37. Professor Steve Peters on how to train your brain for crisis
In this episode we have something different as I’m joined by the brilliant psychiatrist Prof. Steve Peters, author of the best-selling The Chimp Paradox.
Steve’s landmark book has become a bible for anyone looking to cope with crisis or break down the barriers that can prevent us from living a fuller, happier life. During an illustrious career Steve has worked with people facing life threatening challenges to athletes looking to improve performance - most famously the British cycling team.
The Chimp Paradox, which gave Steve rock star status as a psychiatrist, sets out a mind management system based on the premise that there are three forces at play in our brains. The emotional and primal ‘inner chimp’ - who thinks and acts for us without our permission, the ‘inner human’ who is the real person – rational and humane - and our memory bank, the ‘computer’.
For me it’s been a powerful and entirely logical toolkit for handling stress and those moments of difficulty in my life. In our chat Steve talks about how the chimp system applies itself to crisis and how it can help anyone, to navigate their way through a world increasingly influenced by those black and white judgements of social media. His new book – ‘A Path Through the Jungle’ (link below) sits neatly alongside The Chimp Paradox as a ‘Hayne’s Manual’ for the brain.
This episode is a fascinating analysis of what crisis actually is and how our minds work when we’re in the midst of significant trouble. Full of gems I guarantee you’ll want to make a note of.
Steve's Crisis Cures:
1 – My values – I get myself on my own and ask myself, ‘Have I done the right thing? Have you got integrity, honesty? Are you working with compassion? If I know that to be true, I can’t stop the world thinking what it thinks. Therefore, whatever the crisis is, that stops me being thrown around.
2 – Acceptance – I find this as soon as I can so I can work forward in the situation, rather than fighting the injustice or crisis.
3 – Perspective. At the end of the day, we have very short lives. Now I’m older, perspective is really important to maintaining the status quo in my mind.
Links:
https://chimpmanagement.com/
https://profstevepeters.com/
A Path Through the Jungle – https://amzn.to/3eRPhYo
The Chimp Paradox – Book - https://amzn.to/3DsJWBd
Host – Andy Coulson
Producer – Louise Difford
Full transcript available here: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/prof-steve-peters-on-how-to-train-your-brain-for-crisis/
Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm
Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk
Steve’s landmark book has become a bible for anyone looking to cope with crisis or break down the barriers that can prevent us from living a fuller, happier life. During an illustrious career Steve has worked with people facing life threatening challenges to athletes looking to improve performance - most famously the British cycling team.
The Chimp Paradox, which gave Steve rock star status as a psychiatrist, sets out a mind management system based on the premise that there are three forces at play in our brains. The emotional and primal ‘inner chimp’ - who thinks and acts for us without our permission, the ‘inner human’ who is the real person – rational and humane - and our memory bank, the ‘computer’.
For me it’s been a powerful and entirely logical toolkit for handling stress and those moments of difficulty in my life. In our chat Steve talks about how the chimp system applies itself to crisis and how it can help anyone, to navigate their way through a world increasingly influenced by those black and white judgements of social media. His new book – ‘A Path Through the Jungle’ (link below) sits neatly alongside The Chimp Paradox as a ‘Hayne’s Manual’ for the brain.
This episode is a fascinating analysis of what crisis actually is and how our minds work when we’re in the midst of significant trouble. Full of gems I guarantee you’ll want to make a note of.
Steve's Crisis Cures:
1 – My values – I get myself on my own and ask myself, ‘Have I done the right thing? Have you got integrity, honesty? Are you working with compassion? If I know that to be true, I can’t stop the world thinking what it thinks. Therefore, whatever the crisis is, that stops me being thrown around.
2 – Acceptance – I find this as soon as I can so I can work forward in the situation, rather than fighting the injustice or crisis.
3 – Perspective. At the end of the day, we have very short lives. Now I’m older, perspective is really important to maintaining the status quo in my mind.
Links:
https://chimpmanagement.com/
https://profstevepeters.com/
A Path Through the Jungle – https://amzn.to/3eRPhYo
The Chimp Paradox – Book - https://amzn.to/3DsJWBd
Host – Andy Coulson
Producer – Louise Difford
Full transcript available here: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/prof-steve-peters-on-how-to-train-your-brain-for-crisis/
Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm
Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk
