Often feel stressed? Blame your "threatening brain"
You can re-control your fight or escape with two simple actions to "threat the brain".
Habits are hard to change. However, once you understand how your brain works, it will be easier to overcome your default tendencies and break problematic habits to create a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. The first step is to focus on your "threatening brain," said psychologist Natalie Wong, who is the author of Above Threat and an associate researcher at the Said School of Business at the University of Oxford.
"Threatening the brain is a way of talking about the brains of our early reptiles," she explained. "I want to give it another name, because when you start talking about the reptile brain, everyone thinks they know what it is. But the emotional brain is much more complicated."
Wong said that our brain is regulated by three interconnected nervous systems:
"Threat the brain" is our fight or flight system, the purpose of which is to survive.
"Drive the brain" is our driving force to achieve, compete and accumulate resources.
"Safe brain" is a nourishing and reflective rest state that makes us feel calm and relaxed.
"Each of them has an evolutionary theory, but the'threat brain' is still the easiest to activate," Wong said. "This is the core of our existence. Now, almost everyone has experienced the resurrection of that side of their brain, and many of us are trapped in a toxic way of brain work, which is driven by our threatening brain-usually I didn't realize it."
The body is in early signs of a threatening brain-induced toxic drive state, such as stomach tremors, muscle tension, or rapid heartbeat. You may not realize that you are threatening to function in the brain, because the toxic drive of the brain has become normal. However, if you disconnect from the sequence, you may not notice it until you are in a later stage, such as in an outburst of anger.
"My mantra is, ‘this is not your fault, but it may be your problem,’" Wong said. "Almost all of our problems stem from overactive threats to the brain."
Control threatens the brain
Wong said that at the beginning of a pandemic, when we are facing unknown dangers, threatening the brain will behave as it should, but over time, it will lead to confusion, uncertainty, overthinking and denial—defensive. The response is not particularly effective. But you can regain control through two actions.
First, pay attention to the way you speak to yourself. "It's surprising that people don't realize the narrative in their heads," Wong said. "It's just what they thought was going to happen, and they didn't really stop to listen to it."
Wong recommends writing down what actually happened in your mind when you were in a brain-threatening situation. "You will often find that what you say is increasing the threat," she said. "We have learned from research that people who are overly self-critical can trigger threat-related areas in their emotional system. Talking to yourself can put you under threat without you even knowing it."
Once you recognize the words that appear in your mind, you can solve them. Wong recommends talking to yourself like a friend, not a hateful enemy.
The second method is physical, because threatening the brain starts with physical experience.
"The breathing method seems a bit fashionable, but the entire work and research around breathing is so basic," Wong said. "I'm not suggesting mindfulness or spiritual practice. Just pay attention to how your breathing is good and bad for you."
A simple and rhythmic breathing method allows you to check yourself several times a day, which may be helpful. Adjusting your breathing over time will change your physiology, making you slower in response to threats.
"If you see someone having a panic attack, the first thing you will notice is their breathing pattern, which is fast and irregular," Wong said. "Breathing re-attracts attention to the body and enters the parasympathetic nervous system. This is a movement from driving behavior to a safe brain state. This requires a little practice, but it allows you to better cope with the upcoming psychological and social pressure."
Enter the "safe brain"
The safe brain is part of the emotional brain after reptiles threaten the brain. Wong said it developed as mammals began to realize that caring for their cubs greatly increased their chances of survival.
"The safe brain has evolved over millions of years; it is the part of us that is connected to the frontal cortex that allows us to soothe ourselves and rest," Wong said. "It allows us to enter a state of deep reflection to manage our attention and attention. Part of the reason is that the safe emotions in the brain produce hormones and chemicals, which also allow us to connect with people."
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