The Pandemic Brain
In August, the Neuropsychopharmacology Review released a report addressing the changes seen in the pandemic brain. For those infected by the virus, scientists believe that both dopamine and serotonin receptors may be impacted by the virus creating physiological changes in the brain’s olfactory bulb. For those who do not contract COVID-19, the pandemic has been shown to create significant and chronic psychological stress which can diminish the brain’s prefrontal-cortex and damage neurons, also impacting dopamine and serotonin production and transmission. Take a deep, cleansing breath. This is not the end of the story. It is just the beginning.
Simply knowing this may help you better understand why you are finding it harder to get out the door for work. For students, it can explain why school is harder to attend, assignments are harder to execute, and your ability to activate is M.I.A. The ability to hold it together may feel harder or impossible in certain situations. Dopamine and serotonin help regulate mood and the pleasure receptors in your brain. When they are impaired, the reward you once got from completed tasks may be altered and how you feel about, well, anything, can be a little off track.
Luckily, our brains are plastic, and with mindful effort, we can rewire our pandemic brains with a few key activities. Your brain can grow with repetitive exercises, just like building muscle lifting weights. Are you ready to build new synapse connections? Neuroplasticity enables us to rewire our minds with intentional thought to build new, more positive behaviors and synapse connections. According to the findings in the report, there are 7 solutions that scientist suggest to combat these symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression brought on by COVID-19.
Do Something Different:
Retraining our brain to respond differently to a stressor can help build resilience. Deep breathing can calm your heart rate when listening to negative news. Focus on what you can control instead of ruminating on what you cannot. Choosing a response other than ruminating in the stress can help you shift quickly from that initial fight-or-flight.
Focus on the Present.
Activating your parasympathetic nervous system through practices like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, chi-gong, deep breathing, and massage will again help pull you out of your amygdala response loop (fight, flight or freeze). The ADHD brain is hardwired for living in the “now”, which may explain why some of my clients with little to no anxiety are fairing well. If you already have an active practice to bring yourself into the present, you may be one step ahead.
Use Your “Thinking Brain”
When you feel overwhelmed by Coronavirus news or stressors of pandemic isolation, it is your feel brain that often takes the wheel. By making a conscious effort to bring your pre-frontal cortex (PFC) back online, you can train your brain to step back and assess your next steps and actions, enabling you to rationalize the here and now. This is where things get real for someone with ADHD. The PFC is where executive function is king and for an ADHD brain the wiring looks a little different. However, making that conscious decision can help trigger the use of systems that help you regulate your PFC - lists, mind-mapping, talking with a friend, checklists, and finding ways to engage the PINCH model (Focusing on Play, Interest, Novelty, Competition, and Hurry to activate your PFC).
Talk to Your Worry
Worry and fear are amygdala responses designed to protect you and keep you alive. Their rocket fuel - the unknown. Naming these feelings and letting them go can nurture a new response to stressors. Notice those feelings, thank “Worry” for their concern by acknowledging the feelings, and then choose to move forward. Hitting the PAUSE button on the primitive response can allow your rational self to determine if the worry is necessary, decreasing stress and building your new neural pathway to a quick recovery we refer to as resilience.
Get Outside
The power of nature or “green time” never ceases to amaze me. I am brought back to the scene in Pretty Woman when Richard Gere is walking in a small plot of grass to collect his thoughts and calm himself. It also reminds me of one client who moved his school reading to a backyard tree. No matter what path you take, get outside on a daily basis. The bonus: spending time in green spaces is linked to lower incidences of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, mental distress and mortality rates - all of which ADHD brains are more likely to have.
Exercise
Move your gluteus maximus. Exercise is a tonic for worry and stress. Just 10 minutes of heart-pumping exercise can recenter your brain and diminish ADHD symptoms for up to 90 minutes. And if you can’t knock out green time and exercise together, you can exercise at your desk or take a few flights of stairs for your cardio interval. Whatever it is, just move! Your brain, heart, and lungs will thank you.
Optimize your Tech
Here is a place where technology can be your ally. There are several apps that can help us with our mindfulness practice (ex - Headspace). We can utilize fitness trackers like Fitbit or others that you can find in this list from PC Magazine: The Best Fitness Trackers for 2020. Many of my gaming clients enjoy the habit tracker Habitica. Dr. Judson Brewer has 3 CBT apps that tackle mindful eating, anxiety and smoking cessation (www.drjud.com). Using technology to facilitate mindfulness practices, to build new healthy habits, and to track health markers like exercise, eating habits and sleep can be an asset at your fingertips.
While there is still much to learn from studying your brain on pandemic stress, these 7 strategies are road-tested by many in the ADHD field and recommended for ALL brains. That means you, dear reader!
I’ve witnessed the power of each of these in practice and I actively use all 7 solutions as part of my self-care routine. I hope you find a way to try these out for yourself. I guarantee you will be rewarded for your efforts.
Reference
Vatansever, D., Wang, S. & Sahakian, B.J. (2020). Covid-19 and promising solutions to combat symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00791-9