Work Makes Me Nervous: Overcome Anxiety and Build the Confidence to Succeed

Chapter 4. Balancing Your Mind States for a High Performance Mind

"It's all in your head." How many times have we all heard that? Well, guess what? It is! Whether you are talking about good things or bad things, feelings, thoughts, ideas, or even just how your body is working or is not working, it really is all in your head. Am I saying you're imagining everything? Not at all. Let's be very clear what we are addressing here. Just what is in your head?

The cranium is the part of the skull that encloses the brain. It's been a long time since most of us have explored the basics of the nervous system, so here's a quick review: Your brain contains 15 billion to 33 billion neurons, each of them linking with as many as 10,000 synapses. These neurons communicate via protoplasmic fibers called axons that pulse messages to distant body parts. The brain controls all the body's physical and mental functioning—its F.A.T.E. Housed deep within the brain are almond-shaped nuclei called "amygdalae." This is the seat of your fight-or-flight mechanism—your basic adaptive reaction to physical or emotional stress. Much research regarding the biology of social anxiety has focused on that area, which is known to play a primary role in processing emotional reactions.

Bear with me a little longer—I realize you didn't pick up this book because you were looking to brush up on neuroscience. But this is important stuff. This is your brain we're talking about! And it's all in your head.

Here's what I mean: The ...