Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform

by Steve Magness

While there’s much to uncover still, the latest neuroscience provides a glimpse into why this occurs. As arousal increases, we have an interplay between two areas of the brain, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the amygdala. Our PFC is our “mental sketch pad,” where executive thinking and planning occur, and the amygdala helps process emotions, filters sensory information, and detects threats. In typical situations, there’s a productive interplay between these two systems. Our PFC takes the lead, receiving input from the amygdala and other areas but acting as a brake. It sends the message, “I hear you, but that’s not that big of a deal right now, so quiet down.” As stress and pressure increase, our PFC goes offline and lets our amygdala start shouting as loud as it wants. We lose our brake and the sensory information we start relying on changes.