Is Your Brain Being Hijacked?

The amygdala is a mass of grey matter in the brain. It is around the size of an almond, and the word amygdala actually derives from the Ancient Greek word for almond. Even though we tend to refer to the singular ‘amygdala’, there are actually two amygdalae, as one can be found in each cerebral hemisphere. The amygdala makes up part of the limbic system, which is in charge of aspects of emotions and memories. It is considered to be involved in generating feelings of anxiety and fear, which can in turn lead to panic attacks, and is the part of the brain that triggers the ‘fear response’, which can manifest as the well known symptoms of a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath and feelings of impending doom.

How people respond to feelings of panic and fear depend on the activity levels of a person’s amygdala. Those with a low activity amygdala are able to combat feelings of fear easily, and tend not to overthink or catastrophize situations. Meanwhile, those with a hyperactive amygdala will find themselves regularly succumbing to anxiety and panic attacks, and ruminating about things going on that are out of their control. If you have an overactive amygdala, it’s likely that you have been feeling extremely anxious during the pandemic, and have opted to stay inside more than others, in order to avoid having to go out and put yourself in danger.

However, even those with a usually sleepy amygdala have been subjected to an amygdala hijacking during the past few months. We may know people in our lives that are usually level headed and rational, but suddenly are too afraid to leave the house! This is due to the activity levels in their amygdala increasing, making them renounce their rational judgment and composure.

How can we combat global amygdala hijacking?

Doing regular check ins with yourself will help you to catch negative thoughts before they have the opportunity to run wild in your brain. Each day, spend time to practice mindful thinking.

Mindfulness is more than just a buzzword in the brain health industry – practicing mindfulness every day has been shown to have life changing benefits to your brain health and happiness! Mindfulness is the state of being conscious or aware of something (such as your thoughts). There are many different ways you can practice mindfulness throughout the day, without even trying! Here is an easy Mindfulness exercise that you can practice daily to soothe a hyperactive amygdala:

1. Sit in a quiet space and close your eyes.

2. Become aware of your body sitting on the floor or chair – notice how your body feels.

3. Take a few deep, mindful breaths.

4. As you continue to breathe, notice any thoughts that come to your mind.

5. Acknowledge these thoughts, and thank them for being there.

6. Imagine these thoughts as clouds, and visualise them floating away, out of sight.

7. Spend 5-10 minutes on this exercise each day.

If you find it difficult meditating like this, there are lots of other ways to practice mindfulness throughout the day. Make your daily chores mindful by paying attention to each step of the task (smells, sounds, movements). This can also be applied to activities such as eating and walking.

While the pandemic sweeps the world it can be hard to feel in control of our safety, which in turn can make our amygdala more active as it perceives a great threat. This feeling can cause intense feelings of fear, panic and catastrophizing the situation. Getting clear on what we can and can’t control during this time and accepting this can go a long way in soothing a hijacked amygdala.  

A good way to practice this is to write 2 lists – the things you can’t control and the things you can control. This will help to highlight how much of your life you are actually in control of.

Here are some examples that you could write down:

- Other people’s social distancing.

- Other people’s mistakes.

- The ideas and beliefs others have about the pandemic.

- The future.

- How long the pandemic will last.

- You decide how much news content you consume.

- Your mental attitude.

- My own social distancing.

- Taking steps to ensure good hygiene.

- Finding things to do while at home.

While it is scary accepting that there are things you can’t control, realizing that you can be in control of your reactions and your attitude to situations can help you feel calmer and more rational.

One of the most effective ways of combatting amygdala hijack is by challenging the negative thoughts you experience. Anxious thoughts lie to us – they take a situation and make us believe that we are in a highly dangerous situation. It’s about time we start calling out our thoughts, and taking back control of our amygdala's and our lives.

By practicing mindfulness, as we spoke about earlier, we can start to monitor our thoughts. Are there any recurring negative thoughts that are causing you stress and anxiety? Start by questioning those – ask yourself:

- Am I catastrophizing?

