{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Deciding While Drowning: What Overwhelm Does to Your Brain | Ep. 176","description":" Episode Description Your brain literally goes offline when you're overwhelmed \u2014 and most people are making their biggest decisions from that state right now. In this episode, we break down exactly what happens to your brain and body when you're in overwhelm, why your decision-making gets hijacked, and what it actually takes to lead from a regulated, expansive state instead of a survival one. What You'll Learn In this episode, we cover three things most high-performers have never been taught about their own nervous system: The Neuroscience of Overwhelm \u2014 When stress floods your system with cortisol and adrenaline, blood flow to your prefrontal cortex literally decreases. That's the part of your brain responsible for rational thinking, perspective, and long-term decisions. You're not being dramatic when you can't think straight under pressure \u2014 you're running on your survival brain. Your Body Knows Before Your Brain Does \u2014 Overwhelm doesn't start in your head. It starts in your chest, your shoulders, your breath. Most people blow past these signals and try to logic their way through decisions \u2014 which is like driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake. The Capacity Gap \u2014 When you're maxed out, your brain stops seeing creative solutions and collapses everything into binary choices: yes or no, now or never, fight or flee. This is the capacity gap \u2014 the space between what's being demanded of you and what your nervous system can actually hold. Expanding that gap before you decide is what separates reactive leaders from responsive ones. Key Takeaway You can't think your way out of overwhelm. You have to regulate your way out \u2014 and that starts with understanding what's happening inside you before you make your next move. About your host: Dr. Christine Manukyan Have you ever had that inner knowing that something has to change, but you push it away until one day you can\u2019t ignore it anymore?  Dr. Christine Manukyan knows that exact feeling. After 25 years in healthcare, she took the leap of faith from pharmacist to The Vitality Doctor\u2122 to mentor elite leaders transform their lives from the inside out.  As a Fractional Chief Vitality Officer and creator of Xpand Capacity\u2122 and NeuroBreathwork\u00ae, she works with founders and executives to convert overwhelm into calm authority, decisive leadership, and durable performance without sacrificing their health.  A five-time #1 international bestselling author, with her latest book, Breathe. Heal. Surrender. and host of the Xpand Capacity\u2122 podcast, Dr. Christine leads executive retreats in Bali and across the U.S., has spoken to audiences of 50,000 and has been featured by Forbes, Yahoo, ABC and CBS. Her message is simple: Vitality is the ultimate edge - the foundation of your Billion-Dollar Human Performance\u2122. Let\u2019s unlock yours, so when the inner whisper returns, you\u2019re ready to act.   Contact Dr. Christine Manukyan  Email: dr.christine.manukyan@gmail.com Website: htthttps:\/\/www.xpandcapacity.com\/  Join us in Bali May 25 - 31, 2026 https:\/\/drchristinemanukyan.com\/bali-retreat\/  LI: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dr-christine-manukyan\/ IG: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drchristinemanukyan\/  FB: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drchristinemanukyan XPAND CAPACITY\u2122 Podcast  https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/xpand-capacity\/id1544165446  YouTube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@DrChristineManukyan  ","author_name":"XPAND CAPACITY\u2122","author_url":"http:\/\/storrie.libsyn.com\/website","html":"