EP 380: The Default Mode Network and How it Impacts Our Happiness

Have you ever heard of the Default Mode Network? If you answered ‘no’ to that question, I’d like to let you know that you have certainly experienced it many times. The DMN is a particular circuit of neurons in your brain that becomes active when you are not. Any time you’re ‘doing nothing’ or engaged in an automatic activity (ie: washing dishes, driving your car, brushing your teeth), the DMN is highly active. In the most simplistic terms, you could say the DMN is the wandering mind. But it turns out that when our mind wanders, it mostly wanders to negative thoughts. Specifically, negative thoughts about ourselves. The result is a sense of isolation, which is the breeding ground for depression, anxiety, and stress. The good news is that it is super simple to counteract this effect and diminish the power of your DMN. This solution is as simple as paying attention to your unfolding, moment-to-moment experience. Would you like to learn how to do this?