Subscribe to Motivational Mondays on your favorite podcast platform!
How can you let go of your fears? Can you rewire your brain to end self-sabotage? In this episode of Motivational Mondays, we dive into Dr. Rebecca Heiss’ new book, Instinct: Rewire Your Brain with Science-Backed Solutions to Increase Productivity and Achieve Success. She helps clients break through their deeply ingrained inclinations to self-sabotage.
If you want to identify the root of your fears and how to overcome them, don’t miss this episode.
Why Our Brains Are Programmed for Fear
Dr. Heiss is a stress physiologist and evolutionary biologist. Through her training, she’s realized a simple fact: humans are programmed by ancestral DNA to think certain ways. Our brains today aren’t built for the world we live in now. They were built for a more dangerous, prehistoric world and haven’t quite caught up.
Our pre-programmed instinct is fear, it can hold us back from living life to the fullest. Your brain is doing what it was designed to do, protect you. The trick is to rewire your brain so you don’t live your entire life full of fear and regret.
Rewire Your Brain to Let Go of Fear
Your brain is wired to see people and things that are different as the enemy. If your brain is seeking the negative, dangerous, and scary, that’s a good thing.
Why? Because you can identify this dynamic and then give your brain an updated version of what it wants. You have to use your biology to work with you. It allows you to overcome your fears by fighting something more powerful.
When the coronavirus first emerged, Dr. Heiss had hoped it would be something that would unite humanity. It’s something that everyone could fight against together. Sadly, it didn’t work out that way but it was an opportunity. When we all work together, we can drive off powerful enemies.
Take Dr. Heiss' Quiz to Become More Self-Aware
The majority of Dr. Heiss' work is related to self-awareness. Her quiz helps you begin to answer questions about your identity. Who are you at your core? How do you step outside of culture, norms, or the way you’re supposed to behave? It’s about working through your fear of rejection, failure, and imposter syndrome.
Dr. Heiss shares another tip to help you overcome your fears. Stop feeling like you have to be an expert. You do not have to prove yourself. The reality is that everyone struggles with fear and wondering, “Am I enough?” The answer is a resounding YES. Show up and ask questions. That is the best way to live a fearless life.
Dr. Heiss continues the conversation and addresses other issues such as societal norms imposed on women, how to set boundaries, and how to “honor your body by blissfully ignoring it.” Be sure to listen to the whole conversation.
Listen to this episode to learn about...
- [0:48] Why our brains are programmed for fear
- [2:59] How to rewire your brain to let go of fear
- [6:04] How to become more self-aware
- [10:40] The expectations placed on men and women
- [12:58] How to drown out the naysayers
Listen to the bonus episode to learn the importance of being confident in your own skin and why trying to attain societal beauty standards can slow women down.
Resources:
-
Take Dr. Heiss' Fear Quiz
- Connect with Dr. Heiss on LinkedIn and Twitter
-
Check out Dr. Heiss' app, icueity
-
The Leap: A Network for Women to Thrive
-
Register for NSLS Leadership Summit this weekend to hear Dr. Heiss as a featured keynote speaker
-
Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes
