the nostrils, moving to the chest and finally deep within the abdomen.  After fully identifying all components of the breath,  finding the place where the breath is felt most naturally is the next step.  Breath awareness exercises are not relaxation exercises, they train the mind to be focused.  When the mind starts to wander as it invariably will do, it is important to take note of that and gently refocus without judgment. From my own personal experience as an ENFP doing these exercises, I am amazed at how many thoughts dart through my head as I attempt to focus on the breath.  Anyone who shares intuition as the dominant function can probably relate to how difficult it can be to maintain focus and follow through on a given task or maintain a topic of conversation  when connections, patterns, and new ideas are emerging, competing for cognitive primacy.  The key is to be aware of what the mind is doing then gently redirect thought within the cognitive system. In my own experience with meditation, I have improved my focus as well as developed an awareness of when I need to to stop generating options and perspectives and use my auxiliary function, feeling, to craft a course of action.  In addition, as my ability to self-monitor my thoughts and judgments has improved, so has my ability to successfully access my tertiary and inferior functions.   This self-awareness assists in creating an elegant shift among the 4 functions all brought about by the strengthening  the prefrontal cortex area of the brain, the area that directs energy and thought throughout the rest of the human brain.

What if someone has a judging function as the dominant function?  Can an ESTJ use meditation to navigate the river of thought and experience?   The answer is yes because meditation is strengthening the fibers of  the brain where self-monitoring  and behavior modulation take place,  not the functions of either judgment or perception.  To use an analogy, it is like tuning up the transmission of a car allowing for improved shifting among the 4 functions.  Whereas excessive perceptive can create chaos in the mind, rigidity is the result of too much judgment.  So, taking the example of an ESTJ, who may be quick to render a judgment,  balance can be achieved by consciously shifting into the fact gathering mode.  In fact, one can go to any area of brain more easily if self-awareness and the ability to redirect cognitive activity is present through a well-developed prefrontal cortex.

Meditation can be tricky.  Many people are turned off by it because it feels like a waste of time. Others are frustrated because they don’t think they are “doing it right.” My first round with mindfulness and meditation was  when I took an 8-week course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in the model of Jon Kabat-Zinn. This had many components including 45-minute body scans, sitting meditations, and mindful yoga.   Dr. Kabat-Zinn has been on the cutting edge of mindful meditation and I respect his work.  However, for a less time consuming,  day to day application of meditation, especially if you want to try it as an enhancement to your Myers-Briggs coaching model,  I highly recommend a simple breath awareness meditation.

*For more information on a good place to start this meditation practice, please see my article entitled “Breath Awareness Meditation” at annholm.net

The first Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, also known as Step I, was an instrument to identify individuals who have similar preferences leading to an assigned personality type.  The terms INFJ, or ESFP are well-known to many individuals.  However, even as these general tendencies could be validated, it was still clear that certain people within a type could have out of preference characteristics. An example would be a “QUESTIONING ENFP,  with “questioning”  normally being a facet associated with a thinking preference .”    It is true that the  ENFP personality type tends to be accommodating valuing harmony above all versus finding flaws in both their own and others’ viewpoints.    However, some ENFPs may develop this as a result of living with questioning thinking types or as a skill that is required at a job.   There are 20 such variations known as facet poles (5 for each dichotomy) that are possible  and they are identified in the MBTI Step II (or Form Q instrument).   A client’s development of Step II facets in response to environmental demands may give the client the impression that their type has changed.

As an MBTI practitioner, I noticed these variations and apparent changes in reported personality type.    However, what  would explain this if our innate preferences for introversion-extraversion,  sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving were supposedly hard-wired?   I stumbled upon what I consider  to be the best brain-based explanation of this phenomenon when at a recent conference on neuroplasticity, or the notion that mental experiences and mindfulness can change the structure and function of the brain. This is what made the explanation so compelling:

1.  In order for neuroplastic change to take place,  some sort of dampening down of the usual mind map has to take place.  So for example, if you were going to learn a new language, you would have to eliminate as much use of the  native language so the new language can build resilient neuro-connections in the brain.   The brain doesn’t like competing stimuli. That is why language immersion programs seem to work. Similarly, if you were relying on your sense of touch to get around in a dark room, you would immediately switch to your preferred mode of sight to get around if the light switch was turned on.  In other words,  the preferences that were present  first take precedence but if they are greatly attenuated, then new pathways can develop.   Likewise, an ENFP whose natural preference is to be casual about schedules, may in fact develop a more scheduled approach as a result of working in an environment that demands a more structured day.  However, if the ENFP ultimately left that structured environment, it is likely she would be comfortable with her natural preference for a  relaxed schedule once again.  When I discuss these type variations with clients, they often say, “I HAD to do it that way at work” or “my family was that way.”

2. Also, a deliberate development of a non-preferred facet can also bring about a resilient change in the brain.  For example, one of the facets of extraversion is “expressive” versus it’s opposite which is “contained”.  Basically, this is the “chatty” facet and it describes an individual who talks often but who may not be aware that certain situations call for a more contained approach or  more listening and less talking.  A deliberate or mindful monitoring of behavior can create a self-awareness that one has to talk less and over time, a resilient change in the brain can take place.   Another example would be a natural introvert learning to extravert in many situations so much that at times, it may even feel like a natural preference.  In the neuroplasticity seminar,  examples were given where a mindful, deliberate approach was shown to alleviate symptoms of a host of mental disturbances.  Either through self-driven intent or the therapeutic guidance, the brain can adapt to the demands placed upon it.

So why is this significant?  For one, you may natural preferences (of innate tendencies) that are not fully utilized or have been suppressed that can be tapped into now which can bring about a more fully functioning self.   Or, you may have facets of your personality that you would like to modify so that you don’t fall into the same bad patterns time and time again.  The elegance of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instruments is that it is a dynamic system that acknowledges and encourages an individual to change as a part of healthy type development (even as one’s  basic type theoretically does not change). There is emerging evidence from the neuroplasticity studies that either the environment or deliberate intention can indeed bring about these changes.   As a life coach, this is very good news indeed!

Last week, I attended the conference,  The Mind That Changes the Brain

A few things to keep in mind when doing this exercise:

1. Meditation is a a mind training exercise.  It is not a relaxation exercise.  Even though you are still, your mind is active.

2. The mind gets distracted.  That is what minds do.  If you find your mind is losing focus on the breath, gently and without judgment, redirect it to the breath.

3. You will learn how to recognize when your mind is chaotic, judgmental, and  distracted and with Breath Awareness Practice, you will learn how to redirect your attention to a task.

One of the drawbacks I have had to other mindfulness exercises is that they are time-consuming.  If you do this one twice per day, it is only 20 minutes out of your day and the benefits are enormous. Another way to adapt this exercise so it reaches the prescribed 20 minutes per day is to set a timer to go 10 or more minutes past the end of the recorded meditation. Currently I use no guided practice such as the one suggested in the aforementioned link.  Instead, I use a meditation timer for the full 20 minutes.  If I miss a few days, however,  I revisit the guided practice link just to create focus then resume my independent practice after that.

Every psychological type has both strengths and developmental challenges.  For example, an ENFP type is full of creative ideas and schemes but is also prone to losing focus and follow through once the newness has worn off.  An INFJ  may be able to mediate complex interactions among individuals but at the same time, be reluctant to intrude upon others and thus keep too much to himself.    Why isn’t  it enough to implore the ENFP to “just do it” or to encourage the INFJ to just share what he is thinking?

It is natural for an ENFP to want to move on to the next challenge because her dominant function is extraverted intuition.   Her brain is excited by new ideas, patterns, and insights. This is her default mode similar to the default settings on the computer. In the absence of a deliberate effort to bypass this natural tendency, she will enthusiastically jump from one intriguing curiosity to the next.  She may be aware that she has to finish a given activity in order to meet a stated goal.   However, the key to accomplishing this is an effective strategy to help her manage a natural tendency.

Perhaps she learns to write down ideas as they pop into her head rather than immediately following her nose to satisfy her curiosity.  With the advent of Google, it’s easy to get sidetracked by wanting to know something right now rather than later on.  Or maybe there is some mundane task like writing the bills that she often ignores in favor of a more exciting task.   Maybe she has has to take them to a coffee shop to work on them so she can be around people but not be distracted by other more intriguing stimuli in her home.

What about the INFJ who won’t share what is on his mind?  Maybe he needs to remind himself that many people he will be sharing his thoughts with are not as sensitive as he is so he can afford to be a little more forthright.  Or, he can capitalize on his effective writing skills by putting his thoughts into a letter or, using a journal to formulate what he is going to say so he is fully prepared to speak his mind.  He needs a strategy that goes beyond the goal that he will “speak up more often in meetings”, for example. He needs to know how he can do this without creating so much anxiety that he avoids it altogether.

