Welcome to episode 160 our podcast, The Executive Edge with Chris Wood.
Chris runs his own business Chris Wood Leadership and is with me in this episode to talk about how our nervous system works. He believes if we can control the fight or flight reaction of our body. We can have more input at times when we need to be more alert; make important decisions or do things that matter.
He’s been working with 100’s of emerging and evolving leaders. Before then he worked in public relations from graduate trainee to managing director over a 25-year span. He understands the stresses and strains of working at senior level as a result. But he realised he was more interested in the development of people around him than the PR role he was doing.
He re-trained and took a master’s degree in Positive Psychology. The science of the nervous system has captured his interest since to reduce low level anxiety and stress. He refers to 3 nervous states and these are the same for all of us except that over time we personalise how often we stay in each state. Fight or flight is the adrenaline rush and the state we’re probably most familiar with. But, being relaxed is also a state where you feel connected to your strengths, feel comfortable and perform at your best. Contrast that with the opposite state to that, and you are now feeling very ‘down’ because the frequency with which you’re feeling under threat, is too great.
Why does this matter?
Emotions and our response to situations is a fast feedback mechanism so we’re so used to this we may not realise we can take control. Think of a situation where you are so used to it that there isn’t anything bothering you because it doesn’t feel an issue. For example, you’re attending or running a regular team meeting with the same members and very manageable issues. This is the ventral vagal state or stable and relaxed feeling.
But as the demands increase, for example, if you must handle an uncomfortable conversation with a client who is difficult, your breathing increases. Your anxiety levels now rise. You could be less aware of this, but your body is picking up the cues because your brain is processing the discomfort of the discussion you’re having. Especially where you have an association with someone that “when I talk to this client, it’s always a tricky conversation”. This heightened awareness is called neuroception.
Chris teaches us ways to stay calm and minimise these natural reactions. You are processing information well below conscious awareness at this point, so it triggers changes in your tone and breathing. Therefore, you can intervene or positively control your reactions simply by recognising and then altering your breathing patterns.
I found this episode a fascinating insight in to not only the stress response but the interaction our body has with the outside world. Chris explains this very well for us.
