The Triune Brain & Performance Anxiety

We can think of the brain as three layers, each with different needs:

• Reptilian Brain — the oldest part, focused on survival (fight, flight, freeze). When you feel threatened, anxious, or unsafe, this brain takes over and makes it hard to think or perform.
• Mammalian Brain — handles emotions, relationships, and feeling safe in a group. If you don’t feel emotionally supported or comfortable, this brain gets in the way of learning and performing.
• Neo-Cortex — the newest part, responsible for thinking, learning, creativity, and solving problems. This is the brain you want “online” when performing — but it only works well if the other two feel safe.

In short: If your survival or emotional needs aren’t met — if you feel scared, judged, or unsafe — your Reptilian or Mammalian brain can hijack your performance. To overcome performance anxiety, it’s key to calm these lower brains so your Neo-Cortex can shine.