EP 73: Confidence in a Crisis
- EP 73: Confidence in a Crisis Alyssa Dver 20:57
The human brain is a marvelous thing. All day long it’s tasked with protecting us from anything it perceives as a threat, and it takes that job seriously.
So seriously, in fact, that it actually can’t discern the difference between real, life-threatening situations and getting a vague, last-minute meeting request from our boss.
Whatever the danger, our brains sound the alarm bell, Stress hormones begin to flood our system and our amygdalas – that primitive part of our brain – go into overdrive.
We fight, we flee, we freeze or we fawn, all in the name of creating safety and Security.
With biology at play like that, is it possible to be confident in a crisis?
The answer is yes, but it’s more accurate to say we can learn how to be MORE confident in a crisis.
My guest on this episode of Real Confidence knows firsthand from her time in AmeriCorps what it’s like to live in a war zone and how we experience threats to our lives and threats to our status, income or Relationships in pretty much the same way.
She also has some excellent strategies for how to come back to center and anchor our perception in reality so we can operate from a calmer, cooler place when a crisis (real or perceived) hits.
Takeaways from our conversation include:
- Why it’s easier for men to compartmentalize than it is for women
- How to prevent a full-on amygdala hijacking when you feel it starting up
- The role curiosity can play in teaching your brain what it is and isn’t a crisis
- Just how much choice we all really have when in a moment of crisis
Kristine Scott developed her conflict response and training skills over years directing meal programs for the house insecure. Her monthly training sessions soon started drawing people from all over, leading her to found Seattle Conflict Resolution. Kristine is now a nationally recognized trainer and internationally lauded speaker on conflict management. Her mission is to help people bring their best selves into hard situations. You can learn more about Kristine at seattleconflictresolution.com.
