Picture this: you're lying in bed at 2am, mind racing about tomorrow's presentation. Your heart's pounding as if you're being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger. But here's the thing - your brain can't tell the difference between that ancient predator and your PowerPoint slides.

As a therapist based in North Berwick, I often explain to clients why their perfectly normal brains sometimes feel like they're working against them. The answer lies in understanding what we call our "Stone Age brain."

Built for Survival, Not Spreadsheets

Your brain evolved over millions of years when humans lived in small tribes, faced immediate physical threats, and had very different daily challenges. We developed incredible survival systems - hypervigilant threat detection, lightning-fast fight-or-flight responses, and deep social bonding mechanisms. Brilliant for avoiding predators. Less helpful for modern life.

This ancient wiring explains so much of what we struggle with today.

The Daily Struggles

That overwhelming feeling when your phone buzzes with notifications? Your brain interprets it as multiple threats requiring immediate attention. The anxiety before a job interview? Your Stone Age brain sees social rejection as a threat to survival because historically, being cast out from the tribe often meant death.

Your nervous system doesn't distinguish between a looming deadline and a charging mammoth. Both trigger the same stress response.

Why Simple Things Feel Hard

Ever wondered why scrolling social media leaves you feeling drained? Our brains are designed for knowing perhaps 150 people intimately, not keeping track of hundreds of acquaintances' lives. Why do open-plan offices feel exhausting? Because our ancient brain interprets constant visibility as being perpetually exposed to potential threats.

Even our sleep struggles make sense through this lens. Your brain expects rest when it's genuinely dark and safe, not when you've just finished watching Netflix in a brightly lit room.

Working With Your Ancient Wiring

Understanding this isn't about making excuses, it's about self-compassion. When you feel anxious about things that shouldn't bother you, remember: your brain is doing exactly what it evolved to do. It's just responding to 21st-century challenges with Stone Age solutions.

The good news is that once you understand this mismatch, you can work with your brain rather than against it. Creating routines that feel safe to your primitive systems, practising grounding techniques, and being patient with your very human responses to an inhuman pace of life.

Your Stone Age brain isn't broken. It's just trying to keep you alive in a world it doesn't quite recognise.

If you're struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, or feeling like your brain is working against you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Together, we can help you find peace in the modern world.