Effective coaching has 3 main components:  1. Increased self-awareness.   2.Goal setting and identification of activities leading to those goals.  3.Strategies that will increase the likelihood that those goals will be successfully met.   Awareness of psychological type through the use of the MBTI instruments can provide needed insight on how these strategies are formulated.

The videotape featured an in-house program for individuals with severe brain injury.  Not only that, these clients were “bad dudes.” In other words, even before they suffered a brain injury, they had engaged in all kinds of high-risk behaviors and were generally impulsive, hot-tempered,  erratic,and frequently in trouble with the law. In addition, most head injuries involve some damage to the pre-frontal cortex which modulates these behaviors in the first place.   In traditional therapy, it was thought that since the pre-frontal cortex was damaged, rigid, external structure was needed to bring about cooperative behavior.   However, all of the rules and restrictions actually made these guys worse.  Why?  The missing element was collaboration.

For example,  one man refused to eat.  It wasn’t that he wasn’t hungry, but he had trouble initiating behavior (In fact, it can often take a brain injured client an entire day to get into the shower despite the fact that he knows he needs one badly).  Forcing this man to go to the dining hall only resulted in combative behavior. However, through active collaboration with the patient,  a solution was found.  The therapist, the patient, and 3 of his peers decided on the plan of action.  Would you like someone to come and get you to eat?  Who? What time should he come?  What should he do if you refuse to come?  All of this seems so simple but in example after example, the power of collaborative solutions was demonstrated even with very impaired, very bad dudes!

Collaboration works because it makes the client do some of the work. The brain builds neural connections in response to whatever stimuli it encounters.  If someone has to actively process a problem and come up with solutions, not only is that person more inclined to act on that solution because he came up with it, he will also gain competency for further problems he might encounter.  Whether the situation is coaching, parenting, counseling, or solving a conflict, the more active someone is in finding a solution, the more likely it is that they will follow through and also learn.   The role of the supporting party is to provide options, propose strategies, and offer guidance in evaluating the solution set.  Foisting rigid structures and forcing someone to see the matter your way do little to ensure compliance or good judgment the next time around.

The rediscovery of this videotape was a great find for me! What was particularly rewarding  was the notion that in all of the roles I have played in life, this has been one of my “bread and butter” strategies.  As a parent,  speech pathologist/cognitive specialist and now a life coach,  the power of collaboration has been a common thread.  Sometimes you want to cringe when it doesn’t go smoothly at first but my position is that you end up with a more resilient improvement in the end.  My role as a coach is to provide support and let the brain do it’s work!

March is Brain Awareness Month so the bookstore was overflowing with intriguing selections for me to take on vacation.   I have a lifelong passion for brains.  How do they work? What happens when they are broken? How do you get the most out of your brain?  For instance, I am intrigued by the notion that many of the behavioral observations that have been made about the brain, behavior, cognition, and personality over the course of thousands of years can now be confirmed through imaging techniques such as the fMRI or the PET scan.  Indeed, there is no better time than now to learn about the brain, appreciate individual differences, and to be wowed by it’s wonders.

The first book I read was The Edison Gene/ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child by Thon Hartmann (By clicking the link, you can also read the American Psychiatric Institute’s review  of the book).  There is ongoing controversy as to whether ADHD is a real disorder or if it is the gift of creativity and adaptability in it’s highest form.  Thomas Edison, left school after only 3 months of formal education and was labeled, “a problem child, stupid and difficult” by his teachers.  He set his father’s barn on fire to see what would happen.  He laid on goose eggs to see if he could hatch them.  His mother had to move his laboratory into the basement for fear that he would blow up the house.  Of course, without Thomas Edison, there would be no light bulbs, no phonographs, and no motion pictures among other critical inventions.   The author makes the case that medicating or trying to “break”  the highly creative types like Edison, our society would not move forward.    As I read the book, I imagined the Thomas Edison types to be intuitive- thinking-perceiving types  ( ENTP  and the INTP) using the Myers-Briggs terminology.  Another parallel terms would be right brain thinking (holistic, random, intuitive and a “could be” focus) versus left brain thinking (linear, sequential, concrete,and a “what is” focus).

I agree with the author’s assertion that people are wired differently and are therefore more adept at various tasks.   Some individuals tend to remain open to changes in incoming data and adapt accordingly while others prefer structure, organization and consistency. Neither style of thinking is superior to the other.  It depends on the task at hand.  I was glad to read that while the author felt that “Edison child”  is often undervalued especially in traditional school settings, he also acknowledged the need for support and structure for these children.   Even though Thomas Edison was booted out of school after only 3 months, his mother continued to shape and encourage him throughout his formative years.   Except for the occasional political undertones in the book which detracted from the author’s central message, the book was worth the read.

