Connection Mode

Book excerpt: “Connection Mode is a fantastic book! As a physician, I can highly recommend that my patients empower themselves with the wealth of knowledge and solutions offered in this book.” ​—Andrea Lorenze, MD “I can attest from personal experience with my family and patients to how effective this approach is. This revealing and insightful book will benefit all adults and kids.” —Robert Schwartz, MD, FAAPMR “Nancy’s ability to understand the complexities of the brain and nervous system and teach them to children, parents, and educators with such ease, understanding, and humor is life changing for everyone.” —Jen Larson, MSEd, school counselor Could simple changes to your brain and nervous system make your life easier? Drawing on humorous examples, true stories, and playful analogies, Connection Mode shows how our nervous system—including a surprisingly common missed opportunity to finish our lower brain development—often interferes with our lives in ways we don’t even realize. The book answers questions such as: • How can I stop feeling anxious, tired, and overwhelmed so much of the time? • How does my nervous system play a role when I argue or shut down in relationships? • How might my nervous system influence how I learn? • Why should I care if I never finished developing my lower brain? The good news is that we are all innately wired to live mainly in connection mode, in which each of us can learn with joy, be curious, show compassion, focus, and show up as who we truly are. Our brain and nervous system may just need a little help remembering that not everything in life is an attacking tiger. Connection Mode distills decades of compelling information from the Brain Highways program, which has guided 20,000 kids and adults to improve their lives by changing their brain and nervous system. The book offers a simple, time-tested trifecta approach for restoring our nervous system’s flexibility, which is the gateway to living primarily in connection mode. Once our nervous system no longer sees everything as a threat, the problems we had either disappear altogether or show up in ways that are not so stressful. Educator Nancy Green’s approachable voice and relatable stories may cause you to rethink what you believe about common diagnoses, anxiety, relationships, personalities, learning, and more. After reading Connection Mode, you’ll find it impossible not to look at others—and perhaps even yourself—with more curiosity and compassion. And if you incorporate the book’s specific actions, you’ll be well on the path to an easier life.