DO YOU KNOW YOUR 200,000,000 YEAR-OLD SELF? | Ask Dr Annika

Where getting to know your own 200,000,000-year-old self, like we are talking about today, fits in perfectly. To really know this person is the best help you can get in any hard situation.

It’s so much easier to understand why we do what we do if we’ve got a clue of how we’re made to function.

I am no anthropologist to know how different societies behave, but I know enough about how we humans have systems set in our minds as basic laws of thinking and action.

One thing I’m sure about is that societal behavior are influenced by traditional standards, more like a group mentality — but the way they work their minds is set by evolution.

THE BASE FOR ALL BEHAVIOR

The stress system can be seen as the base for all our behavior. And we all have the same set of tools here, regardless of personal differences.

The stress system in itself is very simple, but because there are so many moving parts in our mental behavior system, it becomes very complex. And this is why we have wide group variations — from peacemakers to war-makers: same system, different beliefs, and all just depending on what’s inculcated in their minds.

FROM THE BEGINNING

Imagine yourself 200,000,000ish years ago living in a small cage, and the savanna is spreading wide outside with all the beautiful wildlife.

You stay “indoors” and rest and sleep during the dark for 12 hours and are outIn this case, you are just evolving as a modern human being from your older ancestors. hunting, seeking fruits, seeds and This is what you get and it is all regulated by your stress system set up AT THIS TIME. when it is light for 12 hours. This is it — and we can call it Version 1.0 of Human Biology.

You are given 4 BASIC NEEDS — things you need to do in that environment.

1. SLEEP and REST to clear your brain and body and get rid of waste products.
2. to get the energy to your brain and body.
3. MOVE YOUR MUSCLES because you need them for hunting and they are connected with your brain activity. It makes you think while you hunt — all to do the right thing in each moment — so YOU SURVIVE.
4. And make babies– to make your RACE SURVIVE.

This is what you get and it is all regulated by your stress system set up AT THIS TIME.

Your adrenal glands give adrenaline and noradrenaline for the acute system when we talk about life or death — eat or be eaten — fight or flight — or play dead.

And they produce cortisol for long-term defense and endurance.

This is it — and we can call it Version 1.0 of Human Biology.

And it was in a 1.0 surrounding on the savannah — a perfect match of systems — built in the balance!

200,000,000 years ago, we just had to either fight, flight, freeze, or move because the challenges back then were just the wild animals.

But today, it ain’t just the wild animals anymore.

WHEN OUR SYSTEM KICKS

Our stress system kicks in when our ability to handle the task is not enough for us to solve it. We start pumping around adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol — making us ready for fight or flight.

But hey, coming to think of it — can we use the same tactics as before??

Can you just punch your boss, run away, or play dead when you can’t handle what your boss is telling you to do? Of course not. Hence, our stress is higher today… because we can’t just do what we were programmed to do.

We’re now required to think before we move and before we even talk.

UNDERSTANDING THE BACKGROUND

Why is it important to understand this background?

Because we can fall back on this.

Our outer behavior might be different because of the difference in upbringing, but when we’re peeled, we’re all just the same bananas.

HOW STRESS STARTED

In case you wonder how our stress system started… HANS SEYLE founded the stress theory in humans.

Seyle, who is a pioneer in stress research and nominated for the NOBEL PRIZE 17 times, borrowed the word “stress” from the technical world where it’s defined as “the amount of pressure any material can take before getting damaged”.

This has also been applied to our bodies, how much can our bodies take before they break? How much before our back breaks, or our ankles get sprained?

Truth is, stress-related brain dysfunction is NOT a mental illness but PART of NORMAL BIOLOGY.

WE’RE STILL US

Until now, we’re still us, still, the same version with not much changed…

We’re still equipped with the 2 most important tools — we still can think and move.

But the world surrounding us has evolved so much. Wild animals don’t surround us anymore, but with increasingly high speed, our world has changed.

No more wild animals but a hectic work life.

In short, we find other ways, and the world-changing so fast leaving us humans to still be the same, or the world being in its version 5.0 or even 10.0 and us still being our version 1.0, that alone is stressful for us to take.

HOW CAN WE HELP OURSELVES

What we can do is keep track of our stress hormones, because as much as I’d like to tell you what you want to hear, stress hormones are part of our normal biology and without them we are dead.

We just have to keep them at their normal levels.

So do as much as you can to stay calm, rejuvenate, and master the art of acceptance.

Look back to where we came from, how we are made to function and adjust to that.

Back to basics is the answer. Take back control of how we function and learn how it works. To detail:

1. Rejuvenation — sleep — rest — breaks on a regular basis — for clarity and energy.
2. Eat healthy food — real food — on a regular basis — for energy and productivity.
3. Move your body every day — for clear thinking, mobility, and weight control.
4. We are herd animals — be with friends — be nice — for sanity and the good feeling.

These are the basic things you need to care for — and when you do you will get enough energy to do other changes in your life for hurdles popping up.

If it feels hard to decide what you want to do on your own — go get a mentor. Reach out if you need help. It is always important and there will always be things that you can support. Check HERE to see if you’ll feel like we’re a good fit.

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If you want to start your process for less stress in your life get my free e-book and start working.

To your success and keep smiling,

Originally published at https://askdrannika.com on May 4, 2022.