How to Overcome Mental Roadblocks and Take Action: Strengthening Your PFC

In this article, we delve into the mental processes that keep us from taking action and how we can design beneficial ones to achieve our dreams. We explore the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the amygdala, the two regions in our brain responsible for making rational decisions and championing fear and annoyance, respectively.

The PFC is like our voice of reason, understanding the consequences of our actions and guiding us towards the right path. On the other hand, the amygdala raises alarms whenever something scares or annoys us, often resulting in inaction and staying within our comfort zone.

To take the right actions, we need to strengthen our PFC. Here are some ways to do so:

1. Label it. Acknowledge what the amygdala is saying and improve our objectivity about the situation. This helps the PFC make informed decisions instead of just reacting to fear.

2. Dismantle fear in steps. Break down scary actions into manageable steps, rather than jumping into the deep end right away.

3. Don’t remember. Stop using our minds to store To Dos and let our PFC properly regulate the amygdala.

4. Exercise. Strenuous aerobic exercise has been shown to increase attention and self-control, helping us stay focused on our goals.

5. Meditate. Like exercise, meditation clears excess chatter from our minds, enabling our PFC to make decisions calmly and with clarity.

By practicing these mental exercises, we can train our PFC to assert its dominance over the amygdala and take the right actions towards our dreams.

In conclusion, taking the first step towards our goals requires overcoming mental roadblocks. By strengthening our PFC and dismantling fear in manageable steps, we can achieve our dreams and live the life we want.