polyvagal theory – Better & Betterer

Stop Declaring (Internal) Wars

by Jessika Jake

A lot of well‑meaning but misinformed people spread notions along the lines of “Slay your inner dragons,” “Conquer your saboteurs,” “Kill the ANTs,” or “Ego is the enemy.” This language

Your Personality Doesn’t Have Style

by Jessika Jake

People still spread notions along the lines of “You’re just an introvert,” or “That’s just your personality style,” or “I am X personality type.” These sound tidy and scientific, but

Your Thoughts Are Late to the Party

by Jessika Jake

A lot of well‑meaning but misinformed people spread notions along the lines of “Change your thoughts to change your life,” or my least favorite, “Your emotions only come from your

The Defense Cascade

by Jessika Jake

The defense cascade describes the predictable, biologically conserved sequence through which the nervous system responds to perceived threat, moving from mobilization toward immobilization as danger escalates or becomes inescapable. While

Neuroception, Proto-affect and Affect Precede Emotion (and Feeling)

by Jessika Jake

In polyvagal theory, neuroception is the brain–body system’s pre‑conscious detection of safety, danger, or life-threat from internal bodily cues, other people, and the environment. This detection then automatically shifts autonomic

Be Reviews Spiritual Adventures Think, Play, Create

Want X-Ray Vision? Use The S.E.C.™ Check

by Jessika Jake

The S.E.C.™ is a polyvagal-informed model. In this post I cover the basics of Polyvagal Theory — the 3 main states. These videos are actually excerpts from the accredited certification

Be Lead Well

The Emotionally Intelligent Employee: Preparing for the Human Skills of the Future

by Jessika Jake

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is often depicted in four key quadrants: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Back in 2017 Google looked at over 100 teams and they found out

Be Lead Well

Beyond CBT: Unpacking Thought Errors as Helpful Shortcuts and When to Dig Deeper

by Jessika Jake

We’ve all experienced those moments where our thoughts seem to be working against us. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) often categorizes these as ‘thought errors’ or ‘cognitive distortions.’ But what if

Be Lead Well Spiritual Adventures

A Special Feature of the Biological Spacesuit: Neuroception

by Jessika Jake

Neuroception is a term introduced by Dr. Stephen Porges, a renowned researcher in the field of neuroscience and psychophysiology. It refers to the subconscious (“behind the scenes”) process through which

The Feather-O-Meter (Fun with Polyvagal Theory)

by Jessika Jake

The biological spacesuit (body) comes with a handy feather-O-meter. There are 3 main states: GREEN, YELLOW, and RED. You might recognize these as the states describe in The Polyvagal Theory,

We help unleash vitality through global best practice leadership using the Knowledge Compounding Approach™ (KCA)—where learning clicks into place via our flagship models: D.R.I.V.E. Success™, The S.E.C. Check™, and Mind CREW™. Our founder, Jessika Jake (PMP®, PgMP®, PfMP®, ITIL-SL, CSM) with 20+ years of experience, has worked with prestigious organizations including the U.S. Air Force, HP, and Stanford University. We deliver transformative experiences, driving 97-325% increases in effective hourly rate and 130% productivity improvement. Recognized by ASTD and ISPI, our certified experts empower you to escape ever-stressed mode, unveil vitality, and create positive impact.