As we have evolved, our bodies and brains have changed over time, but some of the oldest parts of our brains have been inherited from our earliest ancestors.
It’s the job of the ancient parts of our brain to tell us when there is danger or threat.
When faced with danger, our brain sends and receives messages from our body as it prepares to fight, run or freeze, and we experience a stress response.
Heart rate and breathing increases to fuel our muscles with oxygen, taking blood away from other parts of our bodies, and leaving us feeling very different.
We get tense, wound up, and ready to react.
When we deal with a life and death situation, the ‘primitive brain’ takes over, our body responds immediately to help us survive and stay safe.
After a traumatic experience, when the danger has passed, our ‘primitive brain’ can get stuck in this high alert mode.
Getting stuck in high alert mode makes it really hard to notice if the environment is safe.
Living life this way can be really exhausting.
We can be more reactive, even when there’s nothing to react to.
We might snap at minor misunderstandings.
Our attention and concentration are affected, and it’s much harder to wind down, relax or get to sleep.
As we have evolved, our bodies and brains have changed over time, but some of the oldest parts of our brains have been inherited from our earliest ancestors.
It’s the job of the ancient parts of our brain to tell us when there is danger or threat.
When faced with danger, our brain sends and receives messages from our body as it prepares to fight, run or freeze, and we experience a stress response.
Heart rate and breathing increases to fuel our muscles with oxygen, taking blood away from other parts of our bodies, and leaving us feeling very different.
We get tense, wound up, and ready to react.
When we deal with a life and death situation, the ‘primitive brain’ takes over, our body responds immediately to help us survive and stay safe.
After a traumatic experience, when the danger has passed, our ‘primitive brain’ can get stuck in this high alert mode.
Getting stuck in high alert mode makes it really hard to notice if the environment is safe.
Living life this way can be really exhausting.
We can be more reactive, even when there’s nothing to react to.
We might snap at minor misunderstandings.
Our attention and concentration are affected, and it’s much harder to wind down, relax or get to sleep.
But you can learn to switch off the brain’s high alert mode.
It takes practice and patience, but with time you can learn ways to manage how you respond to stress.
Each time you practice, you are one step closer to taking charge of your emotions.