An Amygdala hijack – Don’t let it happen to you.

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Responding to difficult situations and problems can be stressful on a daily basis and how the body responds to the stimulus can affect your decision making. The “flight or flight” emotions we feel during these situations result not only from an outside stimulus but also an internal attack within our brains. The amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for emotional memory, can experience a hijack when it has to respond to a threat with high emotional intensity. During this hijack, the amygdala overtakes the neocortex (the portion of the brain that is responsible for reasoning) and impairs the person’s ability to think logically. The number of different solutions a person could normally think of decrease and make it difficult to get through the situation. With the amount of hormones and adrenaline being released into the body at this time, it typically can take three to four hours for the “fight or flight” emotions to clear.

Though it may seem far-fetched, we as humans can take different measures to help prevent or slow down an amygdala hijack. The first step is to stop and identify the stimulus causing the amygdala hijack so that it keeps the neocortex involved. Second, taking long and deep breaths helps keep the person focused on the situation. Third, appreciating the landscape or source of the problem can help prevent the neocortex from being taken over.  In other words, the power of positive thinking  will help keep the neocortex involved and will help prevent a hijack from occurring. Lastly, take time afterwards to identify the situation, what triggered the emotions and learn from it. Understanding why it happened and how it could happen again can help prevent an amygdala hijack from occurring.

When it comes to facing certain issues and problems, facing the situation directly is typically the best solution. For example, if a large bill needs to be paid, running away from the situation will not help because the amount of interest (if any) will start to pile up and legal action could occur if you run from it for too long. Resorting to the “flight” response in this type of situation will not make the problem go away. Finding a way to face the situation by preventing or stopping an amygdala hijack can help you face the problem at hand and come to a solution.

Having a positive attitude, thinking of the good things in life, and exercise are all other great ways to handle a difficult situation and keep the neocortex involved. Bad situations occur in life and are unavoidable at times, however, having a positive attitude helps. Having a positive attitude helps keep the neocortex in action and helps derive a solution to the problem. Believing that the problem can and will be solved instead of believing it cannot be solved is a much better option. Thinking of the good things in life such as furry pets, children, awards and other positive accolades helps the person focus and motivated to solve the situation. Exercise helps clear some of the excess adrenaline being pumped into the body and can help prevent the amygdala from taking over. Exercise can even help calm a person and help them think more rationally about the situation. With a positive attitude and exercise, the person can calm themselves and help prevent an amygdala hijack from occurring.

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