I’ve noticed it. You’ve probably felt it.
People seem angrier than ever before. Road rage, online rants, short fuses, simmering frustration and emotional outbursts that feel out of character.
So, what happened?
The answer, in part, lies in the 2020 lockdowns:
We were isolated.
Our brains were flooded with stress hormones.
We lost connection, control, and certainty.
According to recent neuroscience, the amygdala, our brain’s threat detector, was on high alert for months.
The prefrontal cortex, which helps us regulate emotions, was overwhelmed. And the brain stem, our hard-wired survival centre, took over. We were wired for threat.
And when that wiring stays active for too long, it changes us.
We become more reactive, less patient and more prone to anger.
But here’s the good news:
The brain is plastic - it can change and adapt.
Emotions can be unlearned.
Connection can heal.
If you are feeling more irritable than usual, know that you’re not alone and you are not broken.
You are responding to an extraordinary time in history.
Let’s talk!