When Does Your Lizard Brain Turn Into Godzilla?
published March 23, 2021
Photo by Francesco Ungaro from Pexels
by Catharine Hannay, from Being You: A Girl's Guide to Mindfulness
A lot of mindfulness teachers talk about the “lizard brain.” That’s because when humans feel frightened or stressed out, we can react the same way as primitive creatures like reptiles. The lizard brain gets scared even when you really aren’t in any danger, and it can make you lash out and do or say things you regret.
Have you ever experienced something like this? Maybe you were really worried about something that didn’t happen, or you got angry and said something you regret?
Because you’re not a reptile, you can use your creative human brain to figure out ways to respond more skillfully.
Think about a time when you overreacted and what you could have done differently. Then answer the following questions.
1. Why was I upset?
2. How did I overreact? What did I do?
3. Were there any signals that my lizard brain was getting out of control?
4. Have I noticed these signals before?
5. The next time I start to overreact, what can I do to turn my inner Godzilla into a little baby lizard?
Adapted from Being You: A Girl's Guide to Mindfulness, by Catharine Hannay. © Routledge, 2019. Used with permission. www.routledge.com
About the Author
Catharine Hannay, M.A., is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance. She was a teacher for twenty years, including a dozen years in the Intensive English Program at Georgetown University, and now works as a writer and editor specializing in mindfulness, effective communication, and mental health. CatharineHannay.com
Related Posts
There are many more resources on mindfulness and self-awareness here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts: