Episode 042 - Lizard Brain Top Tips

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On this episode of Sh!t We Don’t Talk About, Mia is joined by three-time Amazon bestselling author Drew Linsalata to discuss why teaching the fear center in your brain – that pesky lizard brain – to slow down is a good idea. Slowing down, even when stress and anxiety are demanding that you speed up, can go a long way toward achieving a calmer, less frantic life.

Click to Read: Podcast Transcript

Click to Listen: Blogpost Reading

The Highlights

Seven Percent Slower is a little mental trick that Drew came up with during his own anxiety recovery journey that can remind you to SLOW DOWN rather than speeding up when stressed, anxious, or afraid.
Learning to slow down on demand is VERY useful not just for anxiety issues, but for the general stress that life throws at us all the time.
No, you can not actually go seven percent slower. There’s no math here. Seven percent is just a mental device that reminds you to go slower by some amount.
Life is full of little opportunities to practice the art of slowing down and being more mindful. Daily activities like showering, tooth brushing, eating, walking, or even listening to podcasts can become tools that you can use to practice very basic mindfulness and slowing down.
There’s no need to be overwhelmed by trying to not be overwhelmed. Living more mindfully as a path to anxiety recovery or more effective stress management does not have to involve a major mindset or spiritual shift. Just learn to slow down. It’s not that hard. You don’t have to read 75 books and attend 6 meditation weekend retreats to do this.
Learning to slow down isn’t an instant anxiety or stress cure, but it can give you a bit more space to work in when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Think about the way you start rushing around and speeding up when you get stressed or anxious. It’s almost automatic. You’re likely doing it without even being aware. This isn’t really required (unless of course you are being chased by a hungry lion), and is likely making things worse for you.
Learning to go seven percent slower is about sending safety signals back down to the fear center in your brain – your lizard brain (the amygdala). This part of your brain will continue to order you into action – URGENT, FAST ACTION – until it gets the all-clear experientially. It will keep pouring fuel on your anxiety and stress fire until you show it that this is no longer required.
One way to teach your confused lizard brain to calm to f*ck down is to SLOW DOWN. Speed is a danger signal. Slowness is an “all clear”. Learn to slow down. Your lizard brain will hear that and adapt accordingly over time.
Unfortunately, your lizard brain evolved to keep you alive in an environment where daily threats to survival were real, and continually present. That’s not a thing these days, so your poor lizard brain is reacting to crappy behavior you see on Facebook as if you are being chased by a woolly mammoth with a bad attitude.
Seven Percent Slower is full of simple, practicable tips and techniques for learning how to slow down, even when your lizard brain is demanding that you speed up.
You don’t have to live your entire life in slow motion. Just learn how to slow down, practice that skill, and use it when appropriate. That’s not so bad, is it?