15 COMMON QUESTIONS BRAIN RETRAINING CLIENTS ASK US

1 I ’m doing one of the NeuroGym programs and was feeling great!

Suddenly all kinds of negative thoughts and feelings are rising up.
What’s happening? Am I doing something wrong?
This is one of the most common concerns people have when they begin to change their habits,
beliefs, and mindsets, especially about money, fear, business, procrastination or anything else. As
we begin to build more optimism and confidence, our old negative beliefs are often “released,”
rushing into consciousness. When retraining your brain to be positive, peaceful, and optimistic, it’s
normal, natural, and healthy to suddenly experience a lot of worry and negativity that you have
carried around inside for years, even decades.

You don’t have to battle them. Instead, deepen your relaxation and observe them without
judgment. If you write them down as you relax, the emotional impact begins to fade. Nearly all of
these negative feelings and thoughts are just memories from the past, but they make you “feel”
like you aren’t progressing. That’s your unconscious critical self sabotaging you. Keep doing the
program, or take a day’s break if you want to.

Negative feelings, when you watch them from as relaxed state of neutrality, will often fade away
in a matter of minutes, slowly decreasing over the next few days. When old negative feelings flood
into consciousness, take a moment and yawn about 10 times. This is one of the fastest ways to
lower neurological stress. Then SLOWLY stretch as you become aware of any tension you feel in
your face, jaw, neck, shoulders, back, belly, and legs. Consciously relax each part of your body. You
should notice that most of the negativity has been reduced.

If you want to let go of deeper negative feelings and memories, take 60 seconds to reflect on your
deepest inner values, your deepest work values, and your deepest personal values. Find a single
word for each value (peace, trust, integrity, love, confidence, truth, god, family, etc.) and write
those words down on a piece of paper. Repeat them over and over and you’ll immediately feel
your anxiety lessen. Research shows that this actually turns on 1200 stress-reducing genes!

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 You can also recall a pleasant memory (visualizing someone you love or an event that brought you
joy). Notice how good that image makes you feel! You can always use your imagination to produce
feelings of wellness, but the better you feel, the less you need to suppress old negative feelings
and thoughts, so be prepared to do these exercises often as you retrain your brain to embrace
happiness and wealth.

If negative feelings continue to overwhelm you for more than 3-4 days, consider having a personal
NeuroCoaching session (send an email to [email protected]). PS: if you’ve experienced
trauma or abuse in the past, these memories can also come to the surface as you build greater
optimism and self-esteem. You should have an expert therapist help you to release traumatic
memories.

2 I ’m getting weird body sensations (headaches, nausea, pain). Is this

being caused by the sound technology?
Extensive research on each element of the sound and visualization technologies used in some
of the NeuroGym programs have shown no negative side effects (you can check this for yourself
by going to pubmed.gov, the national database of scientific articles in the National Library of
Medicine). Whenever you begin to change old habits and beliefs about money, work, desires, or
self-image the brain naturally resists. Why? You spent years building these old behaviors, and even
though they may not be optimal, it takes a lot of neural energy to build more efficient circuits to
help you achieve what you want. Also, the more you relax (an essential step in brain retraining) the
more aware you become of body tensions. If you yawn, slowly stretch, and breathe gently into the
discomfort, it will slowly dissipate.

3 I ’ve done one of the NeuroGym programs for a few weeks and I still
don’t see positive change. What am I doing wrong?
We all have an unconscious tendency to “rush” toward change and transformation. It’s easy to
imagine being instantly happy and rich, but it takes many week and months to build strong new
neural circuits of desire and motivation. But once you’re motivated, you have to take action. Here’s
a simple way to begin: identify a small goal that you know you can achieve in the next week and
then write down three things you will do to reach that goal. If you stay focused on the pleasure of
achieving that goal, and the reward you will receive, that will stimulate the motivation centers of
your brain to take action and will make the “hard” work feel easy.

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 4 I ’m at the end of the program and I’m feeling upset and depressed.
Why?
You’ve reached the point where you must now apply the inner changes you’ve made to the outer
world. You took action by buying the program. You took action listening to it. But did you take
action each day applying what you were learning or experiencing to your daily work and life?
Do you have an action plan: a step-by-step strategy to make your goal/wish/dream come true?
Did you access all of the other NeuroGym training materials available to you? Did you find an
accountability partner to help you identify and work through unconscious blocks, or to assist
you in building the skills needed to achieve your specific goal? These are just a few of the inner
roadblocks we all encounter when we make our dreams come true. Take action and do whatever
it takes to succeed! In addition, there is no end to retraining your brain. It’s like exercise, when
you release good feeling endorphins and the same is true when you retrain your brain. Your
brain loves the release of dopamine and other feel good chemicals so keep doing your daily brain
retraining and meditation practices.

5 Why do I keep procrastinating?

Procrastination is a psychological and neurological state of indecision. Some procrastination is
just an anxiety based on past unrelated events (i.e., memories), but other forms of procrastination
is your brain telling you that you need more information before making a wise decision. When
we procrastinate, we are consciously or unconsciously experiencing confusion, uncertainty, self-
doubt, or fear. Business psychologists have found that if you have good time management skills,
and good business skills, “active” procrastination makes you more successful. It gives you time
to access the situation and gather more information before you make an important decision.
Research shows that excessive procrastination interferes with memory, and it tends to sour your
personality. Procrastinators often have low esteem and tend to exaggerate their accomplishments
as a way of covering up anxiety and self-doubt.

