Change and Fear. Your Brain Thinks You’re Dying.

F-Bomb #9 - Change/Your Brain is Overdramatic

Even now, with all I’ve lived through, all I’ve studied, all the talks I’ve shared - I still get that jolt to my system when something big is about to change.

A new direction. A new project. A new chapter.
And yes, even hitting “publish” on this F-Bomb series.

Because the truth is:
I still fear being judged. Misunderstood. Rejected.

And my brain? Its job is to keep me alive, and it treats that fear like a full-blown emergency.

So I ask you - What would change feel like if you knew you were safe?

Your Brain Is Trying to Keep You Alive (And It’s a Little Overdramatic)

From a neuroscience perspective, this all makes perfect sense.
Your amygdala, the tiny almond-shaped fear center in your brain, is wired to detect threats and keep you safe. In ancient times, “change” often meant danger: a new tribe, a new landscape, a new predator. Unknown = unsafe.

Fast-forward to now, and your amygdala still rings the alarm when it senses change:

• New job?

• Big move?

• Leaving a relationship? Launching something new? Saying “yes” to a big unknown?

Your brain doesn’t differentiate between change and threat.
So even good, necessary, or exciting change is categorized as danger.
Like dying.
It’s the panic in your chest and doubt in your gut.

But You’re Not in Danger - You’re Just Not Comfortable

This is where the reframe matters to your health, happiness and success.

Change isn’t the problem.
It’s your brain’s outdated fear response to change that’s the problem.

We need to recognize that shaky, sweaty, unsettled feeling, is not a sign to stop,
It’s simply a sign that something new is happening, and your system just hasn’t caught up yet?

We can adjust our thinking from - this is fear, to this is friction.
What if it’s not a threat, but growth?

A Simple Question That Changes Everything

When you feel that inner alarm going off, try asking yourself:

“Am I in danger… or just discomfort?”

And if the answer is “discomfort,” try this:

• Breathe slower than you want to.

• Plant your feet on the floor and say out loud: I am safe. This is just change.

• Remind your brain: ‘Hey brain, we’re not being chased, we’re evolving.’

So that’s the question to think about:

What would change feel like if you knew you were safe?

If you trusted that the fear isn’t the truth – it’s just your old wiring reacting to the new things.

You’re not dying.
You’re just doing something different.
And that’s not dangerous.
That’s brave!