What is an Amygdala Hijack?

Six Seconds is the Emotional Intelligence Network. Our aim is 1 billion people practicing EQ by 2030 : www.6seconds.org
Here's how understanding what an #amygdalahijack is can help us to understand our reactions.
Text from the video: You know how sometimes you might react to something in a way that you later regret? For example, you see a message that makes you angry, and the next thing you know you've sent a reply... only later to think "oh nooo, why did I say that?" ?
Or maybe it's something more serious, like you feel threatened, and the next thing you know you've lashed out at somebody. When we feel threatened, we can easily flip into fight, flight or freeze. Why does this happen?
The amygdala is a cluster of almond-shaped cells located near the base of the brain. We have two of these clusters - they help to define and regulate #emotions. The frontal lobes are part of the brain's cerebral cortex. They allow you to evaluate your emotions and then use your experiences and judgement to consciously respond. Usually, when we are presented with a mild or moderate threat, our frontal lobes can help us decide what to do in response to the threat. In other words, you have the chance to think before you act... "is this really a threat?"
However, when our brain perceives that there is a very real danger, the amygdala will disable the frontal lobes and go straight into a fight / flight / freeze response.
The general idea here is "better safe than sorry".
This is very useful thing when we face a real threat - our bodies act faster than our conscious, thinking brains. But sometimes, even a comment from somebody can cause a hijacking. This can mean we feel embarrassed or ashamed later - when we realise what we've said or done.
The thing is, the brain responds to its perception of threat, which can have very little to do with the actual level of danger you are in. For people with #trauma, amygdala hijacks may be more common - your brain is trying to protect you and may be very sensitive to perceived threats.
Another problem with being in flight / fight / freeze mode is that this can make us more prone to binary thinking. Because it's safer to easily categorise things as threat / not a threat, our brains are quicker to classify things as good or bad. There's no time for nuance when you're hijacked!
Although amygdala hijacks are automatic, it doesn't mean that we can't always stop them...
The first step is to recognise an amygdala hijack. Some signs are:
rapid heartbeat
sweaty palms
clammy skin
goosebumps on the surface of your skin
Breathe. Slow, rhythmic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system - the one that tells us the danger is over
Notice your environment. What can you see right now? Some people find it helpful to count the number of red/blue/yellow things you can see. What can you feel right now? Touching something comforting can help to ground us.
You can also try the six second rule: Waiting for just six seconds causes the brain chemicals that cause amygdala hijacking to diffuse away.. (And now you know why we're called Six Seconds!)
It can be hard to stop an amygdala hijack in progress. But the best way to reduce the chances of them happening in future is to increase your emotional intelligence. Looking back on a hijack, you can start to evaluate what you were feeling before it happened. In future, notice yourself beginning to feel the same things and pause.
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