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Mar 13, 2020 · The following steps can help you cultivate stress-hardiness: 1. Check your cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are automatic thinking patterns that cause a distorted view of reality ...
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Stress in our lives can create the conditions for us to...
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3 days ago · Why do we overreact to stressful situations? ... People can and do die during a violent encounter. ... understanding the basics of our evolutionary response to stress can help us grasp why humans ...
Aug 14, 2018 · Stress in our lives can create the conditions for us to overreact. But even though doing so might release tension in the moment, it doesn’t solve the true source of the stress. ... Many people ...
Dec 29, 2023 · Why Do People Overreact? Overreacting happens when we become too focused on our thoughts and feelings, according to Psychology Today. ... Stress and pressure: ...
- Sushmita Sharma
- Overview
- What are the symptoms of an amygdala hijack?
- How can you stop an amygdala hijack?
- How to prevent an amygdala hijack
- The takeaway
The amygdala is part of the limbic system, which regulates emotional and behavioral responses. An amygdala hijack is a fight-or-flight response to stress.
To better understand what an amygdala hijack is, you’ll need to understand a bit about how the brain functions. You’ll also need to understand two specific parts of the brain: the amygdala and the frontal lobes.
Fight or flight
The amygdalae are clusters of almond-shaped cells located in the brain’s base. Everyone has two in each hemisphere. They define and regulate emotions, store memories, and attach those memories to specific emotions.
The amygdala also activates the fight-or-flight response. This response can help people in immediate physical danger react quickly for their safety and security. For example, the fight-or-flight response helped early humans respond to threats to avoid injury or death.
The amygdala activates this fight-or-flight response without any initiative from you. When that part of your brain senses danger, it signals your brain to pump stress hormones, preparing your body to either fight for survival or to flee to safety.
The symptoms of an amygdala hijack are caused by the body’s chemical response to stress. When you experience stress, your brain releases two kinds of stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. Both of these hormones, which are released by the adrenal glands, prepare your body to fight or to flee.
Together, these stress hormones do a number of things to your body in response to stress. They:
•increase blood flow to muscles, so you have more strength and speed to fight or flee
•expand your airways so you can take in and use more oxygen
•increase blood sugar to provide you immediate energy
•dilate pupils to improve your vision for faster responses
An amygdala hijack is an automatic response. Your body takes action without any conscious input from you.
However, that does not mean you will be unable to stop or prevent an amygdala hijack. It just takes a conscious effort to deactivate your amygdala and activate your frontal lobes, the part of your brain responsible for rational, logical thinking.
When you feel threatened or significantly stressed, acknowledge how your body feels and what it is doing. This is your body’s flight-or-fight response. Take stock of your emotions and physical symptoms, if any. (In the beginning, this evaluation may have to occur after an episode, as stopping a hijack in the moment may be difficult.
Then, when you feel this response again, acknowledge it, and work to regain control. Remind yourself this is an automatic response, but not the most logical one.
When you have calmed down or feel less stressed, you can activate your frontal cortex. Begin by thinking about what activated the response, and how you felt. Then, consider responses you can and should have. These will be more thoughtful and rational responses. If you still feel emotional in the moment, give yourself more time.
During the height of a fight-or-flight response, breathing can be a powerful tool. Think about the speed of your breath, and work to slow it down. Find a calm, natural rhythm. Focus on how your body feels as you inhale and exhale.
The best way to prevent an amygdala hijack is to understand what things trigger the reaction so you can avoid them. Alternatively, you can use practices like mindfulness to help you better control your body’s responses when you feel the reaction.
Emotional, mental, and even physical stress can trigger the amygdala’s fight-or-flight response. When you begin to feel the symptoms of an amygdala hijack, pause. Take note of what you’re feeling and what led you to this moment. Recognize any bodily changes you’re experiencing.
Also, consider what triggered these feelings. Most people’s triggers will fall into the same general categories (stress, anger, aggression), but each person’s triggers will be unique to them.
These are the beginning steps of a practice called mindfulness. Mindfulness helps you be more present and engaged in your responses and choices.
Through mindfulness, you can take stock of things like how you’re feeling and what’s stimulating you. You can learn to respond rationally and logically. This is another way of saying you can take control away from your amygdala and hand it back to your frontal cortex.
Mindfulness takes practice. It’s easy to wander with your thoughts when you first try to focus on your body and feelings. But as with so many things, practice makes it easier.
The amygdala’s fight-or-flight response was useful to early humans. They regularly experienced real, immediate physical threats. Today, that’s not the case.
The modern world is full of stress, but it’s often caused by reactions to events, like natural disasters and strife, or even work, traffic, and arguments with family. The amygdala still responds to this stress as if it were a physical threat.
However, you can prevent this amygdala hijack. You can gain control over your brain’s irrational emotional reactions.
You can do this by slowing down, taking deep breaths, and refocusing your thoughts. These steps allow your brain’s frontal lobes to take over for the irrational amygdala. When this happens, you have control over your responses, and you won’t be left feeling regret or embarrassment at your behavior.
Apr 3, 2024 · Techniques to counter chronic stress. Many people are unable to find a way to put the brakes on stress. Chronic low-level stress keeps the HPA axis activated, much like a motor that is idling too high for too long. After a while, this has an effect on the body that contributes to the health problems associated with chronic stress.
Oct 7, 2020 · Huberman's lab studies what influences our stress response with the goal of helping people learn to use the parasympathetic "rest and digest" part of the autonomic nervous system to de-escalate the arousal of stress. "The most common way that we've learned to turn off the stress response is to ingest food, carbohydrates in particular. ...