When you catch yourself procrastinating, take out a sheet of paper

and write down, as briefly as possible, what you are uncertain about.
List all the reasons for not taking action, and then ask yourself
“Are any of these reasons valid?” Most won’t be, but some may be
true. Next, write down three small strategies that would lead to the
resolution of your hesitancy. Then take action. But remember: you
can never have “enough” information to guarantee 100% success. So
trust your intuition, use your wisdom and skills, and make a leap of faith.

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 There’s also a powerful connection between perfectionism and procrastination. For the
perfectionist, it’s never good enough, which means that a perfectionist has low self-esteem. Are
you procrastinating because you don’t trust yourself? If so, just ask yourself this question: “Am I
good enough to make a decision?” The answer is usually YES! If not, consider some personal Praxis
NeuroCoaching. It’s easy, with the help of an expert, to know how and when to take action on
nearly everything.

6  s I was listening to the program, I started to feel anxious. How can I

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release this feeling?
It’s normal to feel anxiety when you retrain your brain to be more positive and confident. First,
ask yourself what exactly are you feeling anxious about? There’s always an area in your brain
that worries about vague things, but the moment you identify what you are actually anxious
about, you can begin to write down strategies to solve the problem. If the anxiety feels vague—a
normal response when you are unconsciously letting go of old habits and building new ones—try
this technique: in very slow motion, begin to stroke your palms and arms with your fingertips. If
this feels comfortable and pleasurable, try massaging other parts of your body. The pleasurable
sensations release dopamine, and the dopamine turns off the worry centers in your brain. Self
nurturing (something every mammal and bird will do regularly) is one of the most overlooked
strategies for maintaining a healthy brain!

7  ow do I permanently get rid of my negative thoughts – my worries,

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fears, and doubts that I would succeed?
You can’t, nor should you! Part of your brain (your right prefrontal cortex) is designed to worry
and imagine negative scenarios. It’s a creative process and a survival mechanism, and it protects
you from making naïve or dangerous decisions. Also, many negative thoughts and feelings are
memories from the past, and they are encoded into specific neural circuits. They’re always there,
but when you train your mind to remain optimistic, these circuits barely get stimulated, and
when they do, you’ll observe them and heed their advice if there’s a real threat. Otherwise, you’ll
ignore them. The successful person—or anyone, for that matter—observes both the positive and
negative voices (it’s neural process called inner speech) and then evaluates the best action to take.
Learn to be aware of both and then choose to focus on the positive and what you desire and want.

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 8 How many days does it take to form a new habit?
A new habit can be formed in 60 seconds, or it can take years, but
according to the extensive research of psychologist John Norcross,
a new healthy behavior takes about 90 days to become a habit.
A new habit has to override old habits, and if the old ones are
pleasurable, addictive, or formed out of fear or trauma, it will
take longer to weaken the neural circuits that control them as you
repeatedly habituate yourself to automatically using a newer and
more positive strategy. The more “important” it is for your survival, the faster you’ll form a new
habit, and business habits are easier to change than personal ones, because good work-related
habits brings more money that you can use to create health, security, and happiness. To form a
new habit you need to practice, rehearse, and repeat that behavior many times. Keep repeating
the behavior or attitude in novel ways—this keeps your brain interested and motivated. Take daily
action, interrupt temptations, and persist until the behavior begins to feel natural. Keep reminding
yourself of the benefits the new habit will bring.

9 I started doing the program diligently, and now I’m noticing that I wake
up and just don’t want to do it. Why is this happening?
This is the brain’s way of saying “I don’t wanna do more work!” Very normal, natural, and irritating
especially when you know you are committed! It’s also a basic neurological response to any
repetitive activity and is the main reason why many people fail to complete programs they sign up
for. Don’t give into the temptation. The discipline to “stick with it” is an essential brain-training tool.
The “normal” default process of the brain is to use old habits and behaviors to repeat the same
tasks over and over, but if you want something “more” (more money, deeper love, greater wisdom,
more happiness), you have to do extra work to overcome the brain’s laziness to do the least it
possibly can to survive. When you feel that resistance, slightly change your learning behavior.
Change your body position. Change the time of day you engage in the training activity. But most
important, mindfully notice the resistant thought, “I don’t wanna!” and then write down 3 reasons
why you don’t want to do the work, and 6 reasons why you do and what the benefits are of getting
past the temporary desire not to. Then focus on your deepest desire and goals that caused you to
commit to this program. Push through and your motivation will soon return.

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10 How do I stop sabotaging myself?
The first step is to identify HOW you are sabotaging your goals and plans (WHY you are sabotaging
is a different matter and actually less important when it comes to goal achievement). Try this
simple strategy: Each morning, on a sheet of paper, write down one simple, achievable goal for
that day. Next, briefly write down several ways you might sabotage your goal, and then briefly
write down several counter-strategies. Post your list near your work station and at the end of the
day, evaluate the effectiveness of your counter-strategies.