- Is this a possibility or a certainty?

- What is the worst that can logistically happen?

- What would I tell a friend who had this thought?

- Is this a fact or a belief?

These questions should help you to realize that your thoughts are not certain facts, but simply beliefs stemming from a place of fear. When we can accept this, we can dissipate anxiety and our amygdala activity is dialed down.

Also as part of this process, you could try finding evidence for your belief. Consider a belief that you have that is currently causing you stress and anxiety. Challenge that thought by asking yourself what evidence you have for believing it.

Example: ‘If I leave the house, I will catch Covid-19’.

Evidence: 

- Covid spreads quickly

- Lots of people have contracted it

- Other people don’t follow guidelines

Now, create a new belief that balances your previous belief. What evidence do you have for this new belief?

Example: ‘If I leave the house, I will be okay’.

Evidence:

- I will socially distance 

- I will wear a mask and gloves 

- Only a minority of the population currently have Covid-19

Balancing your thoughts is an effective and easy way of reassuring your amygdala that it doesn’t need to produce a fear response as there is very little chance of danger.

The main reason for the current global amygdala hijacking is the overwhelming atmosphere of fear and anxiety in the world at the moment. While this is understandable in the current circumstances, the never ending negative talk from friends, family and news outlets make it hard to block the noise out.

One of the best ways of protecting our amygdala from hijack is to balance the negative news with the good that is also happening. We can do this by spending a little time each day to focus solely on the good things that happened in our day, and what we’re grateful for.

Start your day with gratitude. As soon as you wake up, before checking your phone, consider three things you’re grateful for. You can do this either by saying them in your head, out loud, or writing them down. The act of writing your gratitude list can be a therapeutic ritual that sets you up for the day.

The effect that gratitude has on the brain is astounding – when we take time to feel grateful for the things in our life, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which are the neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions. These ‘feel good hormones’ have an instant effect, making us feel happy and calm.  

At the end of the day, right before you go to bed, consider three good things that happened during your day. Our brains have become so used to only focusing on the things that makes us feel fearful and anxious that we are unable to see the positives.  

Even though it can be hard to find good in the world given many recent events, there are always little things happening in our life that we can appreciate. These things can be as little as:

- Taking your dog for a walk

- Having a fun group call with friends

- Making a delicious meal

- Watching your favourite TV show

- Sitting in the sun

Limiting your news consumption can also help you focus more on the good. If the facts, stats and stories are activating your amygdala, turn off the news and research good news articles. This will help to soothe your amygdala as it will restore your faith in the world, and make you feel safer and more calm.   

While monitoring your thoughts, practicing relaxation techniques and learning gratitude can help soothe a hijacked amygdala, it’s essential that we have the basics in check when it comes to our brain health. The basics include lifestyle aspects such as diet, sleep and exercise.

Foods that have been proven to calm the amygdala include:

- Fatty fish eg. Salmon (high in omega 3)

- Fermented foods eg. Yoghurt 

- Eggs (high in vitamin D)

- Dark chocolate

- Teas such as chamomile and green

You may also choose to supplement your diet by taking a dietary supplement. Vitamins and minerals known to reduce anxiety and the fear response include:

- Magnesium (this can be taken in pill form or by taking a magnesium bath)

- Vitamin B (primarily B12)

- Fish oil capsules 

It is also imperative that those with a hyperactive amygdala get the right amount of sleep a night. Aiming for 7-9 hours will give your brain time to heal, which is essential if you have a busy amygdala. Sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of anxiety, as it activates the areas of the brain involved in emotional processing. This can then lead to excessive worrying, and your body will enter into the fight or flight response quicker.     

In conclusion, even though we are currently experiencing a global amygdala hijacking due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we all have the power to control our amygdala's and not give in to fear. Through training our brains, controlling our thoughts and looking after our brain health, we can placate the activity of our amygdala's not to become overwhelmed by external stimuli. While it may seem like everything is currently out of our control, the way we respond to fear and adversity is always within our control.