Believe Like A Boss

What's Hijacking Your Creativity? The Neuroscience Behind Being Stuck (Brainstem vs. Prefrontal Cortex)

• Nandi Camille • Season 7 • Episode 19

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What happens in your brain when fear stops you from taking action toward your dreams? The mechanics are fascinating and understanding them can completely transform your approach to challenges. When you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or anxious about moving forward, your brain has shifted from its creative center to its survival center without you even realizing it.

Your brainstem—located where your skull connects to your neck—houses your fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses. When activated, this primitive part of your brain takes control, effectively shutting down your prefrontal cortex where creative thinking happens. This explains why overwhelm leads to decision paralysis, why anxiety blocks innovation, and why fear keeps you scrolling through how-to videos instead of actually launching your business or going for that promotion.

The good news? You have the power to shift from survival mode back into creative genius mode through practical tools. Meditation, physical movement, journaling, or even something as simple as taking a short walk can help you return to your prefrontal cortex. The key isn't just knowing which tools work for you—it's consistently using them, especially when you feel stuck. By bringing awareness to your fear through the simple question "What am I afraid of right now?" you begin the process of moving from reactive to creative.

As someone who coaches high-achieving women and creative entrepreneurs, I've witnessed this neurological shift transform people's capacity to take aligned action despite fear. We all have these tools available to us, but often forget to use them precisely when we need them most. Which of your tools have you been neglecting lately? Are you ready to reclaim your creative thinking and finally move forward on what matters most to you? Your brain is designed for both protection and creation—learning to consciously navigate between these modes might be the missing piece in your success journey.

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Speaker 1:

Hi, friends, and welcome to Believe Like a Boss. I'm your host Life Coach, nandi Camille. Join me as I teach you how to smash your goals and expand the possibility of your life through mindset management, spiritual alignment and authentic action. I'll teach you how to create what I like to call a life of thrive, with ease and authenticity. It's time to play with what's possible. Are you ready? Let's go.

Speaker 2:

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to another episode of Believe Like a Boss. I am your host life coach, Nandi Camille. All right, my friends, this one is going to be a little bit of a review today, but I feel like a review that is very helpful. As always, my friends, take what sticks to you, leave the rest. If you're new here, my name is Nandi, rhymes with Gandhi.

Speaker 2:

I'm a mindfulness-based life coach for high-achieving women and creative fempreneurs. Because I am both. I'm an executive director of a nonprofit here in Denver. I'm also a life coach. I also am an entrepreneur and just a multi-passionate human being on the planet, and I love helping other multi-passionate, high-achieving fempreneurs achieve their goals, get out of their way and into their dreams. That's what I love to do. And so today for today's review, one of the things that I've been thinking about lately and actually talking to a lot of people about not just my coaching clients, just like people in the world, I'm having conversations about neuroscience and our what's it called, not a reticular activating system Our brainstem. I've been talking to a lot of people about our brainstem and then your prefrontal cortex. Those are all neuroscience terms. I love neuroscience, but my job is to then not dumb it down, but simplify it so it makes sense for the average person walking around. So it's not just psychologists and life coaches that have this information, but you all have it too, so you can help yourselves. So all that I do in coaching that's a very generalized statement, but the bulk of what I do in coaching is bringing people out of their brainstem into their prefrontal cortex and giving them tools to stay in their prefrontal cortex.

Speaker 2:

Now let me explain what that means. Your brainstem I'm touching the base of my head right now where, like my neck, connects to the bottom of my head. Okay, so that is where your brainstem is. Neuroscience would say that's where your fight, flight, freeze, response lives, right, fight being. That's where you get frustrated, angry. Maybe you have anxiety. That's when you get hot. It's like, oh, I am frustrated, I'm irritated, I'm ready to fight somebody, I'm angry. Right Flight, I want to run away. I don't want to be here, I don't want to be here, I don't want to be here. This might be when you dissociate from your body, when you are literally physically in a space and maybe having a conversation with somebody or people having conversations around you, but you are not mentally there, your spirit has left, and then a few minutes later you're like where was I? How did I even get to my car? Right now, right Flight, you're dissociating, you want to run away. Freeze, right, freeze is exact.

Speaker 2:

All of these are exactly what they sound like Freeze, I'm stuck, I'm frozen, I can't do anything, I can't make any choices, I don't know what to do. That's in the animal kingdom. That's a possum, right A possum. That's why they call it playing possum. I don't know if you've heard that term, my friends, but the term or phrase playing possum refers to a possum plays dead when it's afraid, and so that's a really great example of freeze.

Speaker 2:

Right Flight is like a deer. Actually, a deer in the headlight is a really great example of freeze. A deer in the headlights is frozen. The A really great example of freeze. A deer in the headlights is frozen. The deer is frozen, it's in freeze position. Sometimes deer are in flight though. Right, they'll run away really quickly, they'll scurry. That's a deer that's in flight.

