In the new research, Graduate student Offir Laufer and Rony Paz, PhD, both of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, looked at how people respond when they think they’re losing money. Participants were given a lump sum, and were told they could increase their cashflow by correctly identifying three different musical notes. So what happened? ID How You Express Anger When people won money, they performed better; but when they lost money, their accuracy tanked—probably due to stress. Brain scans during this test showed that the amygdala, a region involved in processing and remembering emotional responses, was highly active when volunteers made the wrong choices. This kind of response—panic in the face of adversity—might have saved our ancestors from certain death, say Laufer and Paz. But it might cause an unnecessary overreaction in today’s world, where very few stressful situations are quite so serious. But you don’t have to be a slave to your own feelings, says Curtis Reisinger, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Zucker Hillside Hospital and assistant professor of psychology at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. Try these strategies to stop overreactions before they start: Take a deep breath (or five). Just like overreactions, this strategy is also strongly rooted in evolution, Reisinger says. When your breathing is rapid, your body thinks you’re getting ready for the classic “fight or flight”—the opposite is true if you breathe slowly and deeply. “What deep breathing does is tell your body things aren’t that bad,” he says. Reisinger recommends inhaling for four seconds, holding the breath for three, then breathing out for five. Get enough sleep. When you’re sleep-deprived, Reisinger explains, you’re already tuned for big reactions to stress. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep a night to get back on track. And cut out caffeine. Not only will this stimulant harm your sleep, but it can also make you more anxious. For 10 insomnia-beating tips we tried, see How to Get Your Best Night’s Sleep Ever. Retrain your brain. Your thoughts can make all the difference in how you respond to situations, Reisinger says. For example, a frown from your boss might tell one person that the boss is having a bad day and another that they’re about to get fired, go broke, and be homeless. Very few situations in life have dramatic endings, explains Reisinger. If you continually jump to the worst conclusion, try reframing the situation in your mind. If it helps, play the “what if” game in your head: Play out different scenarios in your mind and chances are, you’ll find no outcome could be all that bad, anyway. Over time, this will become a habit. See a professional. If all else fails and your overreactions are affecting your life in a big way, consider seeing a psychologist. She can teach you simple strategies that, with repetition, can change your reactions for good.
