Facing a complex business problem can easily trigger our ancient survival instincts.

Just when you need access to your most clear and creative thinking, your monkey mind starts chattering about worst-case scenarios—offering gems like “What if this doesn’t work?” and “What if I fail?”

The types of thoughts that only make it harder to see new solutions and possibilities.

Your impulse may be to try to change those thoughts. But how often has that actually worked? How many times have you forced yourself to think more positively, only to suddenly snap right back to mental doom scrolling?

But if simply thinking positive thoughts isn’t the answer, then how do you pull yourself out of that downward spiral, clear your head, and tap into your true creative potential?

Try working at the level of your body first, not just your mind.

The truth is that most of those stressful thoughts and worries aren’t even based on reality. They’re created by your nervous system’s habitual, automatic, and unconscious response to perceived threats.

According to Polyvagal Theory, our “actions are automatic and adaptive, generated by the autonomic nervous system well below the level of conscious awareness. This is not the brain making a cognitive choice, these are autonomic energies moving in patterns of protection.”

Think about how your own autonomic nervous system may be impacting your ability to solve problems. Facing a complex business challenge isn’t an emotionally neutral experience. There’s a lot at stake—your business’s future, your self-concept as a successful person, your own livelihood and the livelihoods of your employees or team.

The threat of loss can easily trigger your survival instincts, many of which express themselves within the body.

If you want to be able to think calmly, clearly, and creatively when it matters most, you need to pay close attention to your nervous system in addition to managing your mindset.

What will you do today to dial in your mental game using both your body and your mind?

Will you consider how stress on your nervous system may be impacting the quality of your thinking?