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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Rewire Your Anxious Brain summary
Catherine M. Pittman
Elizabeth M. Karle
How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry
17 mins
Brief summary
Rewire Your Anxious Brain is a practical guide to overcoming anxiety by understanding how the brain works. Pittman & Karle break down the science and offer tested techniques to retrain anxious brains.
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Rewire Your Anxious Brain
Summary of 5 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 5
The amygdala communicates through emotional memories.
Humans have evolved with a strong fear response that protects us from potential danger. But these responses may not be well suited to situations we face today. For example, speaking in front of a large audience poses no inherent danger, so why does the anxiety response kick in beforehand?
The answer lies in a region of the brain called the amygdala, which comes from the Greek word for almond – because that’s its shape. There are actually two amygdalas, but we refer to them as one.
The amygdala is the brain’s alarm system; it constantly scans for threats and dangers. When switched on, it has direct access to other parts of the brain that can push the body into flight, fight, or freeze mode.
These include the hypothalamus, which releases cortisol and adrenaline hormones that prepare the body for action. It also activates the sympathetic nervous system, or SNS, which causes physiological changes like fast breathing, a rapid heart rate, dilated pupils, and sweating.
What’s key about the amygdala-anxiety pathway is that it operates outside of language and logic. Those are cortex-related things, which we’ll explore later.
In fact, the amygdala is capable of completely overriding your cortex – especially in moments of danger, so you may not consciously realize what you’re doing. It’s that out-of-body experience when reacting quickly behind the wheel to avoid a crash. It’s all adrenaline and amygdala.
So why does all this matter? Because when anxiety is activated in the amygdala, logic is useless against it. That’s why it never works to tell someone who’s panicking to just calm down. Instead, the amygdala operates in emotional memories, which you experience directly – not through images or conscious cues.
Once the amygdala associates a situation or object with the emotion fear, then the neurons wire together, fusing into a memory. When faced with a similar object or situation next time, the emotional memory triggers an anxiety response. So rewiring amygdala-based anxiety requires learning to communicate in the language of emotional memories.
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What is Rewire Your Anxious Brain about?
Rewire Your Anxious Brain (2015) is a powerful guide to overcoming anxiety. Based on the latest research in neuroscience, it explains how two separate regions of the brain are responsible for producing anxiety – and how each requires different strategies and approaches.
Rewire Your Anxious Brain Review
Rewire Your Anxious Brain (2015) is a comprehensive book that guides readers on how to retrain their brains to overcome anxiety. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With its research-backed strategies, it offers practical tools and techniques to effectively manage and conquer anxiety.
- Through real-life examples and relatable stories, it helps readers understand and relate to the experiences of others, making it highly relatable.
- The book's engaging and accessible language makes it easy to follow and comprehend, ensuring that readers won't find it boring.
Who should read Rewire Your Anxious Brain?
- Anxiety sufferers
- Therapists looking for new strategies
- Brain science enthusiasts
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Rewire Your Anxious Brain FAQs
What is the main message of Rewire Your Anxious Brain?
The main message of Rewire Your Anxious Brain is how to understand and overcome anxiety using brain science and practical strategies.
How long does it take to read Rewire Your Anxious Brain?
The reading time for Rewire Your Anxious Brain varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Rewire Your Anxious Brain a good book? Is it worth reading?
Rewire Your Anxious Brain is a valuable read for anyone dealing with anxiety. It offers insights and techniques that can help you rewire your brain for a calmer and more fulfilling life.
Who is the author of Rewire Your Anxious Brain?
Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle
What to read after Rewire Your Anxious Brain?
If you're wondering what to read next after Rewire Your Anxious Brain, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
- How We Heal by Alexandra Elle
- The Answer to Anxiety by Joyce Meyer
- Anxious by Joseph Ledoux
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
- The First Minute by Chris Fenning
- How to Speed Read People by Patrick King
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Mindset by Carol Dweck