Orienting response

Hello there! Do you know how you react when you encounter something new or unfamiliar? Like when you see a shiny object or hear a loud noise? Well, that reaction is called the orienting response!

You see, our brains are wired to pay extra attention to things that are different or potentially important to us. It helps us stay safe and learn new things about our environment. So, when we come across something that our brain perceives as important or different, it triggers the orienting response.

This response is made up of a few different things our body does automatically. First, we might freeze for a second to assess the situation. Then, we might turn our head or eyes toward the new thing to get a better look. Our heartbeat might speed up a little bit, and we might start to sweat, too.

All of these bodily changes are designed to help us gather more information about the new thing and decide if it's something we need to be worried about or not. Once we've determined that it's okay, our body and brain will start to relax and go back to normal.

So, the next time you notice yourself turning toward something new or feeling a little bit on edge, that's your brain's orienting response kicking in! And it's a pretty neat way that our bodies help us stay safe and learn new things.