S1 EP4 | The Neuroscience of Stress | The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
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Why Can't We Think Straight Under Stress?
hey everybody and welcome back to the messy podcast if you want to skip the ads and get right into the good stuff you can sign up to be a premium member on apple podcasts or you can also head over to our website at themessypodcast.com we're in the thick of season one foundations of the let them theory and today's deep dive is all about the neuroscience of stress it's episode four and we're going to explore why our brains might be working against us when it comes to handling those everyday pressures You know that feeling of being constantly on edge, like you're just surviving, not thriving.
That's a really great way to put it, and it's incredibly common. Most people don't realize just how deeply stress affects our brains.
Okay, so let's paint a picture for our listeners. Imagine you're at the airport. Flights are delayed. Babies are crying. The security line looks like it stretches to the next time zone. You feel that familiar knot of tension in your chest. Your heart's racing. You might even snap at the person trying to cut you in line.
It's a classic stress response. And what's fascinating is that this reaction is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. That feeling of overwhelm is your amygdala kicking in. It's this little almond-shaped part of your brain that acts as a sort of primal alarm system. You know, back in the caveman days, it was super helpful for things like dodging saber-toothed tigers.
So it's like our brain's ancient watchdog, always on the lookout for danger.
Exactly. But here's the thing. In today's world, we're not usually facing life or death situations. But our amygdala hasn't quite caught up with modern times. It still reacts to traffic jams and work deadlines as if they were threats to our survival.
That makes so much sense. It's like our brains are stuck in overdrive, even when there's no real danger.
Right. And what's even more interesting is what happens in the rest of the brain when this alarm system goes off. While your amygdala is screaming danger, it actually hijacks your prefrontal cortex. That's the part of your brain responsible for rational thinking, decision making and focus.
Hold on. So it's like our thinking brain gets taken hostage by our panic brain. No wonder we make impulsive decisions or say things we regret when we're stressed.
Exactly. Think of it this way. Your prefrontal cortex is like the YZF of your brain, calmly assessing the situation. But when your amygdala senses danger, it's like this hyperactive monkey jumps in and starts throwing things around, making a mess of everything.
So we're not just feeling addressed. Our brains are literally going haywire.
And this is where the let them theory comes in. It's about understanding this dynamic and developing tools to help you regain control, to quiet that panicked monkey and let the wise owl take back the reins.
I love that analogy. OK, to illustrate this, I want to share a story about my friend Mel. Let's just say she had a bit of an over-the-top reaction to someone coughing on a plane. It involved a lot of hand sanitizer and some very intense stares.
Oh, we've all been there. Sometimes that amygdala takes over before we even realize what's happening. I'm curious to hear how this plays into the idea of our brains being hijacked by stress.
Picture this packed plane. Everyone's crammed in and this person starts coughing, not even a hacking cough, just a little throat clearing. But for Mel, it was like a biohazard alarm went off in her head. She immediately went into full on germ warfare mode.
It sounds like her amygdala perceived that cough as a genuine threat and bypassed her rational mind.
Right. It was like a switch flipped in her brain. And afterwards, when we talked about it, she admitted that her reaction was completely over the top. She even joked that her amygdala had staged a coup d'etat.
It's a perfect example of how stress can hijack our behavior. We all have those Mel moments where we react in ways that are out of proportion to the situation. But understanding the neuroscience behind it can help us become more aware of these patterns and choose a different response.
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