Fight, Flight… or Fun? Turning Anxiety into Anticipation

By Dawn Walton
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Did you realise the physical experience of being scared is exactly the same as the physical experience of being excited? The difference is all in the head.

It’s all based on the fight or flight response (this should include the word freeze, as that is also an option). The need for this response comes from the caveman days where in order to survive attack we needed to be able to respond instantly, without giving it any thought. Think about it: you are being attacked by a sabre toothed tiger – if you take the time to work out if your brought your best spear, or if you can outrun it on this terrain, then you’re dead. The fight or flight response is a primitive instant and emotional response to keep you alive.

So, whilst we have physically evolved and adapted for a modern environment, the brain is still working on a set of rules that come from the caveman days.