Wired For Survival

It’s not your fault! It’s evolution!

As humans, are brains are wired for survival. The modern brain is about 50,000 years old. Many evolutionary psychologists believe that the core structure of the brain and our survival-focused instincts have not changed too much. Granted, the context of our fears has changed over the centuries. Primitive men were running from saber-toothed tigers and modern man is threatened by war/terrorism, cyber threats, job loss, social judgment and countless personal anxieties.

First responders are routinely exposed to stress and trauma as a normal part of their duties. They can be on high alert and in survival mode for extended periods of time. This is your brain on trauma:

During a stressful or dangerous situation, our brain (still wired for survival) scans the environment for danger through the senses (sight, sound, smells, taste, and touch). The hippocampus (provides context to threatening situations) helps to manage the fight-or-flight response by sending messages to the amygdala, linking memory and emotion, to help determine whether the threat is real. If the amygdala (the brain’s alarm center) detects a threat, it signals the hypothalamus, (the brain’s command center), activating the autonomic nervous system. The adrenal glands are activated, releasing stress hormones, (adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol) into the blood stream, preparing the body to fight, flight, or freeze.

If a threat is perceived (sometimes real and sometimes not), the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is engaged and physiological changes occur in the body, including an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, rapid heart rate, muscles tense, all to prepare it for action.

The hippocampus acts as a brake to the stress system to stop it once the threat has passed. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) engages to relax the body after periods of stress or danger. It slows down your heartrate and blood pressure, increases your digestion and relaxes the muscles that control elimination after periods of stress.

Being on high alert and survival mode for prolonged periods of time can impair the function of the hippocampus and its ability to regulate these responses. During times of acute stress, the hippocampus strengthens the formation of emotional memories, ensuring that you remember dangerous/highly stressful situations for future reference. This enhancement of emotional memories is related to the “negativity bias,” an important component of survival. This describes our tendency as humans to focus on, be aware of, recall more vividly negative events and interactions rather than focus on positive or neutral events or actions.

The negativity bias is evolutionary and goes back to early humans. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, to survive, it was critical to avoid potential dangers (someone or something that could destroy us) rather than seek out other necessities like food and shelter. Humans who were keenly aware of predators and other threats were more likely to survive and reproduce. Evolutionary biologists describe how the amygdala (the emotion center of the brain) uses about two thirds of its neurons scanning for threats. As a result, frightening and painful memories are more easily stored and accessible in long-term memory than pleasant events. Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson says the mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones.

If you are a first responder, you know all about the negativity bias. In a profession that involves repeated direct or indirect exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence, it is difficult to forget about someone we couldn’t save, the death of a child or a fatal accident. The negativity bias is a double edged sword. A first responder’s duties requires them to be hypervigilant and think on their feet in stressful or dangerous environments. On the other hand, a continued focus on the bad things that happened, can spill into one’s personal life, resulting in anxiety, depression, burn out, poor judgment and strained relationships.

Chronic stress or trauma can lead to anxiety disorders or PTSD causing the sympathetic nervous system to be overactive. What are ways to counteract the “negativity basis?” Given one size doesn’t fit all, there are numerous strategies to counter the negativity bias. Strategies include a consistent gratitude practice, reframing and challenging negative thoughts, and practicing self compassion to name a few.

I recommend starting and ending your day with intention. It goes something like this:

Upon waking in the morning, before checking your phone for social media updates, ask yourself, “How do I want to show up?”

What qualities do I want to bring into the world? Do I want to more kind, more generous, more patient, less angry, etc.… There are no right or wrong answers.

At the end of the day, before going to sleep, ask yourself, “What went well today?” Not what you did right - rather, “What went well today?”

Starting and ending your day with intention creates new neuropathways in the brain. Yes, it takes practice and consistency. It works if you work it!

I challenge you to start and end your day with intention every day for one week. Notice how you feel? What changes do you notice?

Let me know how this works for you!