Brain Science for Anxious Simpletons Like Me

I am no neuroscientist, just an avid reader of the latest pop-book on how the brain works. Working through Override by Caroline Willams this week.

I love these brain books; I adore them because they reflect me to me.

My latest fascination is with the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, or BNST for short. I am partnering with that little beauty every day now.

I thought of her today - after completing the first Q & A session of my Group Teaching Discovery Course (which you can still join) - because one of the participants asked:

“What do I do about my anxiety in teaching groups?”

I did a whole piece of work with her – only insiders get to watch that – but here I decided to continue exploring her anxiety question (and she's probably reading it too), as I am sure you – my faithful reader – have some situation in your life where “anxiety” is your default?

Then stop listening to BNST – she’s your problem!

I’ll explain…

Neuroscientists differentiate between fear – of the fight, flight or freeze variety – and a lower level, general anxiety about something. How you approach teaching in a group may be in that second category – a thought that triggers anxiety, agitates you and stubbornly won’t go away.

Familiar? I have it when I think of my ex-lover, but let’s not go there.

Inside your brain are these two alarm centers – the amygdala and BNST – which both connect onto the same areas of your brain. Both alert us to danger, and trigger a reaction that will address whatever the concern is.

1. He is about to hit me with a baseball bat – amygdala.

OR

2. I am going to teach a group next week – BNST

Notice the difference between the two thoughts?

Go on, consider. What is the difference?

***

PAUSE HERE WHILE READER CONSIDERS DIFFERENCE OF TWO QUESTIONS

Go on, read both sentences again, and re-consider it.

***

Did you discover a difference?

The difference is that:

1. is a real-time actual sensory event;

WHEREAS

2. is an imagined non-existent sensory event.

The amygdala and BNST are serviced by different suppliers.

Go stand at 2 inches off the edge of the White Cliffs of Dover, and the amygdala will hit the siren and frighten you big time:

“Move away from the f***king edge !!!”
he is going to demand.

Start thinking about meeting your ex-boyfriend next week and the BNST will recollect all your dumb moments:

“Will I start behaving like his pet dog again?”
she is going to worry.

The neuroscientists claim that this difference between fear and anxiety – which you can empirically validate – is partly a result of these different brain areas influencing your behaviour.

Amygdala is wired to your sensory system – he is on the alert for real-time events that might require your attention.

BNST is wired to your memories – she is on the alert for situations that need planning and consideration to be successfully navigated.

Which is so TOTALLY FASCINATING. An example:

Stanislavsky – the great Russian teacher of acting – over 100 years ago figured this out for actors being hit with anxiety while performing on stage. He taught that:

“The truth in art lies in the circumstances.”

What he meant by that: when an the actor is paralyzed by anxiety while performing, he must immediately notice his circumstances. This starts with the colour of the carpet, the smell in the air, the expression on the other actor’s face…

Notice anything there?

Hang on – isn’t he in fact saying that you need to switch out of whatever you are obsessing about, and start experiencing the wonderful moment of now? In the sensory truth of now, none of your anxieties have any relevance.

And isn’t this an old piece of advice?

When anxious just try asking your Self:

• am I OK right now?
• Do I have everything I need right now?
• Am I safe?
• Do I remember my name?

And so on – until there is no space left to worry about a nonexistent future.

All part of what we are exploring in my group course – still time for you to join.

Chancer’s Group Teaching Discovery Course