“Imagine a tiger is running at you …”

Part of an occasional series about phrases that this therapist finds himself repeating, often.

Photo by Frida Bredesen on Unsplash

So no, I’m not trying to create anxiety in the people I see by asking them to “Imagine that a tiger is running at you…”. But this is a phrase that I find myself using a lot, especially when trying to describe the system that creates anxiety in all of us.

The explanation goes like this.

So imagine that a tiger is running at you. Just a few minutes ago, you were quietly wandering through the savannah, when this hungry carnivore pops up over the grass, running straight for you.

Your heart beats faster.

Your muscles tighten.

Your breathing gets more shallow and quick.

You notice EVERYTHING around you, becoming increasingly aware of sights, sounds, smells.

Your vision narrows to the direct threat, maybe even feeling like everything is closing in. You feel for whether you have a gun; you look for the nearest tree.

All of this is in the service of helping you escape the direct threat. In this case . . . the tiger.

So let’s step back a bit, with a grateful nod to Robert Sapolsky’s wonderful book Why…