The Brain Science Behind Divorce with Dr. David Rock

We know that the strong negative emotions associated with divorce make it difficult to think rationally. But have you ever wondered what happens in your brain when emotion takes over? How does a threat response impact your aptitude for conscious thought? And how might an understanding of the brain science shift your response and facilitate good, deliberative thinking?

Dr. David Rock is the Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, a global initiative designed to unite neuroscientists and leadership experts in the innovation of a new science for leadership development. Dr. Rock is also the co-editor of the NeuroLeadership Journal and the author of business bestseller Your Brain at Work. His work regularly appears in the Harvard Business Review, Fortune Magazine and Psychology Today, among many other publications, and Dr. Rock has served as a guest lecturer at a number of institutions, including Oxford University’s Said Business School.

Today, Dr. Rock sits down with Katherine to discuss the brain science behind divorce. He explains why strong emotions make logical decision-making impossible and how the overload from a threat response impacts our thinking. He discusses the importance of articulating common goals to help divorcing couples think rationally, describing how viewing your former partner as an opponent impacts brain processing. Listen in for insight around the five things your brain is tracking at any given time and learn how to live longer by wasting less energy on misread threats!