Freeze your fight-flight response with this simple phrase.
This post was originally shared in my semi-frequent Learn Something New(sletter). To never miss info like this, join the party! 🥳
We’ve all been there.
Your stomach is turning, mouth is dry, back of your neck is steaming hot.
You suddenly have a need to flee the scene.
You want to argue aggressively against this invisible force.
But you’re not in physical danger. So why is your body acting like it is?
Dr. Brian King, half comedian half psychologist shares how to tackle this phenomenon in his book The Art of Taking it Easy.
We all know stress = bad.
There are ways to tackle that built up stress in your body, but how can we try to block the stressor from happening?
Let’s skip over that fight-flight response when it’s triggered by nonsense.
We don’t need to go into fix-it mode when it’s just traffic. Or a simple email.
So let’s dive right in!
Biggest whoa moment: Most of our stress actually comes from perceived threats, rather than real ones. With that, we have the power to change how our brain responds. “Your prefrontal cortex can alter or completely reverse decisions made by other areas of the brain and all you need are your own thoughts.” Wild.
Put it into practice now: The next time you feel yourself panicking - maybe you’re running late, stuck in traffic, thought you saw a bear, or received a particularly strongly worded email, ask yourself “Is this situation actually threatening?” If it is - get out of there! If not, tell yourself “This is not a threat to me.” That phrase can drastically assist you in telling your body’s fight/flight/freeze response to calm down because it’s not truly a life-threatening problem.
That’s it. That’s the phrase: “This is not a threat to me.”
Try it out. See how it feels!
If you’re still finding yourself agitated and struggling with handling stressors from work and your career, I can help you better assess threats, make plans and get ahead of potential stressors.
Go deeper:
Read the book: The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors
Find him on facebook: Dr. Brian King
Listen to his podcast: On the Road with Dr Brian King