Strong emotions are confusing
Strong emotions are distracting. It’s difficult to think while we are feeling angry, frightened, or sad. We might have a difficult time listening carefully to someone. We are in an emotional swing that can distort a challenge and close off avenues of effective action. As a result, we can make impulsive decisions that are likely to make matters worse.

The cortex, the outer part of the brain, is the seat of analysis and problem solving. It is the thinking part of the brain. Normally, the cortex processes perception and shapes a response that focuses on solving the problem. But we are not always so analytical. Another set of structures exist in the center of the brain called the limbic system. Emotional arousal occurs there in the amygdala. Normally, the amygdala remains connected to the thinking part of the brain through another structure called the hippocampus (which helps to define a situation). If the arousal is too great, though, this connection is lost and something called emotional hijacking can occur.