I love conceptualizing consciousness with these two states, because they are so intuitive. We all know what Reactive Brain feels like, and we all (hopefully) know Creative Brain. In short: one feels “bad,” the other feels “good.”

The thing is though, neither state is good or bad, they are both just part of being human. While Reactive Brain gets a bad rap, it’s 100% necessary for our survival. Reactive Brain is the thing that compels us into action when we (immediately and unconsciously) spot a threat.

When I first began learning about reactive brain, I realized I unknowingly spent A LOT of time in it. When my body experienced the physiological changes of this state (such as neck tension, feeling wired then tired, nervous, etc), I often responded with trying to figure out what was “wrong” with myself, my job, my partner, or whatever other issue landed in that moment. I didn’t realize that the only thing I needed to do while in Reactive Brain, was to realize that I was in it, decide if I wanted to shift or not, then move the energy through.

Learning how to shift is simple, but not always easy, and specific content I will save for another day. For now, if you are in Reactive Brain, know that just just becoming aware of your state can help you begin to shift. If you want to take it to the next level, moving, breathing, and playing are all great ways to begin experimenting with changing your state.

Becoming more conscious doesn’t mean that we never get triggered into Reactive Brain. It simply means that we have the ability to recognize when we are in it and the choice of whether or not we want to shift.

If you’re ready to begin to shift, check in with yourself throughout the day. When you’re in Reactive Brain, remind yourself that it’s part of being human and a state that many of us visit multiple times a day (myself included!). Can you release whatever judgments you have about yourself or how you have labeled yourself while in Reactive Brain? How can embracing Reactive Brain as part of being human, help you to have more compassion for yourself and others and ultimately begin to inhabit the more loving and expansive states of Creative Brain?*Julie Colwell coined the term and concept of Reactive Brain, which encompasses all reactivity/threat/negative/contracted states of consciousness.