UNITED STATES—Gosh, the brain is such a fascinating organ. I recall as an undergraduate while double majoring in English, Film Studies and Psychology, I took a series of courses about the brain. I recall vividly my counselor at the time telling me DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE OVER THE SUMMER, as it’s already a difficult course in its own, but its accelerated content in the summer.
I didn’t heed that advice, and soon learned why? The brain, it is an organ that serves so many functions when it comes to the body. Your heart beat, your movements, your speech, your thoughts, your memories the list goes on and on. The professor who taught the course, which I remember so vividly PSY 209 Brain and Behavior was truly one of the worst professors I have ever had. She refused to tell you what would be on the exams, she didn’t fully convey the material in the way for the students to understand the material and she spoke to the students like we were inferior to her. In other words, she was smart as hell and we were complete dummies.
I don’t remember every single detail about the course, but I do recall that period where we talked about the processing of information, how we memorize things and thoughts. There can be traumatic injuries to the brain that cause you to forget past memories you created or worse, your inability to form any new memories. I think this is important when it comes to trauma because we have all experienced it, but at times, I wish the trauma that really had an impact on my life, I could forget about it.
Why? I wouldn’t have things in my everyday life that trigger that trauma and causes those emotions and stress to come flooding back to my memory and life. It becomes really problematic when you’re trying to sleep at night or have time to yourself, but you cannot because that trauma, those feelings and emotions creep in and your brain just thinks, thinks and thinks and thinks.
Why is that thinking bad? It doesn’t allow you to relax without any thoughts. I hate to say it, but I wish there were times where my brain had an off switch so when I want to sleep, I can just close my eyes without having to worry about anything, and I mean anything. I have so much trouble sleeping because my brain just replays the day over and over again; any negative thoughts or feelings keep replaying themselves.
I worry about how to fix this, how to fix that, what if this occurs, what if that occurs, I just worry about every single thing that could potentially go wrong and I’m trying to readjust my thinking. Meditation is something I am trying to do, but even with that, the brain wonders to things I wish they don’t wonder off to. Yes, sometimes you just have to occupy the brain, but the question that soon arises is what do you do once the activity that has been distracting you ends?
I don’t have the answer to that; I don’t think most people have the answer to that. It just involves doing your best to train your brain to focus on anything except the worries, the fears and the stress that comes with life. No matter whom you are, stress is part of life, some people experience it a lot more than others based on financial situations, others experience it when it comes to where you live.
Are you safe when you exit the house? Are you worried about becoming a victim of a crime? On a financial front, its questions about can I put food on the table tonight, can I pay the gas and electricity bills, what about car insurance, what about gas for my vehicle, what about the rent/mortgage.
I just wish I had more control of my brain and the thoughts that continue to fluctuate day in and day out. If I could control my thoughts more I think it would vastly improve my ability to sleep at night because my brain wonders so much it feels like a never-ending cycle at times and that can be so exhausting.
