What you think, you become;
What you feel, you attract;
What you imagine, you create.
What you feel, you attract;
What you imagine, you create.
Buddha,
Dhammapada
These are troubling times. A virus pandemic is circling the globe; the news is heightening anxiety, drawing our attention with announcements of how many more people have it today, how many more have died.
Dang, even the President just said he's probably going to get tested.
The markets have crashed, and there is a price war on oil between Saudis and Russians. If you went to a store yesterday, you know... I've heard from 4 people today that they can't find toilet paper in the stores!
What form is the crisis going to take next!
BUT. The sky IS not falling.
Because of my training in mind-body medicine, now and then I try to ease the pervasive tension on FB, in texts to freaked out relatives or friends. Throw in a cat joke from Alexa. Encourage people to B-R-E-A-T-H. Offer someone a roll of TP.
Then I get chided for thinking the situation isn't serious.
It's serious. Duh.
But you know what else is serious? The dangers of stress.
Long term, short term, when our bodies go into a stress response, we change. Our perceptions of things change too.
Whenever we feel threatened, in danger, we go there--in 1/50000th of a second.
And we're there, people.
Not like we can just NOT do it. It's ancient survival wiring.
Problem is, when this part of brains evolved, long ago, the animals with it (lizards, say) had one main stressor: survival. Survival in the face of predators or enemies.
So the changes this response triggers are aimed to allow animals, and us, to quickly recognize life-threatening danger and remind us how to deal with it: to survive a fight, or run away fast.
We can't fix this situation by running, or beating it up. Or even shooting.
This neurophysiological system hasn't changed.
We have the same mind-body experience being stuck in traffic when we are in a hurry as our ancestors did when they faced a saber-toothed tiger.
When we become stressed, afraid, angry, our body still does the same thing it did in prehistoric days. We turn our brains over to the tiny lizard-brain (amygdala).
This cuts off control by our highly advanced and human, and much larger, brain part, the PFC (prefrontal cortex, if you must know).
Our attention is focused on the threat, and this tells our brain to look for more of the same.
So we recognize potential threats, but not much else.
We don't see the good, the positive, and we get frankly, a bit irrational.
The brain led by the amygdala makes us really a different person:
Stress uses up a lot of energy. You know how you feel at the end of a stressed day, or week. Exhausted! Or angry, then exhausted.
That energy goes to specific activities designed to help us address wounds, and give our largest muscles most of the blood to help us run or fight.
So digestion shuts down, our gut hurts, our hands get cold. Being on hyper alert, our brainpower is also busy, but in that limited way. The wear and tear of prolonged stress leads to illnesses later in life, like cardiovascular disease. Diabetes. Gastrointestinal problems. Not to add to your fears, but... Just to make a point.
Recognize when you're stressed, and do something to shut it down before it causes trouble. Like tension headaches, stomach aches, tight muscles, and spousal arguments.
In stress, your immune system gets fired up, but too much, and it breaks down, leaving you more vulnerable to getting sick. If you have any pain, you will suffer worse by increased inflammation.
We spend so much time thinking about terrible things that MIGHT happen, even believing they will, and allowing ourselves to get worked up.
But know what? That is not reality.
That is our negative imaginations, our thoughts.
And usually, these are worse than the real thing we are worrying about!
And thanks to the news, we have lots of encouragement to go to that dark place.
Maybe it's time to turn away from the media. Schedule breaks at least.
What can you do?
BREATHE.
No, really! You can immediately begin shutting down your own stress response with breathing. Stressed breathing is shallow, which means you don't exhale fully, and hold old air in your lungs. This signals the rest of your body that your oxygen is running out, stressing you more.
Like this:
Blow out all the air in your lungs.
Get it all out, then breathe in deeply, slowly.
Fill your lungs, and hold it a second or two.
Slowly exhale. Slower than the inhale. All the way out.
Let your body feel the air leaving, and notice your muscles will begin to soften.
Do it once more.
Release more muscles on this next exhale.
Then return to breathing normally, but pay attention to it, going a bit slower than before you started, and be sure to get rid of all the air while exhaling.
What you tell your brain to focus on, it will look for.
If you tell it to focus on positive things by doing this regularly, it will be on the lookout for more such things. And will notice them where you hadn't before. Just as your focus on the virus leads you to find more scary stories on the internet and validates your fears.
Say no thanks.
From a calming place after some deep breaths, think of something you love--a person, a beautiful place, your favorite knick-knack or piece of art. Your pet. something you love to eat. Or that great moment at the ball game.
Push away any "Yea but" thoughts. ("Yea but we can't go top the games now! Yea but that pet died and I miss her...) Take control! Tell the naysayer thoughts that you aren't interested right now. Later. Return your attention to the good.