Speaker 2:

So all of these are our responses to danger. When the brain says I am not safe, I am not okay, I'm disconnected from the tribe, danger, danger, this part of our brain gets activated. Now, when that part of your brain gets activated your flight, fight, freeze. And now scientists are saying and psychologists are saying, fawn, flight, flight freeze, fawn response. Fawn is when we start gushing over somebody. Maybe you're starting to feel nervous or anxious. So all of a sudden you just start complimenting someone or you're just like gushing over the oh, you're so nice. And this is like just to kind of move through it. You don't want to address what's going on, I'm just going to fawn, I'm just going to like bathe them in compliments and good things and we're just going to move past this. Right, but when we're in our fight, flight, freeze, fawn response In our brainstem, we're no longer able to think creatively.

Speaker 2:

So when you get angry, when you get frustrated, when you get anxious, when you get overwhelmed, your IQ drops because your brain goes into protection mode. That's why I can feel when you're overwhelmed and you're like I can't make any decisions, right, some people will call that decision fatigue. When you've made too many decisions, I know I'm fatigued by the decision-making. That's a little bit different than what we're talking about right now where, when you're overwhelmed, there's so much on my plate. It's not that I've made so many decisions, but there's just so much on my plate that I'm feeling overwhelmed.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes this can activate our fight, flight or freeze. Right, maybe a freeze. It's 3 pm in the afternoon. I'm frozen because I can't think of what else to do. Can't think of what else to do. My freeze has been activated and now my prefrontal cortex has turned off. Your prefrontal cortex is the front part of your brain. This is where creative thinking happens. This is where you can come up with new ideas for how to solve problems, how to start your blog, how you might roll out that next piece of content, who you might contact next to do a collaboration.

Speaker 2:

But when we are in fight, flight, freeze, fun, when we're operating out of our brainstem, we cannot, at the same time, operate out of our prefrontal cortex. So my job as a life coach is I take women, or women come to me when they are feeling fight, flight, freeze, when they're anxious, when they're overwhelmed, when they're feeling depressed. I'm stuck in my brainstem. I'm not taking action. I'm not being creative. I know I want to be creative, I know that I have great ideas, but I'm not taking action.

Speaker 2:

I'm constantly stuck in fight. I'm constantly stuck in flight, I'm constantly stuck in freeze, I'm constantly stuck in fawn and I'm not taking action, I'm not taking steps because my fear is too big and my fear is activating my brainstem to be in charge instead of my prefrontal cortex being in charge, and I wish you all could see me right now while I'm recording this podcast. This is the one drawback of me not being a video podcaster is that I can't show you all, but again, your brainstem, base of your head, top of your neck, prefrontal cortex, think where your forehead is. Essentially that's where your prefrontal cortex is. And so, then, my job, and rather all of our jobs, is to remain in our prefrontal cortex. The way that we do that is through a variety of tools. That's where you hear go for a walk, meditate, exercise, eat well, drink water.

Speaker 2:

And that's exactly why, a few episodes ago, I went through the four different types of quote happy hormones and how you can activate them. Because when we activate our happy hormones, when we are staying in our prefrontal cortex, that's where we're staying creative, that's where we're making decisions in alignment with our best selves, that's when we're moving forward, even if fear is present. Right, when we're in a prefrontal cortex, fear can still be present, but it's not taken over. And the way that you know that fear is taken over is by the action that you're not taking. Right? If you're a friend that's been listening to this podcast, listening to another podcast, watching the videos, doing all the reading, watching the YouTube videos on how to start the business, on how to get your first client, on how to get that higher paying job, on how to ask for a raise, but you're not taking action, then your fear is in charge, and I'm saying that not to shame or blame anybody. Oh, your fear is in charge. You shouldn't be doing that. No, again, mindfulness is awareness without judgment.

Speaker 2:

We're going to be aware of the fact that I keep saying I want to post, but I'm not. And then we're going to get curious why is it that I'm not posting? What is it that I'm afraid of? I think that that question is so helpful. It can be scary to ask because we don't know what answers are going to come up sometimes, or we're afraid to admit how we're actually feeling, but I love that question. What am I afraid of right now when you go to post, but you hesitate? What am I afraid of right now when you go to ask for that job, but you hesitate? What am I afraid of right now. When you go to book an event and maybe you've booked the event and now you're about to get in your car but you're about to talk yourself out of it what am I afraid of right now? That question what am I afraid of right now?

Speaker 2:

Takes the fear out of the shadow and brings it into your forefront. When our fears stay in our shadow, it's like shoving a beach ball underwater, and if you've been here a while, you know that metaphor. It's just going to pop up in your face. If you try to shove a beach ball underwater, just hold it there, right? For those of you who have never been to a pool don't know this reference. It's just going to pop in your face, right. And so our goal is to, instead of shoving the beach ball under the water is to lift that beach ball up and look at it. Oh, what am I afraid of? And then from there, you can literally again, we're going to run with this pool metaphor, with the beach ball. Just tap that beach ball and let it float away. Right? Stop letting your fear stay in the closet. I'm going to act like I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid.

