In this blog post, I will break down the different parts of the brain and the direct correlation with your mental and physical health. I was first introduced to the importance of Brain Health and Dr. Daniel Amen’s philosophies about ten years ago when I was interested in learning more about addiction. I have a family member that struggled with addiction for many years, and I was on a mission to learn more about brain health and how my loved one could make changes though natural pathways to help with their addiction. After continuing my research, I became fascinated with how going “back to the basics” could help alleviate many physical and mental health symptomology.   

When I say basics, I mean life’s basic needs, sleep, diet/nutrition, exercise, and water intake. All these necessities affect your “buffer system” as I have coined the term with my clients. We all have a buffer system to help manage daily stressors, anxiety, and depressive symptoms (to name a few). When we are sleeping well, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, exercising, and drinking enough water, our buffer system is STRONG! If we slack on our basic needs, our buffer system tends to weaken, which puts us in a vulnerable position to be able to manage life’s obstacles successfully.

The Brain and its Function.

The Outer Part of the Brain

The outer part of the brain consists of the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, and cerebellum. Below are the details of what these different parts of your brain manage areas of your life:

• Prefrontal Cortex – thinking ahead, organization, controlling impulses, judgment, and empathy
• Temporal Lobes – control of moods, anger control, managing temper, and memory
• Parietal Lobes – a sense of direction, sensory control, and how you process your environment
• Occipital Lobes – sight, and how you process things that you see
• Cerebellum – coordination of fine and gross motor skills, thought processes, judgment, and organization

The Inner Part of the Brain

The inner part of your brain consists of the basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, and amygdala, and limbic areas.  Below are the details of what these different parts of your brain manage areas of your life:

• Basal Ganglia – pleasure center, manages thoughts, feelings, and movement
• Prefrontal Cortex – ability to make explicit judgments and decisions, thinking ahead, controlling impulses
• Anterior Cingulate Gyrus – ability to be flexible, going with the flow, cooperation, and gear shifter
• Parietal Lobes – a sense of direction, sensory control, how you process your environment
• Occipital Lobes – sight, and how you process things that you see
• Amygdala and Limbic areas – regulate emotions, mood stability, ability to connect and form relationships, appetite/sleep, and motivation

Why Schedule A Brain Health Assessment

As a Certified Brain Health Coach, I help others by offering specific Brain Health Assessments that identify the parts of the brain that are over and underactive, interviews to discuss your daily routines and habits concerning your life’s basic needs. Once this is pinpointed, an action plan can be quickly established to include making anywhere from small changes to more significant lifestyle changes that will, in return, help you obtain optimal mental and physical health.

Our office is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and offer our services in the State of Florida. For your convenience, we offer in-person and virtual appointments.