By Qamar Zaman | Coffee With Q News
9-Second Elevator Pitch: Your brain has two major players in the game of life—your smart, rational frontal lobe and your impulsive, survival-driven lizard brain. The question is: who’s calling the shots? Let’s dive into how to train your brain to be a strategic thinker and not a knee-jerk reactor.
This is a follow up to my LinkedIn Post of yesterday. In case you missed it, read it here.
As I sipped my Sunday morning coffee, I had a thought—how often do we act on impulse instead of logic?
Ever made a decision you instantly regretted? Hit send on an angry email? Spent money on something you didn’t need? That’s your lizard brain at work.
The frontal lobe, on the other hand, is the wise old sage that helps you plan, reason, and think before acting. The challenge? Making sure the lizard stays in its cage while the frontal lobe stays in the driver’s seat.
So, let’s break it down:
Meet the Players: The Frontal Lobe vs. The Lizard Brain
🧠 The Frontal Lobe – Your CEO Brain
✔ Plans, analyzes, and makes decisions.
✔ Controls impulses and emotions.
✔ Helps you resist temptations and distractions.
✔ Thinks about the future and weighs consequences.
🦎 The Lizard Brain – The Wild Card
✔ Seeks pleasure, avoids pain.
✔ Reacts emotionally and impulsively.
✔ Fueled by fear, hunger, and survival instincts.
✔ Loves instant gratification.
The frontal lobe is the strategic thinker, while the lizard brain is the reactor. One is playing chess, the other is playing dodgeball. So how do we train the brain to be more like a grandmaster and less like a hyperactive squirrel?
Five Ways to Train Your Frontal Lobe and Keep the Lizard Brain in Check
☕ 1. Slow Down & Sip the Coffee Before You React
Ever heard the phrase “sleep on it”? That’s frontal lobe activation 101. Before making a big decision—pause.
📌 Example: Someone sends you an annoying email. Instead of firing back a heated response, take a coffee break, let your frontal lobe kick in, and respond with logic, not emotion.
🏋️ 2. Train Your Brain Like a Muscle
Your frontal lobe needs exercise, just like your body. Activities like:
✅ Reading complex material (skip the doom-scrolling)
✅ Playing strategy games (chess, puzzles, problem-solving tasks)
✅ Journaling (forces reflection and planning)
…all help strengthen decision-making skills and weaken impulsive reactions.
🛑 3. Rewire Instant Gratification – The 5-Minute Rule
When you feel an impulse to do something (like binge junk food or buy something unnecessary), wait 5 minutes. This short delay can allow your frontal lobe to override the impulse.
📌 Example: Instead of buying that shiny new gadget on impulse, wait 5 minutes. Often, the urge fades, and your logical brain takes over.
🧘 4. Breathe Like a Zen Master (Seriously, It Works)
Deep breathing exercises literally calm the lizard brain. Slow, deep breaths activate the prefrontal cortex and help keep fear and impulse in check.
✅ Try box breathing: Inhale for 4 sec → Hold for 4 sec → Exhale for 4 sec → Hold for 4 sec.
📖 5. Learn the Power of Storytelling – Change Your Narrative
Your lizard brain loves telling you dramatic, fear-based stories:
🚨 “I NEED this now, or I’ll miss out!”
🚨 “If I fail, everyone will judge me!”
🚨 “I can’t do this, so why try?”
Instead, rewrite the story:
💡 “This isn’t urgent. I can wait.”
💡 “Failure is part of learning.”
💡 “I am in control of my actions.”
The more you consciously rewrite your inner dialogue, the more your frontal lobe takes control.
Final Sip: Who’s in Charge of Your Brain?
Your frontal lobe and lizard brain are always in a tug-of-war. The goal isn’t to eliminate the lizard brain (after all, it helps in actual emergencies), but rather to train it so that it doesn’t control your daily decisions.
So the next time you feel an impulsive urge, take a deep breath, sip your coffee, and let your CEO brain do the talking. Your future self will thank you.
About Qamar Zaman
Qamar Zaman is a journalist at Coffee With Q, diving deep into digital media, crypto markets, and brain hacks for better decision-making. As the Founder of Coffee With Q, based in Grand Cayman, he helps businesses tell their stories through media and personal branding.
For more insights, follow @QamarZamanOfficial and stay tuned to Coffee With Q for Sunday brain boosts.
📌 For the latest updates, follow me on X → QamarZamanNews
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. Always do your own research before taking any action based on brain science, finance, or life decisions.
Now go out there and give your frontal lobe a workout! 🚀