When we're feeling anxious, we've fired up a set of structures in our brain called the limbic system, said Marques. That's an area responsible for emotional responses, memory and motivation.
Our best reasoning and decision-making comes instead from the prefrontal cortex, what Marques called our "thinking brain." The limbic system and the prefrontal cortex fight for attention, she explained.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/health/mental-health-pandemic-wellness/index.html
If your brain is in fight-or-flight mode, your overheated limbic system can cycle through an endless series of scary possibilities. Scientists call that "amygdala hijack"— it's like your prefrontal cortex has lost control of the vehicle altogether. The amygdala is a part of the limbic system.
"When you're on [amygdala] hijack, you're 'spinning,'" Marques said. "You might say: 'If I don't put on a mask right now I'm going to catch the virus, and if I get the virus, who's going to take care of my kids?' — which of course makes you more anxious."
That feeling can paralyze your ability to make a choice. And with your limbic system in control, you might not like what you settle on anyway. "Because they are emotionally driven, those are decisions that might not be your best decisions," Marques said.