When A Bee Flew Into My Car
Valerie Probstfeld
Writer | Nurse Practitioner | Founder of To Mom Is To Love | Keynote Speaker | Flutist
Our fight, flight, freeze reaction is very powerful. The sympathetic nervous system produces a powerful cascade of events with uncomfortable symptoms such as elevated heart rate, increased respirations, and tunnel vision on the perceived danger. Our body literally prepares to fight, run away, or tense up. But it is important to remember this powerful system is quite primitive.
For example, a bee recently flew in my car and activated the fight, flight, freeze reaction. My mind overestimated the bee’s danger and underestimated the danger of distracted driving. Cars have only been around for a little over a century. Insects with stingers that have the potential to hurt us? A heck of a lot longer! Subsequently, to be safe, I pulled the car over and dealt with the bee.
This all happened logically knowing the bee would likely not be aggressive unless provoked and I do not have a severe allergy to them. However, my logical part of brain seemed trampled on by the safety concerns of my primitive fight, flight, freeze.
Many times in life we have to remind ourself that our reactions are often due to this powerful system in our body. It is designed to keep up safe but has some catching up to do with modern times. I try to take a deep breath, pause, and remind myself these uncomfortable feelings are temporary. I can then more calmly respond in the moment.
Thank you for taking the time to read! What are your thoughts?
DNR-Discipline's No Reason. Senior Biology Teacher
1 个月Great Valerie Probstfeld for your subscription article, with the title : "To Mom is To Love" #primalinstinct
??PMP?Certified Project Manager ??IT Transformation Projects ??Award-Winning IT & Tech ??IT Manager??IT Operations ?IT Strategy ?PMO ?Digital ?AI ?RPA ??Global Exp ?KSA ?UAE ?Malaysia ?Indonesia??Certified NLP Life Coach
1 个月?? Valerie Probstfeld, Thanks. Your insights on the fight or flight response are thought-provoking and essential for understanding our mental health.
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1 个月well done. The natural response of fight, flight, or freeze is an instinctive reaction to perceived threats, rooted in survival. Subscribed. Valerie Probstfeld
Founder + CEO of the Kind Community Project | Speaker | Advocate for Courageous Kindness + Bullying Prevention | Kind Leadership Facilitator | Kind Campaigns Specialist | bit.ly/JoinKCP
1 个月Our brains are powerful, indeed, Valerie Probstfeld. You experienced what’s called an Amygdala hijack. Your brain responded using fight, flight, freeze even though the situation wasn’t life threatening (the bee, that is). It’s great you had the strategies to snap yourself out of it and take control of the situation. I’ve subscribed and look forward to more of your stories on mental backroads and highways ??
I help leaders pause on purpose to discover what they've outgrown | Transformational Growth Speaker | Podcast Host | Gallup-Certified, Executive & Life Coach | Founder & CEO
1 个月Valerie Probstfeld, isn't it amazing how quickly logic goes out the door when fear takes over?! I think about this in the work world and specifically when working with leaders struck by fear. Plenty of true logic, but sometimes in a padlocked box (key sitting idly in sight). The fight, flight, freeze - they're all real and have the opportunity to impact more than just that one person. Just like your bee and a wrecked car could have... Thank you for sharing this nugget of wisdom today!