Speaker 2:

It's that saying fake it till you make it Nothing wrong with that saying, but I do think sometimes it can be of a disservice to us when we're faking it and we don't really feel confident, but we're showing up anyway. There is something to that. I want you to do it scared. I love that saying, do it scared, but I also want you to do it in alignment and by asking that question what am I afraid of? No-transcript, I'm afraid I'm going to get there and I'm not going to talk to anybody, even though it's supposed to be a networking event. I'm afraid that I'm going to offer this program and nobody's going to buy it. That's what I'm afraid of, and then, from there, we can answer the fear right. If you're afraid of going to the networking event and nobody is going to be there or nobody's going to talk to you, right? This is the few episodes we did ago. Go and look up the episode of Solve for the Fear right or Solving for Fear, I think, is what it's called right when we ask that question what am I afraid of? And we don't just let the answer sit there. We solve for the answer right. That's a tool.

Speaker 2:

The point of today's episode, though, is to remind you of how powerful we are and I love the science behind the brain because it gives me my power back. When I notice that I'm feeling anxious, when I notice that I'm irritable, when I notice that I'm being short-tempered, when I notice that I'm feeling overwhelmed, I can mindfully notice I'm operating out of my brainstem and I literally will say that to myself. I'm operating a fight, flight or freeze. I'm tense, I'm not operating out of my creative thinking space. And when I noticed that I can love myself through it, okay, cool, I'm really struggling to post right now. I'm really struggling to do this podcast right now.

Speaker 2:

What might I do to move my energy so I don't feel stuck, literally? How might you move your energy so that you can go from your brainstem to your prefrontal cortex? Do you go for a walk? Do you journal? Do you drink a glass of water? What are your tools in your tool belt? And then my subsequent question for that is let's say you have journaling, meditation, going for a walk, calling your mom and seeing your therapist all in your tool belt. You're like those are my tools. My subsequent question for you is are you using your tools? You might be using some for one client, for several clients.

Speaker 2:

We go through phases where we start and maybe we're journaling and that tool really works for them, and then I'll check on them in several sessions. I'm like, okay, did you do this journal prompt? They're like, no, did you do this journal prompt? No, and then we get to reevaluate. Okay, this tool doesn't seem like it's working for you right now. This tool doesn't seem like it's in alignment for you.

Speaker 2:

So that's my question to all of you that are listening right now what are your tools to help you stay in your prefrontal cortex, that is, in a clear-minded space where you can be a creative thinker, where you are calm, not in fight, flight, freeze or fawn? What are your tools that keep you calm on a day-to-day basis, forward thinking, creatively thinking? And as you're thinking about those tools, which ones of them have you been using right? Which ones have been really working? Which tools have you not used in a while? I find that sometimes, when I catch myself in a funk, when I'm in fight or flight for way longer than I need to be, I'm like, oh yeah, I haven't been using my tool called prayer, I haven't been using my tool called drinking water, I haven't been using my tool called getting enough sleep. What are your tools? Are you using them? Which of them are serving you right now and which of them aren't? Is it time to introduce a new tool to help you stay creative? Is there an old tool that you haven't used in a while?

Speaker 2:

Dance is a tool for me. If I'm feeling funky, if I'm just in a slump, I will close the door. I don't even have to close the door anymore. I will twerk. I will twerk in public, I'll twerk in a bathroom, I'll get up and just dance. I physically move my energy, because that tool for me helps me get out of my anxious space, my fear space, and into my knowing space, my confidence space, my creative thinking space, my trusting space, trusting myself, trusting God, trusting the universe, trusting the process of my life, because I am an active member of my life and so I can trust myself and I can trust what's going to happen, because I've actively influenced my life in a positive way.

Speaker 2:

Where are you today? Are you in your brainstem today? Are you in fight, flight, freeze. You want to fight everybody. Do you want to run away from everything? Do you just feel like you're stuck and you're frozen and life just keeps hitting you from the sides and you're just taking in. You're just frozen. Where are you today? Maybe you're on the opposite side as I'm saying this. You're like I was in fight for a while. I've been working on meditation, I've been working on walking. I have a creative outlet with this new group that I joined and I'm feeling myself feel more aligned every single day. I feel myself feeling more creative every single day.

Speaker 2:

What are your tools, my friends? Are you using them? Are they serving you? And if you need help with those tools, you know where to find me. You can go to nandikamilcom to learn more about coaching, or go to nandikamilasme to book your free discovery call. I'll see you next week. Hey friend, if you like this podcast, I would love it. If you give us a five star rating, share it with your friends. If you're interested in one-on-one coaching, if this podcast resonates with you and you're ready for some one-on-one support support for you and your journey go ahead to nandikamilcom to learn more or head over to nandikamilasme to sign up for your free discovery call.