Rick Torrison explains how naming your anxiety shifts brain activity from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex, giving you back control. Labeling what you feel creates distance from it. He walks through example phrases you can use right now.
You've got to name it to tame it. Neuroscience has proven that. Naming an emotion, it shifts brain activity from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex. It's the rational, decision making center of your brain. In plain terms, you take the power back right now. Say it out loud. I am feeling anxious about this pitch. I am experiencing fear over the decision. See, labeling the emotion creates space between you and that feeling. It takes it from the darkness and put it in the light. You're no longer drowning in it, you're observing it. That space gives you power. Remember, our feelings are real, but they're not always based in truth.
