When any major shock/change has occurred many images, thoughts, doubts, fears, and smells are remembered and replayed by both parts of the brain, as well as the biological surges of the primal brain through the adrenals, and each can feed off each other. Our target after any major stress/change/trauma event is to identify what our system is doing and then target our strategy to calm the adrenal system and build power and mastery back. Our focus is forward, not sitting too long with emotions that may be counter-productive to our survival. We cannot change the event, only adjust intelligently to it, in both parts of our brain (Primal Brain and Cognitive/Cerebral Cortex). Its Bio-chemical/Physical first.

The basic Cognitive/Emotive Behavioural Technique (CBT-PLUS going right back to St Paul in the first century, or even to Solomon 1000 BC) is now well proven to assist you to plan to deal with a specific behaviour/thinking pattern that is de-stabilizing you. We need to identify the time-sequence/hierarchy of thoughts/emotions to target. We start from the event, and thoughts associated with it, then the feelings and any childhood or previous “soft-ware errors” on our hard drive that have been triggered by the challenge/change/trauma. If there are significant pre-trauma events that were themselves traumas, and we haven’t ever dealt with them, we will need to develop a sequence of RELAX-CBT type interventions over time, and clear away each “bit of soft-ware error”, and it is best done with professional help.

Firstly identify the visual and other memories that are distressing, the associated thoughts and blaming statements. Remember the “Mental Skills” principle; Humour and Physiological relaxation alone relax the Primal Brain, then, and only then can we work with the cognitive part of the brain, (Tool = a “knowing Smile” Sandwich after relaxation has opened the channel – always ending with a mischievous smile).

Once you have your “hit list” of symptoms to lower, ask the following questions of each.

1. WHAT LABEL CAN I USE TO PUT THE MEMORY/THOUGHT/SITUATION INTO A PROFESSIONAL BOX? (Obtain emotional distance – event : yourself). Inappropriate humour best.
   You label it/self as a “thing” rather than accepting it as an integral and permanent part of yourself, for it is not! It is a thing that happened – you move onwards – aim = stronger as a result. “Here and Now”.
2. TELL YOURSELF THE TRUTH. (Sitting with the big picture/consequences/truths).
   “The truth is….” Think of statements that powerfully express the truths about this event, then affirm that you will walk your genuine and freely chosen life path with power! Focus forward. Make these statements strong and absolutely truthful – “This is my chemistry….”, “That was awful, but once it occurred we did what we could”…. , “The truth in this is…….”. “My Primal Brain is trying to help me….” “I believe………my good plan is………” “My choice right now is to be in the moment and do……” etc.
3. TAKE ANY IMMEDIATE ACTION TO REINFORCE THE TRUTH. (Grounding tools)
   Identify any action to immediately take to reinforce your true and chosen path in life rather than any previous reaction which reflected any useless past program or choices. All trauma changes or challenges our values/choices – so affirm the positive values you stand for and can affirm.
   Then – Worship, pray, exercise, relax, distract, breathe out, shoulder rolls, hug a loved one, distract yourself with a creative/expressive action that reflects you truly. Also – tap a toy/ring/key-ring, bracelet, pendant (grounding tool) – with a smile to remember what matters in the light of death and the shock of confronting our mortality. All “nonsense” is temporary, but creativity and our legacy values are forever.

EXPERIMENT with these steps and test yourself in all problematic situations. End with physicality and creative celebration or worship, “big horizon” walk in which you acknowledge the truth and celebrate your embracing of it, relaxing into it. Use pleasant smells to re-set the primal/smell brain (Rhinocephalon..).

Review with your counsellor, mentor, coach, or friends. Build strength in this by daily feeding upon activities and reading/research that will build your hold on the truth that will always set you free from all deception, “bull”, false priorities, and blindness to consequences of wrongful actions. Develop new Protocols with focus on what matters. Also, daily build the message of “Strength-Power-Relaxation” by both “flight” and “fight” exercises – but in a slow, relaxed and affirming way. BAFFLE the Mid-Brain into relaxation.