Your Brain’s Alarm System: When the Amygdala Goes Into Overdrive

Meet your amygdala—the almond-sized alarm system in your brain that never sleeps. It’s designed to keep you safe by detecting threats and kicking off the stress response. But under chronic stress, this little alarm can go into overdrive, changing how you think, remember, and react.

In this episode of Strides to Solutions, Esther Adams breaks down the science of the amygdala in a way that’s engaging and easy to follow. Listeners will learn:

* How stress hormones like cortisol affect memory and the hippocampus

* Why we shift from “smart choices” to “snap decisions” under pressure

* How chronic amygdala activation contributes to anxiety, irritability, and mood issues

* Why some people bounce back from stress faster than others

* Practical ways to calm the brain’s alarm system and protect long-term health

This episode makes neuroscience not only understandable but fun, showing how to work with your brain instead of against it when stress hits.