Your Panicking Brain Isn't the Villain: Why It Might Be Running Your Life

You might think your panicking brain (primitive brain) is the enemy and you just need to override it. That’s not true – plenty of highly motivated, highly driven people are running entirely on their panicking brain, and you will recognise them after reading this.

Your panicking brain will absolutely stop you getting up early to exercise, send you into a panic over a work email, pour that glass of wine you swore you wouldn’t have.

But it can also be an incredible motivator – it’s the voice saying:

“You’re fat, go work out.”

“You’re lazy, stay late at work.”

“People will judge you, don’t you dare log off.”

“Respond within 45 seconds or you’re slipping.”

Ugh.

That’s your panicking brain too. And there’s nothing wrong with it — it’s kept us safe for a very long time. But it’s also been an absolute a-hole.

I’ve coached women who were wildly motivated but heading straight for burnout, because they were doing it all from feeling like crap and beating themselves with the inner critic.

We don’t suppress the panicking brain. We give it a smaller job, and let the prefrontal cortex – your planning brain – actually run your workday.

Same (actually usually better) output, but a completely different work week.

Next time you catch that voice running, try naming it first – “that's my panicking brain” – and then ask yourself one question: if I felt calm and capable right now, what would that part of me actually do?