In my last post, I examined the four pillars of mental preparation that help US Navy SEAL candidates achieve success. The main question I did not address was why it works.
It’s complicated, but it’s not brain surgery. It is brain science, though. Basically, when we are dealing with fear or stress, our brains are made up of two areas. The oldest is the Amygdala, sometimes referred to as the reptile brain. Evolutionarily speaking, this was the first “brain” and dealt with daily survival…It controls the instinctive “fight or flight” response. It processes extremely fast with limited information. Back in the day, survival depended on not being eaten.
The second part of the brain to deal with stress is the neocortex. This is the rational part of the brain that tries to reason through problems by looking for solutions. Evolutionarily, this part of the brain developed much, much later. Although quick, the rational brain spends time analyzing past experiences and current information to reach a conclusion on the best course of action.
When exposed to a “dangerous” situation, such as fear or stress, the reptile brain reacts instinctively. Its reaction is about twice as fast as the neocortex. Therefore, by the time your rational brain says “wait, there’s no danger” your reptile brain has already told your legs and feet to high-tail it out of there.
This brings us to why the SEAL training works. Training the brain (and body) to be totally in the moment, to visualize the process, to eliminate negative self-talk, and to slow down the breathing, allows the neocortex response to speed up. Now the rational brain has just as much say as the reptile brain in the situation. Usually the knee-jerk reaction demanded by the reptile brain will be overcome.
Any time we are in a new or stressful situation, our Amygdala kicks in. We can’t fight that because it is ingrained in us all. What we can do is work on methods to bypass the “fight or flight” response. The Navy SEALs have provided us with some tools; it is up to each individual to decide what to do with the tools. Once you have made the decision, a business coach can help you learn to use the tools.
Contact me for complimentary 30 minute session to explore whether your time of transition is near!
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