The Ancient Brain and the worry alarm: how Wellbeing Hacks explains the amygdala to kids

If you’ve seen your child go from calm to panicked in seconds, you’ve witnessed something ancient inside the human brain at work.

Inside all of our brains is a small but powerful structure called the amygdala.In Wellbeing Hacks, Frizz calls it the “almond-shaped ancient brain thingy” — the part that’s been with humans since cave times, keeping us alert to danger.

Back then, the amygdala kept us alive and alert to big-fanged predators.Today, it still tries to keep kids safe… it just gets confused.

What triggers the amygdala in children today?

Modern danger looks more like:

• a sudden change in routine

• a worry that feels too big (dentist, tests, performances)

• spiralling thoughts

• uncertainty (sleepovers, new environments)

• moments that feel unfair

To a child, these feel like real danger.

So when a child cries, shuts down, yells, hides, or clings, it is not:

• misbehaviour

• defiance

• drama

It is the amygdala saying: “Something might not be safe. I need help.”

Kids don’t have the language for this — they feel it in their bodies.

How Wellbeing Hacks explains the amygdala to kids

Frizz teaches it simply:

“Your ancient brain is like a little safety alarm inside you.It wants to keep you safe. But sometimes it gets confused and thinks a feeling or thought is real danger.”

This helps children understand:

• their reactions make sense

• they are not “being bad”

• their brain is trying to help

• they can learn to guide it

This is the foundation of emotional regulation.

The thinking brain (prefrontal cortex): where calm decisions happen

Children learn there is another important part of the brain:the prefrontal cortex — the “thinking brain.”

It helps with:

• problem-solving

• decision-making

• clear thinking

But in childhood, it is still developing — and it switches offline when the amygdala is in alarm mode.

The sequence becomes:Calm body → Thinking brain comes back online → Strategies work

This is the neuroscience backbone of Wellbeing Hacks.

The Wellbeing Hacks activities that teach this process

1. Noticing the alarm

Children learn to identify body signals:

• tight chest

• fast heartbeat

• shaky legs

• teary eyes

This builds interoception, not shame.

2. Breathing as a physiological switch

Kids learn over 10 calming and breathing strategies that slow down the amygdala.Frizz frames it as a superpower, not a technique.

Long exhalations tell the nervous system: you are safe.

3. Check the thought

Once calm, kids learn to check:

• Is this thought true?

• Is it a worry story?

• What else could be true?

This is CBT, adapted for a 7–10-year-old brain.

Why this matters for parents

Understanding the amygdala reframes everything.

Your child isn’t “overreacting.”They’re having a nervous system response, not a behaviour problem.

Once parents see this, they shift from reacting to co-regulating.

Breathing together works.Naming feelings works.Connection works.

And once the child feels safe… all the strategies start to work.

This isn’t about stopping big feelings

It’s about helping children:

• recognise what’s happening inside them

• understand their brain

• use tools that work in real life

The ancient brain isn’t bad. It’s just mismatched with modern childhood.

When kids learn to work with it — not against it — they feel capable, confident, and in control.

That is the heart of Wellbeing Hacks:

Understanding. Safety. Skills that last a lifetime.

Find out more: Why Buy? | Wellbeing Hacks 1

With support

Lena