Understand the Amygdala Hijack to respond better to adversities

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Abstract

gdala in the brain, to deal with actual life-threatening scenarios.<h2 id="b549">Why is the body mistaking a project deadline as life-threatening?</h2>Our early ancestors had to deal with life-threatening elements like wild animals on a daily basis. The “flight or fight” mechanism evolved to cater to the constant occurrence of life-threatening scenarios and this played a crucial role in survival.Despite living in a relatively civilized and advanced society, we continue to perceive a lot of elements as life-threatening, and the body continues to provide the exact same response meant for a dangerous situation.But, actions taken under emotions seldom lead to anything constructive.The prefrontal cortex has the capacity to analyze a dangerous situation and provide a rational response. But, the prefrontal cortex becomes a sitting duck when the amygdala hijacks the system during a dangerous situation or in a situation perceived to be life-threatening. This is primarily why we feel shame or embarrassment after an emotional episode. None of the actions w

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as driven by logic.The amygdala is important in life-threatening situations and it doesn’t make sense to meddle with that circuitry. But, it is important to ensure this happens only for actual threats. The process is simple but definitely requires practice.A clear place to start would be breath control. The rhythm and pace of breath are clear signs of how the body is feeling. Controlling the breath helps in overriding the amygdala hijack and allows the prefrontal cortex to make a logical response.There’s a reason why soldiers are taught breath control during their military training. Since every mission is life-threatening, there is a high chance of an amygdala hijack and actions stemming from logic paralysis from a soldier’s end. This can be catastrophic during a war or a deadly mission.We may not be fighting enemies like soldiers, but we all have our own formats of enemies and battles they come in. Enemies are inevitable, but it is optional to fight them with an amygdala hijack.Thank you for reading!</article></body>

Understand the Amygdala Hijack to respond better to adversities

A deadline is closing in, and you are aware of how much extra work is required for meeting the timeline. Overthinking causes anxiety to cloud your judgement, and there is a perception of fear; fear of failure to be precise.

This fear induces what is commonly called as stress.

As fear spreads, the adrenal glands release two stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones prepare the body for fighting a threat; pumping more blood to the muscles; relaxing the airways for increased oxygen intake, and dilation of pupils for enhanced vision.

But, this is the body’s flight or fight response, controlled by the amygdala in the brain, to deal with actual life-threatening scenarios.

Why is the body mistaking a project deadline as life-threatening?

Our early ancestors had to deal with life-threatening elements like wild animals on a daily basis. The “flight or fight” mechanism evolved to cater to the constant occurrence of life-threatening scenarios and this played a crucial role in survival.

Despite living in a relatively civilized and advanced society, we continue to perceive a lot of elements as life-threatening, and the body continues to provide the exact same response meant for a dangerous situation.

But, actions taken under emotions seldom lead to anything constructive.

The prefrontal cortex has the capacity to analyze a dangerous situation and provide a rational response. But, the prefrontal cortex becomes a sitting duck when the amygdala hijacks the system during a dangerous situation or in a situation perceived to be life-threatening. This is primarily why we feel shame or embarrassment after an emotional episode. None of the actions was driven by logic.

The amygdala is important in life-threatening situations and it doesn’t make sense to meddle with that circuitry. But, it is important to ensure this happens only for actual threats. The process is simple but definitely requires practice.

A clear place to start would be breath control. The rhythm and pace of breath are clear signs of how the body is feeling. Controlling the breath helps in overriding the amygdala hijack and allows the prefrontal cortex to make a logical response.

There’s a reason why soldiers are taught breath control during their military training. Since every mission is life-threatening, there is a high chance of an amygdala hijack and actions stemming from logic paralysis from a soldier’s end. This can be catastrophic during a war or a deadly mission.

We may not be fighting enemies like soldiers, but we all have our own formats of enemies and battles they come in. Enemies are inevitable, but it is optional to fight them with an amygdala hijack.

Thank you for reading!