Thought we just had one brain, did you? The parts of our brain can be thought about as Old Brain and New Brain, and what a difference!

Although we do have an amazingly integrated brain, part of the brain is “older” because it evolved much earlier. This “old” brain is very similar to brains in other mammals and evolved to meet the dangers humans faced every day.

Early humans who survived and reproduced did so in ways that gave us, their progeny, our skills at survival. We are totally attuned to identifying and responding to threat and danger, seemingly effortlessly.

One of the oldest parts of the brain, the mid-brain, is the home base of these survival mechanisms. This is the seat of emotion, and focuses primarily on fear, because fear is the engine that keeps us safe and alive.

Our old brain responds to threat without our conscious awareness. That’s why fear and being startled seem visceral, not intellectual. You don’t mentally ponder jumping back when you’re startled, you just do it.

Here’s the kicker: Our surroundings have changed dramatically since the development of this part of our brain, and danger does not lurk in our daily lives as it did for humans then. However, we continue to be built for survival.

Every time you feel fear in a situation, your old brain is likely taking over so that you will survive. And fear in the workplace is rampant!

Respect the old brain – it got us through millions of years of danger. Know, however, that our old brain energy can undermine our best intentions.