Assignment task:
As we've learned, we often find ourselves in "fight or flight" mode when we are in challenging emotional situations. Challenging academic situations can also often be emotionally trying. For example, how does it feel when you get a terrible grade on an important exam? What happens in your body when you realize that you missed an important paper deadline? How does it feel when you receive negative feedback from a professor or trusted mentor? How we respond in these kinds of situations can impact academic success.
In a post of at least three hundred words, write about a time when you experienced an "amygdala hijacking." As previously noted, please do not feel compelled to share anything overly personal. Instead, write about anything you would feel comfortable sharing with teachers and/or peers.
First, tell the story in as much detail as you can. Really put us in the situation.
Then apply what you've learned by reflecting on it using the following questions. Please be detailed here.
Q1. What was the external stimuli (i.e., trigger) for the highjacking?
Q2. Based on your own personal history, why do you think that your brain coded the stimulus as "bad" or "danger"?
Q3. How did you react? Identify and describe the emotions and behaviors you engaged in.
Q4. What are some ways that you can prevent amygdala highjacking?
Q5. If a similar situation were to happen in the future, how might you handle it differently?