Why zebras don’t get ulcers

Picture this:

A zebra grazes on the African savanna, when a male lion appears.

The zebra's nervous system activates, the sympathetic nervous system floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol surges. 

Next, the fight-or-flight response kicks in, as every system primes for escape.

But the zebra escapes the lion and reaches safety.

And within minutes…

The parasympathetic nervous system activates, and the vagus nerve signals safety. The nervous system dysregulation stops, and the limbic system returns to baseline.

So the zebra goes back to grazing.

• Stress response is on.

• Danger passes.

• Stress response is turned off.

Now picture this:

You get a stressful email from your boss at 9 AM.

Your limbic system activates the danger response, then the fight-or-flight mode engages. You become hyper-aroused and your nervous system can't tell the difference between a real threat and a work email.

You can’t stop thinking about how this email makes you feel.

At lunch you clench your fists until your knuckles turn white. Even at dinner you're replaying the email in your head. 

And you stay awake at night in fear of talking to your boss.

• Stress response turns on.

• Danger passes.

• Stress response is still on.

Your nervous system never gets to regulate back to safety.

This is why zebras don't get ulcers, chronic pain, or IBS.

But humans do.

Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky discovered something profound and shared it in his book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”

It's not the stressors themselves that make us sick.

It's our nervous system getting stuck in chronic dysregulation.

Your brain is designed to handle acute stress well. 

But your limbic system wasn't designed for replaying conversations from last week, worrying about bills due next month, or anticipating tomorrow's work presentation.

When you mentally time travel to past hurts or future fears…

…Your limbic system can't tell the difference between a real lion and a perceived threat.

So you stay stuck in survival mode.

Your nervous system gets trapped in chronic hyper-arousal.

And that chronic nervous system dysregulation creates the real brain-generated symptoms you're experiencing: 

• Anxiety

• Insomnia

• Chronic pain

And more…

The symptoms are real, but the nervous system dysregulation creates them? 

That's trainable.

Here's what changed everything for me after 7 years of chronic pain:

Learning to retrain my nervous system like zebras do.

Through neuroplasticity, you can teach your nervous system the difference between real danger and perceived threats.

Now let me be clear…

This isn't about "staying positive."

This is about specific protocols that rewire your limbic system's threat detection.

Brain Based Healing teaches you exactly how to retrain your limbic system in 30 days without relying on medication or expensive talk therapy.

>>>Click here to join the waitlist for Brain Based Healing

Doors open October 6th.

To your success & joy,

— Kimia