Why getting to know your ‘animal brain’ could be the secret to better wellbeing – and how to do it

Lion roaring in the wild - animal brain

Credit: Getty

Strong Women


Why getting to know your ‘animal brain’ could be the secret to better wellbeing – and how to do it

By Anna Bartter

3 months ago

5 min read

We’ve long known that our brains are essentially animalistic, with concepts such as the chimp and reptile brain well-documented in modern neuroscience. Here, psychologist and bestselling author Steve Biddulph talks to Strong Women about how getting to know these animal parts of our mind can be the secret to enhanced mental wellbeing. 


When it comes to understanding the human brain, there are so many analogies with the animal world. Over the past decade, we’ve learned about the chimp brain (the part of the brain that acts impulsively) and the reptilian brain (the oldest part, responsible for basic survival and functions like breathing and primitive behaviours). 

But while we tend to hear about these functions in terms of managing or controlling them, a new book, Wild Creature Mind by psychotherapist and acclaimed author Steve Biddulph, sheds new light on how. Rather than overpowering our animal brain, we should be embracing it. At a time when we’re more stressed out and overwhelmed than ever, tuning into our animal instincts could be the key to cultivating a quieter, calmer mind. And who doesn’t want that? 

Here, Biddulph chats to Strong Women about how to tap into the wisdom of our animal brain to enhance our mental wellbeing. 


What are some of the popular myths about the human brain? 

A brain

Credit: Getty

“The brain is a mysterious thing,” says Biddulph. “We’ve only been able to see how it works in the last few years because of MRI, which is the scanning technique that can watch it in action. Before that, we had to rely only on people with brain damage to work out in reverse what they could or couldn’t do. Neuroscience is now the biggest field in medicine as we race to discover how we actually work.”

We know that the human brain has evolved to have two sides, or hemispheres, which are clearly visible from scans. Previously, scientists and psychologists believed that these halves operated separately, with the left side responsible for reason and thinking, and the right side concerned with emotion. However, Biddulph explains that this may not be quite true. 

“We’ve always known that the brain has two halves, and for a while back in the 1970s people thought our emotions lived on one side (sometimes referred to as the ‘feminine side’) and rational thinking lived on the other,” he tells Strong Women. “But the work of British neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist, and many others around the world, has created a huge paradigm shift in understanding how our minds, and brains, work.”

Let’s dig into how our left and right brains work. 

The left brain

The left hemisphere of our brain is traditionally thought of as our logical or rational brain. Sometimes referred to as the ‘digital’ brain, its primary functions include language processing, speech and abstract thinking. However, recent research suggests that it’s not as clear-cut as this.

“The left brain, where language comes from, is not always rational or sensible,” explains Biddulph. “It can be hijacked by slogans or things which sound right, but are not. While it is able to be logical, it is also very unreliable and prone to getting egotistical and defensive. It is where our ego lives. But worst of all for our mental health, it can get trapped and go round and round in circles. The left brain is not cool and calm, it is actually the side that gets angry and afraid.”

The left brain gets angry and afraid

The right brain

In contrast, the right hemisphere of the human brain is thought to be our emotional brain, where skills such as intuition, emotional intelligence, memory and creativity originate. 

“The right brain, which was thought to be the emotional side, is much much smarter than the left, and less emotional,” explains Biddulph. “It only feels sorrow, rarely anger. It is joyful or sad. The right brain is a supercomputer that knows things and deduces things from complex sensory input, but can only warn us via the body, hence things like ‘gut feelings’.

“The right brain reads everything around us, tracks into our deep memories and gives us insights and understandings that can help turn around mental health. The right brain is so brilliant that the left brain has no way to explain it. So we call it intuition, but it’s actually just very high computing power.”

How does the ‘animal mind’ work?

While it’s generally accepted that the wild, animalistic part of the brain is located in the right half, good mental wellbeing comes when both sides of the brain are working together.

“When both sides of the brain are attuned and teaming up as they’re meant to, you’ll notice that the sensations in your body shift and you might have new ideas pop into your mind, insights or new directions. 

“The aim [of embracing your animal brain] is to be this self-aware and steady in yourself more and more of the time. So your wild animal mind is fully on duty and helping you, and your old thinking mind has so much more information to go on.”

In this way, our new understanding of the brain’s form and function can help our mental wellbeing, if we know how to tap into it.

How to work with your animal mind to relieve anxiety and boost wellbeing

A close up of a woman's hands

Credit: Getty

The next time you feel overwhelmed, try taking a step back and considering what’s really going on in your body and your brain. Here are Biddulph’s top tips for harnessing your wild brain. 

  1. When you are anxious, don’t rely on just thinking alone. Notice your body’s signals, and go into your senses to bring yourself into the present. This will allow your right brain to calm you down. Your right brain knows if you are safe, or not, and will stop your imagination, or old fears or future worries surfacing.
  2. Use the phrase “Something in me…” is anxious, angry or whatever unpleasant emotions you are having. This technique can help you gain some distance from the emotion, rather than feeling swamped by it.
  3. Notice where exactly in your body the bad feelings seem to live. Usually, they will be in your torso somewhere: shoulders, throat, heart, stomach or abdomen. When you locate them and give them some care and attention, you let them know you see them, like a small animal inside you that needs some care and attention.
  4. Give some words to the sensations – whether churning, hard, tight or throbbing, and see if those words feel right. 

Images: Getty

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