Why does just being in the presence of certain people make us miserable?
Part of it has to do with what they say and the negativity they bring to conversations, but a lot of this transfer of energy occurs at a subconscious level. This occurs in part through mirror neurons.
What are Mirror Neurons?
Mirror neurons respond to actions that we observe in others. When we observe empathy, kindness, and a myriad of other actions and behaviors.
It has been postulated that one of the reasons children with autism have such a hard time relating to people and situations is because of a lack of proper functioning mirror neuron system.
Importance of the Parent-Child Connection
Since executive function doesn’t really begin until around 3 years of age and the prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed until about 25 years of age, a large part of the development of a child is dependent upon mirroring and subconscious observation of their parents.
If the parents exhibit unhealthy behaviors, anxiety, and chronic stress, it has a higher tendency to develop in the child as well.
As parents, what you do matters.
Your behaviors and actions have a profound impact on your children, and we need to relinquish the “do as I say and not as I do” attitude from our vernacular.
It will always be more important to “do as I do and not just as I say” and now we have the science to back that up.
Join us in our Precision Health | Charlotte-Matthews group for a Live conversation on this topic. Be a great friend and invite someone with you.
See you on the inside!
All the best,
Dr. Matt Westheimer
