So, we store memories in our brain (or in the Ollie and his superpower world… Library). These memories are filed under the emotion we attached to the learning. This is our past. We are here right now, experiencing everything consciously or unconsciously. This is our present. Then, there’s the time segment that we find most stressful – the future, because we haven’t experienced it yet. Is it the past, or are we living it now… the present?
The future is the unknown bit, and we don’t like the unknown – it’s not safe; we have no control. As human beings, we are most emotionally unstable when we don’t feel in control.
So, our brain tries to help out, but not in the best way. It projects possible outcomes for the future, be it a specific event or just generally, but it can only predict based on what it knows, i.e., your past experiences. And its job is to protect you, so have you noticed if you’re thinking about a future event, maybe something new, your mind comes up with the worst-case scenarios?
It does this to brace you, to get you to live and relive a scenario again and again so that you are braced and ready should it happen.
It doesn’t do this all the time. If your last holiday was wonderful, chances are your brain will be projecting that the next one will be too. But if something negative happened on your last holiday, your brain will predict a repeat or worse, so that this time, if it happens, you’re prepared!
Only by knowing this can you recognise if this is happening to you and understand that it’s just your internal bodyguard being overzealous, and calm it down.