The Brain’s Reset Button: How Small Shifts Create Big Change
Have you ever had your phone freeze in the middle of the day? Suddenly, nothing works, and no matter how much swiping or tapping you do, it doesn’t help. Not even a little sound comes out. The whole system seems stuck. Then, with a quick reboot, everything comes back online — smooth and responsive again.
I’ve had this happen, and when I ask for help, the best advice always seems to be the same: Have you tried rebooting?
Our brains aren’t all that different. Sometimes we find ourselves looping in the same old patterns, such as a stressful thought, a painful memory, or a reaction we can’t seem to shake. It can feel like the system has locked up. But here’s the hopeful news: the brain also has a kind of “reset button.” And pressing it doesn’t always require years of effort. Sometimes it starts with small, intentional shifts. Or, as many say, with the right tool, you can get the job done.
How the Brain Gets Stuck
Neuroscience has revealed that our brains are constantly revising themselves through a process called memory reconsolidation. When a memory is recalled, it becomes flexible for a brief period, like opening up a computer file. In that window, the brain can update the meaning of the memory before storing it again. If we don’t bring in anything new, the old pattern just re-saves. But if we add fresh input, a new perspective, a calming rhythm, a felt sense of safety, the brain can literally rewrite the script.
Research is beginning to show how this works on multiple levels. For example, studies have demonstrated that eye movements during memory recall reveal distinct emotional reactivation patterns (Bochynska & Laeng, 2022), and that the gaze itself seems to serve as a spatial index that helps the brain locate and update stored experiences (Bochynska & Laeng, 2023). Other findings suggest that intentional eye movements can disrupt the grip of intrusive emotional memories and reduce their intensity (de Voogd et al., 2023)
That means the “frozen” feeling, belief, or relationship to the past isn’t permanent. It’s a signal that the system is ready for an update (reboot).
The Power of Small Shifts
Think about times in your life when something tiny made a big difference:
A song that instantly lifted your mood.
A smell that transported you back to childhood.
A single kind word that softened your whole body.
These are everyday examples of the brain’s reset process. A new cue interrupts the old loop and makes space for change. Science shows us that small shifts like gaze direction, rhythmic sounds, visual experiences or imaginations and mindful attention can tap into this same reset function, helping us move out of stuck patterns and into new possibilities.
From Being Stuck to Flowing
In Harmonic Brain Healing (HBH), we work with these natural reset mechanisms intentionally. By combining simple elements such as a shift of the eyes, a steady rhythm, a mindful pause, a new perspective, people often discover that what once felt overwhelming can soften, transform, and even open into strength.
People often describe the experience as replaying the same memory over and over, until something finally clicks. In that moment, they notice themselves feeling calmer, freer, and less trapped in the old story.
For example, one client came into HBH sessions carrying the weight of an unbearable tragedy, the sudden loss of a loved one. Every reminder reopened the pain, keeping them caught in grief as if it had just happened. Through the process, something shifted. They began to experience the memory differently: no longer as an endless loop of anguish, but as a moment held within a larger story of love, resilience, and possibility. In time, they felt a sense of release, able to carry the loss with compassion rather than being consumed by it.
That’s the brain’s reset button in action.
A Reset for You
Take a moment to try this simple reset for yourself. Find a comfortable position and give yourself a pause from the day.
Let your gaze soften. You don’t have to look at anything in particular, just allow your eyes to rest gently.
Notice your breath. Without changing it, simply feel the rhythm of air moving in and out.
Bring to mind something you’ve been ruminating on. It might be a worry, a memory, or a thought that keeps circling back.
Ask yourself: How would I like to live with this differently?
Imagine the possibility of being able to shift this. Sense what that may feel like or be like in your mind and body.
Stay with that picture for a moment. Allow yourself to experience the new possibility as if it were already taking shape.
Now, gently move your eyes to a different spot. Place that new image or feeling in this fresh gaze position.
Let yourself begin to orient toward this new direction. Notice how your body and emotions respond as you align with the new.
Even a brief practice like this can give you a glimpse of the brain’s reset power. The thought or memory may still be there, but the relationship to it begins to change. This gives space for more ease, compassion, and freedom.
Experience It in Training
If you’re curious to explore how these brain resets work and how to use them for yourself or with clients, I invite you to join me for an upcoming Harmonic Brain Healing training. Together, we’ll dive into the science and discover how small shifts open the door to lasting change.
Because sometimes, the difference between stuck and free is as simple as pressing reset.
👉 [Click here to learn more and register.]
References
Bochynska, A., & Laeng, B. (2022). Eye-movement scanpaths during retrieval of emotional memories reveal distinct emotional reactivation patterns. Cognitive Processing, 23(1), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10339-021-01053-2
Bochynska, A., & Laeng, B. (2023). Gaze scanpaths during memory retrieval reveal spatial
de Voogd, E. L., Otgaar, H., & van den Hout, M. A. (2023). Eye movements reduce the intensity of intrusive memories: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 80, 101882. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37448060indexing. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 21965. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48744-z