11 I n the community, and in some of the training videos, there are

suggestions to write down my fears, worries, doubts, and weaknesses,
but I’m afraid that if I do this I’ll attract negative energy to me. Is this
true?
The opposite is true. The technique of making a list of all your negative thoughts and feelings has
been used by cognitive therapists for over thirty years, with extraordinary success. The newest
brain-scan research shows that when you write down negative thoughts and feelings (it’s called
creating a Crap Board), the brain begins to disconnect from the words on the paper. Then, you
deeply relax and then gaze at the sheet of paper without judging your words, the emotional power
of those thoughts and feelings weaken. This practice is called “mindfulness” and it’s the most
effective brain-training strategy to disempower negative feelings and thoughts. Save your Crap
Board and add to it when new worries, fears and doubts pop up. If you throw the paper away,
your mind starts to ruminate on the negativity, but if you keep it handy, your mind “knows” where
all your crap is and can now devote itself to seeking goals with stronger optimism and confidence.

12 I keep visualizing my wish, goal, and dream, but it’s not materializing.
What am I doing wrong?
Visualizing your desire is the first step, and is often overlooked in the research concerning goal-
achievement. The newest research, spearheaded by the psychologist Gabrielle Oettingen, shows
that you must do 4 types of visualization: Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. She calls this WOOP and
you need to do each visualization in the following order. First visualize your goal or desire in great
detail. This is essential. 2. Visualize in great detail all of the benefits you’d get if you achieved that
wish/desire/goal. If you can’t do this, you may have picked the wrong desire 3. Visualize and write
down all of the obstacles that are stopping you from attaining that goal. This is the most essential
step that many people ignore or avoid. If you can’t clearly see all of the obstacles and problems
involved in achieving a new and bigger desire, you’ll never find a solution. If the obstacle is too big,

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 and you can’t build the skills to overcome them (or hire someone else to help you), then your wish
is unrealistic and needs to be changed. Or break your big desire into smaller steps (example: you
want a million dollars; what do you need to do to make the first hundred dollars?!). Now you can
do Step 5: plan a strategy that will move you toward your goal. If you can’t come up with one, ask
for help, learn new skills, or change your wish. To appreciate the power of this simple technique,
do it 2-3 times a day with small desires. But don’t forget to take action and persevere. Your
dreams won’t magically materialize!

13  y spouse/family doesn’t support me in doing this work. It really

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bothers me that they don’t support me.
As your confidence and self-esteem grows, it will be reflected in your body language and behavior.
Seeing is believing, and when they see you applying this program to your life, they will be thrilled.
If not, practice some kindness and forgiveness meditations, for yourself and others. Some people
are chronically negative, but that doesn’t mean you have to please them. Please yourself!

14 I ’m feeling overwhelmed. There seems to be so much to take in, so

many resources in the community and the library. What should I do?
Keep pushing through or slow down?
Whenever we are stressed, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the tiniest problem. Here’s some
surprising brain science that will help reduce those feelings. First, your brain RARELY gets
overwhelmed! It can process a million times more information than you’ll ever be aware of.
Neurological overwhelm only happens when you are lacking sleep, in traumatic situations, or
having a stroke, experiencing a powerful psychedelic drug, or in a situation where you are out of
control of your body. But 99% of the time, when you “feel” overwhelmed, it’s just your conscious
mind trying to take in too much information. The solution is simple. The moment you begin to
feel stress, TAKE A 60-SECOND PLEASURE BREAK. Yawn a few times,
slowly stretch, wash your hands and face, run in place for a few
moments…do anything that feels pleasurable and relaxing. Search
online for a mindfulness bell or clock or app and put it on your
computer or phone. Set it to ring 2-3 times an hour, a reminder
to pause 10 seconds to relax and reflect on today’s lessons and
your deepest values. Then throw yourself into work. If you still
feel overwhelmed, use your intuition to tailor the program to your
needs. You can take a break for a few days, and then resume it.

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15 I have trouble falling asleep at night. Is this normal when doing these
programs?
Yes, especially if you listen to a NeuroGym program before sleep. When you begin to make
positive changes in your life, it’s easy to feel so excited that dozens of arousing neurochemicals
and hormones are released in your brain and body. Listen to the program as early in the day as
you can (this allows your brain to incorporate the lessons into your work day), and then, before
you go to sleep, do these two exercises. First, write down 2-3 things you did well that day, and then
write down 2-3 things you feel grateful for. Substantial research shows that if you do this for just
seven days, your self-esteem continues to increase for three months! If you still can’t fall asleep,
or wake up at night, find a single word that feels relaxing and meaningful, and keep repeating it.
Example words: love, peace, god, etc.; even repeating the word “sleep” will help you doze off more
quickly. If you still can’t sleep give yourself a gentle massage. This releases dopamine and turns
off the unconscious worries that may be keeping you awake. Still can’t sleep? Write down any
thoughts you are ruminating on. Now your brain “knows” that its problems are being safely stored
away to deal with tomorrow.

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