Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking

by Caroline Leaf

TABLE 2. Brain Structures Brain Structure Description Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Active when we are awake and consciously thinking, feeling, and making choices, and very active when we are intentional and deliberate about doing so. Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) An area in the PFC specifically active when switching attention, working memory, maintaining abstract rules, and inhibiting inappropriate responses. Amygdala Responds to emotional perceptions, like a library holding the emotional feelings attached to memories. Hippocampus Active when we convert short-term memory to long-term memory.