The next book I read was Snoop by Sam Gosling.   The general premise of this book is that you can make reasonably accurate guesses about an individual’s personality just by observing the behaviors and possessions of an individual such as  how he shakes hands, where he places a tattoo or what he keeps in his personal space.  Gosling prefers to use the Big Five personality categories as his descriptive measurement of personality.  These broad categories include: openess (to new ideas and experiences), conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.    There are several interesting examples in the book and in fact, I found myself trying to think like Sam Gosling for a day at the beach.  I thought of myself carting around a bag of books and largely spending the week by myself.  Would Dr. Gosling have concluded that I was introverted?  Maybe, but he would have been dead wrong.  I am quite extroverted but since I was traveling with college students and I didn’t want to interfere with their vacation mojo,  I kept to myself.  However, perhaps if Dr. Gosling was looking very closely, he would have noticed that I had my cell phone by my side the whole time and I was texting and facebooking  almost as much as I was reading! In addition, reading this book made analyzing the tattoos on the beach an interesting exercise.   There were tattoos everywhere and it seemed like the Canadians who were at the resort were particularly enthralled with them.  In any event, it was an interesting book and another way to look at human behavior and personality. Even though I use the Myers-Briggs system, there are other ways to understand the human psyche that are also effective and make people watching an excellent pastime.

The last book was Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This book describes “Flow” or the effortless actions that occurs when individuals experience flashes of intense living against the dull background of daily life.  Athletes call this the “zone”.  It can also be described as ecstacy and and aesthetic rapture in other endeavors.  It is  a sense of timelessness that occurs when one is engaged in deep concentration in a purposeful activity. The way this was measured was by using the author’s Experience Sampling Method (ESM).  Individuals were provided with a journal and an alarm. When the alarm went off, the subject recorded what he was doing and then rated the experience on the following variables: concentration, motivation, happiness, and self-esteem  Activities that were associated with flow were satisfying work or study, hobbies, sports, talking and socializing. Some activities that rarely resulted in flow were watching TV and housework or general maintenance activities.  Ironically, flow often occurs when driving an automobile. Flow occurs most often when the level of challenge and a high skill level merge into one experience. It is not the same as happiness for happiness is what ensues after a flow experience.

The book goes on to describe the autotelic personality , which is a type of mindset wherein an individual sets specific goals or identifies purposeful activities and then enjoys achieving them.  There is no one that is fully autoletic but the author urges the reader to notice his own behavior and pattern of flow and seek to create situations that create the opportunity for flow. He also cautions against self-rumination and the negative feelings and outcomes associated with that mindset.   It is aslo clear that one cannot pursue “flow” for it’s own sake.  The goal and the purpose are identified and if successfully navigated, flow is experienced. One way to kill flow would be to have no opportunity to identify and pursue your own goals and interests.  I harken back to the Edison gene child, discussed earlier. How frustrating it must be to have individuals try to “break” your will or spirit rather than try to encourage or guide it into something powerful. There is no flow in the absence of self-determination of purpose and goals!

Up next: A review of  Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl and the Mindful Brain by Daniel Siegel.

There are many reasons why an individual embarks on reinventing himself.  In today’s economy, some people are forced to make that change due to a job loss. Others may be dissatisfied because they are performing  jobs that are not tapping into their greatest strengths. Sometimes money and compensation is the issue.  Other times, there is a restlessness that must be addressed.   No matter what the reason, in most cases, there are 3 major stages that you visit and re-visit once you decide to reinvent yourself.

Stage 1:  This is the discovery stage.  Usually you have a vague notion that you want to or must do something different.  Perhaps you research ideas on the internet or you read books to try to zero in on a set of possibilities.  This is a dreamer’s stage and it is full of energy and possibilities.  You don’t need much motivation at this stage because it seems to drive itself.  Often this stage is accompanied by taking a few steps in the direction of  that dream.  The first thing I did was research coaching schools and when I found one that I liked, I enrolled.  It was really exciting to go through the first few rounds of classes but then when I started to notice it wasn’t an exact fit for me, I passed into stage 2.

Stage 2:  This is the stage of self-doubt or your a reality check.  You discover that your dream isn’t a perfectly carved path and that you might need to make some adjustments.  In my case, I chose to add to my skill set with other tools such as learning the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instruments.   I leaned heavily on my best friend and coach who gave me useful feedback and encouragement when the vision got murky.  There were several exciting moments when I felt like the dreamer again and everything was new and exciting.  I had a new scheme to try!   However, that was usually followed by another reality check. I had to learn to refine my vision or simply  be patient.  I even had  to be willing to take feedback (Ugh!).  An individual can get discouraged when going  back and forth between the dreamer and the reality check stages without realizing that it is actually a proving ground for resilience and stability in your new role.   You have to spend some time going among several dreams and reality checks in order to thrive in the final stage of self-invention.

Stage 3: The final stage is the stage of confidence or momentum. Here some of the groundwork you have laid is finally beginning to pay-off.    Perhaps you receive a referral from someone who was present during one of your free seminars that you gave months ago.  Maybe you made an impression on someone that you didn’t even know was listening.  You know you have arrived when there is no longer an inertia that you have to overcome every time you set out to achieve your goals. You sense momentum and your confidence builds as a result.   Certainly there will be more reality checks and occasionally you might even start to dream of something altogether new again. However, when you get to this stage, there is usually enough energy to draw you back to your vision.

The process of reinventing yourself is exciting, at times scary, but ultimately rewarding.  The exciting part is when you are energized by the possibilities for the future. The scary part is when you have to push through moments of self-doubt or disappointment. The rewarding part is when you finally overcome the inertia and feel the flow. Once you achieve this, you can begin to shake yourself out of your cocoon and fly off to explore your new world.

Interestingly, the process to overcome these challenges is  similar.. First there is an awareness that our personal effectiveness is limited in some way. Next  is an acceptance that  a mindset or an existing way of approaching a problem is the reason we are coming up short of our goals.   Finally,  an action plan is generated to bring about change.

For instance, in neurological rehabilitation, one of the most important indicators for significant recovery after a stroke or brain injury is awareness of deficits. Realistically, how can improvements be made if one is blind to the need for change?  Moreover, there are several levels of awareness that must be achieved in order to change:

7 Levels of  Self- Awareness That Can Lead to Change:

1.  An individual must become aware of a problem via a standardized measurement or some other type of outside feedback.

• A standardized test shows your memory is weak in some areas.
  

2.  An individual must acknowledge the feedback but he may dispute it’s relevancy.

• The test said my memory is weak?  So what!  I do fine in real life.
  

3.  An individual must accept the problem at a deeper level by noticing the problem active in his own life.

• Wow!  I forgot to go to my appointment at 10.   I missed it last week too.
  

4.  An individual must see the connection between the problem or blind spot and a consequence.

• I missed my appointment and now I will have to wait another week to get my hair cut.

5. An individual must care that his effectiveness is decreased as a result of the problem.

• My hair looks terrible.   I can’t stand it when my hair looks this way.  It’s my fault because I forgot about my appointment.

6. An individual must resolve to overcome the problem or blind spot.

• I am tired of missing appointments because of my poor memory.  I must do something about it!

7. Strategies and goals must be formulated to address the problem.

• I can use post-it notes, a calendar, an alarm on my phone….

Similarly, when one is interested in increased job performance or a an improved relationship, or  more effective communication with another individual, the steps are essentially the same .  Even if  you are interested in reinventing yourself  wondering where you can go next,  you go through a similar process.  You seek feedback first.  Then you process the feedback, deciding how it is impacting your life.  Then you formulate strategies to bring about change as necessary.

• For example,  perhaps you might miss multiple deadlines at work but you don’t know why. You are working hard but you can’t seem to get ahead.    A coach might point out that you tend to overextend yourself and then cannot prioritize your commitments effectively.  You may resist that feedback for awhile until you notice that not all tasks are of equal importance and trying to do all of them makes you ineffective at none of them.  You are then open to learning new ways of approaching your commitments in which you learn what needs to be done now and what can wait.

*** NOTE:  During each step of the process of change,  BOTH strengths and weakness must be discussed.  If something is working well,  stay with that  strategy or approach. If you want to take performance to a new level , tweak the strategy.  If nothing is working, consider making  major changes to your approach.  A comprehensive appraisal of current skills is the key to an effective improvement plan.

There are effective tools that can be used to assess cognitive blind spots and developmental challenges.  The field of cognitive/neurological rehabilitation has many instruments, techniques and  trained professionals to assist in this process.   Likewise, coaches also have various techniques to assist in the process of  self-discovery. In my view, perhaps the most comprehensive and personalized tool available to me is the MBTI Step III, a point in time assessment of how well an individual is using his strengths and addressing the weaknesses typically associated with his psychological type.   Through the dialogue that is generated from the interpretive report, all of the important levels of self-awareness that can lead to meaningful change can be effectively addressed.