Did you know that you have a whole array of internal brain chemicals and hormones that are naturally occurring, but we often don't think about utilising in an optimal form?

As an ADHD and Executive Function Coach, and nurse in my early days, I have come to realise the great importance of people being aware of the agency that they have over their own body and brain chemistry. Most of us are not even aware of how we can harness or even optimise these processes, with no cost at all.

**Monica Hassall - BN ACC**

Director | ADHD & Executive Function Coach

Over the last few decades, there has been a greater demand for the products in the “external pharmacy”- both bricks and mortar and online pharmacies. These include medications for poor quality sleep, treating stress, anxiousness and even despondency. These outcomes of every day living can be cleverly disguised as insomnia, depression and anxiety disorders in some cases. While medications can be very much life-saving supports for an individuals mental health and well-being, I have observed a significant number of people over relying on them, and in fact not using them how they were intended. It occurred to me that many people could be prescribing themselves from the “Internal pharmacy”.

This is often where understanding the balance of our executive brain processes, our executive functions, and the fear/survival mode centre.

Our executive functions are cognitive or thinking processes that take place in the front part of the brain. This part of the brain is called the prefrontal cortex (PFC). These are the processes that guide our thoughts and therefore guide our behaviours and actions. Our executive function part of my brain is impacted and operated according to the available brain chemistry at that point in time. That's pretty important if you ask me.

Think of it this way- when we are under stress; real, perceived or imagined, the most primitive part of our brain springs into action, and we are jolted into survival mode flooding our systems with body chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals are essential if we are under threat, but too often we perceive or imagine ourselves as being under threat and this leads to a chronic oversupply of these chemicals. Long term, this is not good for us at all and in fact can be quite detrimental to our long-term physical and mental health. When we don’t learn how to manage the perceived or imagined stress, the long term results can be dire. Many of us are hangry, sleep deprived, hyperventilating at tiny triggers, distracted and more. And all of these are completely preventable, at little or no cost, by simply connecting to our brain and body’s needs. Step in, “the Internal pharmacy.”

The lens of Executive Function

Our PFC houses the area of the brain where this “suite of skills” are being processed. There are many varying “checklist” of executive function (EF) skills, and I have landed on this blend.

7 Executive Functions

Being self aware (and self monitoring)
Attention regulation – distractibility, hyper-focusing, and shifting of attention when needed (for transitions)
Working memory
Planning and problem solving
Inhibition (not doing things or saying things that get us into trouble!)
Motivation / task initiation
Emotional Regulation

Wow! There’s a lot going on in that space! This part of the brain is believed to be the last part of our brain to fully develop (and is a work in process still) and ironically the first part of our brain to “switch off” or at least largely shut down (it doesn’t completely go off line, but it does narrow) when under imminent threat. I mean, you don’t need to remember that you have a coffee date with your school friend next week if the building you’re in is on fire and you seriously need to evacuate for survival.

The Big 8

Here are the simple items we need from the internal pharmacy, alongside the easy ways to get them.

My client’s will often say “I know these things, but I'm just not doing them.” For me, creating a clear intention is the best way to start. Another client said “If you do most of these actions most days you can't help but feel better!” What I love about this list is that after nutrition and hydration, nearly all of these actions can be achieved at no cost. Yep, most of these are freely available to us. So let's start thinking about our body and brain chemistry and how we can be more mindful about it, and start prescribing from our “Internal pharmacy”. The keys are in your hand.