Our brains are a wonderful complex organ that controls our thoughts, bodily functions, moods and so much more, often without us even realising.
Our brains are like super computers, and while our brains are very unique and special, they’re also like every other muscle in our body- the more we use it- the stronger it gets!
When we learn about the brain and it’s different parts, we also learn that as individuals we have a lot of ways to make our brains the best that they can be for us by using different techniques.
The brain is always taking in new information, coding and processing it- it doesn’t stay the same as we grow and learn because we are always learning and processing new information around us. The more we do this, the more our brains develop.
Think about the brain of a newborn baby and the brain you have today… they are completely different, because as you developed- so did your brain!
What this tells us is that our brain is not like a rock- rigid and unchanging.. But more like plasticine, it’s malleable and always changing. And we can help change it for the better!
The Upstairs and Downstairs Brain
Whilst the brain is made up of many different parts, we can broadly simplify it by breaking it up into the upstairs and downstairs brain.
The Downstairs Brain
The downstairs brain, the first to develop in the womb includes the reptilian and mammalian brain. From an evolutionary standpoint, these parts of the brain are older- with the reptilian brain being millions of years old!
The reptilian brain stem is responsible for our automatic bodily functions such as temperature control, breathing, heart rate, digestion etc. Basically a lot of our bodily functions that we never have to give any conscious thought to.
The mammalian brain which includes the amygdala and hippocampus are responsible for emotions and memory, respectively. The mammalian brain works with the reptilian brain to trigger the fight, flight or freeze response if a threat is detected.
Tip: Specific parts of the brain here that we want to remember include the brainstem which is part of the reptilian brain and the amygdala and hippocampus which is part of the mammalian brain.
The Upstairs Brain
The upstairs brain- also known as the thinking brain is unique to humans and what differentiates us from other species!
This part of our brain helps us with rational thought, logic, reasoning, creativity, language, imagination and so on- all the things that make humans different and special! This part of the brain continues to develop after birth and into adulthood.
As individuals who want to function well- the upstairs and downstairs brain have to work together and communicate with each other, or else we get some chaos!
Tip: Specifically, we are talking about the prefrontal cortex in the upstairs brain.
Fun Fact:
The prefrontal cortex doesn’t mature until your mid-late 20’s.
Our emotional brain doesn’t fully mature until our late 20’s-early 30s
Amygdala Hijack
The amygdala is part of the downstairs brain and is related to our emotions and survival.
It's main function from an evolutionary perspective, was to protect us from danger, through the fight, flight or freeze response. This was particularly helpful if we had to run away from a lion for instance, and had to act fast without taking too much time to think about what to do next
Nowadays, while the threats we face aren't quite the same, our amygdala still responds to stressful situations in the same way, and prepares your body for danger by taking over control of the mind and body
This is known as the amygdala hijack. It causes reactive, sudden behaviour when experiencing some sort of stress, threat or discomfort. When the amygdala takes over, it switches off the prefrontal cortex which is the rational part of our upstairs brain.
To help switch your rational brain on again, scientists suggest pausing, noticing the changes in your thoughts and body, and then taking a few deep breaths.
By calming your body down, your prefrontal cortex or your upstairs brain can start to function again and help you make better choices than you may have made during the amygdala hijack. Our aim is for our upstairs brain and downstairs brain to work together- what we call a "whole brain approach".
Research suggests that practicing this method over time reduces the reactivity of the amygdala significantly, and leads to better decision making in stressful situations.
The Hand Model of the Brain
To help us remember the different parts of the brain and how they work together, we can use this fun and easy to use hand model video.
Flipping Our Lids
Flipping our lids is another way to describe an amygdala hijack. In this fun animated video from the Momentous Institute, we use the hand model as a representation of the brain to see how our amygdala can “flip our lids’ when it’s overly stimulated!
Why Does All This "Brain Stuff" Matter?
Understanding your brain is important because it means we can learn how to help ourselves feel and learn better. For example, if we’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion and need to calm down, we now know that the Amygdala is overly active and that we need to calm it down so that our upstairs brain can take charge again.
Things that help the amygdala/downstairs brain and prefrontal cortex/upstairs brain to work together again include:
Tip: Remember- your body will be on high alert and likely won’t want to do anything to help itself feel better. However, the research shows us using these calming strategies can really help. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion, give them a try and find what works best for you!
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