Dr Ekaterina Denkova - Mental Health Strategies for Adaptive Thinking

Neuroscience Researcher Dr Ekaterina Denkova discusses effective mental health strategies for adaptive thinking. By exploring mental time travel and mindfulness, she reveals how our memories influence our future and the significance of staying present. She delves into the benefits and potential pitfalls of remembering and ruminating, demonstrating how mindfulness can help us break free from maladaptive thought patterns and enhance our well-being.

Join as she explores the dynamic interplay between memory, mindfulness, and brain function to improve mental health.

Learn more about Dr. Denkova Ekaterina

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Science and wisdomlive, where scientists and

(00:03):
meditators meet.
Remembering has, has benefits,because basically it tells us
who we are there is a continuityfrom something that is happening

(00:29):
to us in the past, and then weare moving forward. And in order
to moving forward, using whathappened in the past, we can
construct potential eventualexperiences. Like for instance,
for me today, I never presentedin a meeting in such a meeting,

(00:49):
but based on my experience ofprior my prior presentations, I
can kind of think about whatwill happen. And so basically,
that's where we are saying,remembering and having memories
can be helpful, because itallows us to think about and

(01:10):
plan to plan in a constructiveway. Or some future scenarios,
and choose different scenarios,for instance, or choose which
path to take. So that's on theaspect of why that capacity that
we have remembering, it'simportant. And it shares, it's

(01:34):
really, that what we're callingmental time travel. So
basically, we have that capacityto think about past experiences,
as well as to think aboutpotentially future experiences
that might happen to us. So fromthat aspect, is something that

(01:55):
it's very, very beneficial for,for all of us to think about.
But now there is a moment when,think about past experiences,
may not be so fruitful. Andthat's a little bit of a

(02:19):
different category now that I'mtalking about. And it's not so
much about, I'm not talkingabout a memory, I'm just talking
about the process itself.
Sometimes we might be stuck on agiven top. Let's say I had an
accident this morning. And I goto work and start thinking and

(02:44):
thinking about that accident,repetitively, repetitively. And
I'm fixating on that. So it'sthe process itself. Of course,
it's something that bad thathappened. But what is more
destructive distractive to me isthat entering in that cycle of
repetitive thinking aboutsomething negative that

(03:09):
happened. And that's where myinterest is going. Because yeah,
of course, we were able to showremembering is something
beneficial, it helps usconstruct the future. And not
only that, we were able to seethat the same brain networks,

(03:30):
the configuration of the brainis very similar, when we're
thinking about any pastexperiences. And when we are
trying to project and thinkabout any future events that
might happen to us. So, again,the dynamics of the brain, the
strength might be less are morestrong in both cases. But the

(03:54):
pattern, the configuration isthere for both, which means that
there is an underlying basicmechanisms in place. And so
that's the beneficial aspect.
Now, unfortunately, we are humanbeings. And sometimes we can

(04:19):
easily go in that I would callit maladaptive pattern, thinking
and repetitively thinking aboutsomething, that it's not
critical, or it's not what ishappening in the current moment
in the now. Because we have anactivity, we have to do

(04:43):
something, let's say, Oh, I havean important paper that I need
to submit that day. But thataccident for the morning, it's
coming and coming and theprocesses of engaging with it.
That's where the maladaptiveprocess This is is happening.

(05:04):
And why I'm saying maladaptiveis just because at that moment
in the now, there is anothertask that my attention needs to
be focused. But instead of that,I'm going in that repetitive or
repetitive thinking. And I'mgiving the simple example the
accident. But I think, ineveryday life, we have so many

(05:27):
aspects, we had the hardconversation with a friend. And
then we continue thinking aboutthat hard conversation, not in a
constructive way, not in a wayof thinking how we can solve the
problem. It's more aboutruminating. And that's kind of
the scientific ruminating onthat idea, or that thought, and

(05:49):
being stuck not being able topull away or go away of that,
staying clean that in what ishappening in that moment. In
that moment, let's say if I'mwriting my paper, my paper will
not be so great. Or, if you needto engage in an activity, let's

(06:09):
say, pay attention for friendthat it's next to, you're not
really paying attention to thefriend next to you or just chill
in your thoughts. And that'swhere the problem is coming. And
as I said, it's not about thecontent, it's not that it was
something negative. It's reallyabout the stance that we are

(06:30):
taking, or the process that weare engaging with. Because as,
as neuroscientists, we have seenthat, let's say if people are
asked to reflect on their pastexperiences, through different
instruction, either focusing onthat emotional feeling like the

(06:52):
butterflies in the stomach, thesweaty hands, one hand, so
asking them to really to focuson those emotional aspects and
getting stuck with them, orasking them to just think about
something else, not think aboutthe emotional aspect. But more
thinking about the event, whenit happened, who was in that
event, then we are seeing thatthey remembering that same

(07:17):
memory in a different way, whichis for us an indication,
memories, they're not static,they're not pictures, the
memories, we're constructingthem in the now. And that's
where it's important. So what weare doing at that moment, and
how we are reacting to what ishappening in that moment. That's
what is important. And so I wassaying we can take different

(07:43):
stances, and that's what we'reseeing. So let's say people who
have that capacity, or skill, Iwill call it skill, that skill
to detach themselves and seemore than an event from an
observer type of perspective andbeing aware. Yes, this happened.
But this is just happening. Sothat kind of stance, which we

(08:11):
are trying also now to examinewith brain neuroimaging tools,
being cabled to the centre. Fromthat experience. That's a very
important aspect. And thecentering is also a key
component of mindfulness. And soI think that's where the

(08:34):
transition is. So there might bepeople who have that tendency or
that skill to the centre. Butthe key here is how we can
cultivate it, so that everyonecan do it, and whether that's
beneficial. And so that's how weare moving towards something

(08:56):
that can be at the moment, let'ssay individual differences in
people who can differently reactto different situation. Now, it
identify those strategies orthose skills, that really
helpful. And one of the helpfulskills is exactly that. aspect
of centering, being able todetach and being aware of that

(09:22):
situation of the situation. Andso that's where I would say we
can go from goal now towardsmindfulness and practising
practising mindfulness. So hereagain, I'm a neuroscientist. So
I will be talking more fromthat. I would say, perspective

(09:46):
and seeing mindfulness trainingas a cognitive training,
basically, how we can train thebrain to process the current
moment in a different way. in abeneficial way because what I
was referring to rumination andthose are tendency that we are

(10:09):
trying to figure out how we cancope with them for the reason
because people who are engagingin those ruminative thoughts,
usually, or typically, theydon't feel very well there is a
decrease while being decreasedresilience. So, what we are

(10:30):
trying to do is identify themechanism and the skill that can
be trainable so that we canachieve that change and I told
you the brain is dynamic, and ithas that capacity
neuroplasticity. So, it's thesame with us how we can have one
skill and then call TV thatskill. So, that can it can be

(10:54):
helpful and adaptive. And we canreact in a very, we can be in a
very attentive state to what ishappening to us at that present
moment.