Exercise and Box Your Chimp to Calm Overwhelm Fast

You’re moments from delivering an important pitch or stepping on stage, and your Chimp is having a field day—flashes of doom, crushing self-doubt, paralyzing “what ifs.” You know it’s irrational, yet your hands shake and your breath short-circuits. That’s your Chimp gull-diving your Human. But there’s a better way.

Slide into a quiet corner—your car, a locked office stall—close your eyes, and let your Chimp scream its unfiltered verdict. “I’m going to freeze,” “They’ll laugh at me,” “I’m so unfairly unprepared.” Let it holler until the fury drains off like stormwater. Only then pick up a pen and draw a box. Scribble inside just the strongest fears that still sting: “I feel exposed,” “I fear rejection.”

Now you switch hats. Confront each box entry with a calm Human reply: “I may feel exposed, but I’ve prepared key points,” “Rejection sucks, but the world turns regardless.” Seal each note with a mental “thank you, Chimp—now we’re back in control.”

Clinical studies on emotional expression show that naming fears and reframing them reduces stress hormones and primes your brain for peak performance. No more hijacks—just clear, deliberate action.

When you feel that panic bubble, slip away, let your Chimp have its say. Scribble every wild fear, then drag the starkest ones into a drawn box. Next to each, write its calm Human counter: “I’ve practiced this,” “Feedback—good or bad—is how I learn.” Seal the box, thank your Chimp for sharing, then step back into the room ready to act with poise. Give it a try before your next tight deadline.