The Origin of Feelings and Overthinking
- TheNeuryogini
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 8
What Are Feelings For?
Let’s talk about hunger.
Hunger doesn’t feel good, right? That’s the point.
If hunger felt neutral, we wouldn’t care to eat.
If it felt good, we might even avoid food.
In both cases, we’d be in danger. At risk of starving.
But because hunger feels bad, we act. We eat.
Even babies know this.
They cry when they feel hungry.
Their brain says, “Something is wrong—fix it!”
This is how our feelings help us survive.
Feelings Keep Us Connected
The same thing happens with friendships.
If you hurt a friend’s feelings, you feel bad.
That feeling pushes you to say sorry.
Why?
Because connection helps us survive.
Friends. Families. Communities.
They make life safer and easier.
So our brains learn to protect those bonds.
Feelings Can Get Complicated
Over time, simple feelings—like hunger and connection—grew.
Now we have big, complex emotions.
This is amazing. But sometimes, it’s hard.
Because your brain still wants one thing:
To keep you alive.
Your Brain is Always Watching
Your brain watches two things:
What’s happening inside you (like hunger or pain)
What’s happening around you (like danger or conflict)
It learns from the past.
It tries to protect you from anything that hurt before to try to avoid similar situations in the future.
But here’s the problem…
Sometimes, the brain sees danger when there is none.
When the Alarm Gets Stuck On
If you’ve had trauma, stress, or anxiety, your brain’s “alarm system”—the amygdala—gets overactive.
It sees threats everywhere.
A job interview feels like life or death.
A glance from a stranger feels like danger.
This starts your fight or flight system—the Sympathetic Nervous System or SNS.
Your heart races.
Your breathing gets short and fast.
Your thoughts race too.
Your brain says, “Forget logic. Just survive. No time to think. Just act.”
The SNS Isn’t All Bad
Sometimes this system helps.
Before a speech or a big game, it gives you energy, focus, adrenaline.
In real danger, it can save your life.
But the body should calm down after the threat is taken care of.
It should return to rest.
If it stays on too long, it wears you down.
You feel tired.
Anxious.
On edge.
Even when you’re safe.
Give Yourself Grace
So what can we do?
Start with self-compassion.
Think of your thoughts like a little kid wandering too close to a busy street.
If you yell, they come back scared.
If you guide gently, they feel safe.
Your brain is trying to help you.
It’s the loving grandma who wants you home safe.
The big brother who pulls you back from the busy street.
It’s not your enemy.
It just wants you to live.
Practice Being Kind to Yourself
When your mind spirals, notice it.
Don’t judge.
Don’t shame.
This is the most important and most difficult part.
The part we’ll practice together.
The part I can help you nurture, if you need assistance.
Gently come back to the moment.
Say, “It’s okay. I’m safe now.”
Negative thoughts may still show up.
That's okay.
Keep trying.
It takes time to change old habits
So we practice—not to be perfect, but to be kind.
With practice, you can change the script.
You can show yourself grace.
We’re learning.
We’re trying.
We’re growing.
And that is more than enough.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings everywhere be happy and free. May the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to the happiness of and freedom for all.
With gratitude,
Rebekah
Comentários