Keep that breathing slow, and hold the good memory or image in your mind.
Close your eyes and savor the good emotion that image or memory evokes. Stay with that feeling as long as you can, at least 30 seconds.
“I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.”
Gratitude is an especially good positive emotion. It can open up all sorts of other positive emotions, so it is a good entry point if you're not feeling it. Think about what you have, what is great in the world, instead of what you don't have or like, or what you fear.
Count your blessings.
Chances are, you're a heck of a lot better off than many. You're alive if you're reading this,. You're literate and your eyes are good, or your technology to compensate is.
Think of someone you feel gratitude toward. Write them a letter listing all the things you appreciate about them. Read it a few times and feel that gratitude. Savor that feeling.
GO OUTSIDE
Take a walk, somewhere in nature--a park, woods, the countryside. Leave your phone off so you can pay attention to what is around you. Stop whenever you see something you like, and enjoy looking at it--a cute animal, a bird singing, the tapestry of rolling hills or of branches and dirt and tree bark.
RUN, if you are a runner, but focus on running, and not corona virus or other concerns.
Meditate, do yoga, swim laps, or work out--anything to slow down your mind, empty it if you can, and give your poor body that thinks it needs to fight or flee a way to release its energy and return to homeostasis before getting depleted.
You have to get through this, and you will, one way or another. And you need to make a plan.
But not right this minute.
First you need to shut down the stress response, so that you can make that plan of action using all the brain power at your disposal. Without wearing yourself out.
Extended stress makes you stupid, irritable, irrational, disorganized, confused. You want to be at the top of your game. You know, just in case....
Relax, then do what you can.
Do what you can, then relax.
Some indicators that you are stressed:
Cold hands
Bad mood; negative emotions
Impatient
Memory has gotten suddenly worse
Trouble making decisions
Impulsive
Dry mouth
Tense shoulders, neck
Clenched jaw, hands
For more, see other posts and the info at my website, www.managemystress.net
Be kind to yourself, and others. And chill.
It's good for your health. --elisabeth
These are troubling times. A virus pandemic is circling the globe; the news is heightening anxiety, drawing our attention with announcements of how many more people have it today, how many more have died.
Dang, even the President just said he's probably going to get tested.
The markets have crashed, and there is a price war on oil between Saudis and Russians. If you went to a store yesterday, you know... I've heard from 4 people today that they can't find toilet paper in the stores!
What form is the crisis going to take next!
BUT. The sky IS not falling.
Because of my training in mind-body medicine, now and then I try to ease the pervasive tension on FB, in texts to freaked out relatives or friends. Throw in a cat joke from Alexa. Encourage people to B-R-E-A-T-H. Offer someone a roll of TP.
Then I get chided for thinking the situation isn't serious.
It's serious. Duh.
But you know what else is serious? The dangers of stress.
Long term, short term, when our bodies go into a stress response, we change. Our perceptions of things change too.
Whenever we feel threatened, in danger, we go there--in 1/50000th of a second.
And we're there, people.
Not like we can just NOT do it. It's ancient survival wiring.
Problem is, when this part of brains evolved, long ago, the animals with it (lizards, say) had one main stressor: survival. Survival in the face of predators or enemies.
So the changes this response triggers are aimed to allow animals, and us, to quickly recognize life-threatening danger and remind us how to deal with it: to survive a fight, or run away fast.
We can't fix this situation by running, or beating it up. Or even shooting.
This neurophysiological system hasn't changed.
We have the same mind-body experience being stuck in traffic when we are in a hurry as our ancestors did when they faced a saber-toothed tiger.
When we become stressed, afraid, angry, our body still does the same thing it did in prehistoric days. We turn our brains over to the tiny lizard-brain (amygdala).
This cuts off control by our highly advanced and human, and much larger, brain part, the PFC (prefrontal cortex, if you must know).
Our attention is focused on the threat, and this tells our brain to look for more of the same.
So we recognize potential threats, but not much else.
We don't see the good, the positive, and we get frankly, a bit irrational.
The brain led by the amygdala makes us really a different person:
- We are less able to control our thoughts and actions, our words and feelings.
- We lose access to creativity, skilled problem solving, and positive emotions.
- We start to hoard bottled water, or milk and bread, because that is what we have done in past threats. (OK, maybe those were blizzards or earthquakes, which are not at all like viruses, other than being threatening, but hey, that's the memory we have about dealing with crisis, and we're sticking too it!)
Stress uses up a lot of energy. You know how you feel at the end of a stressed day, or week. Exhausted! Or angry, then exhausted.
That energy goes to specific activities designed to help us address wounds, and give our largest muscles most of the blood to help us run or fight.
So digestion shuts down, our gut hurts, our hands get cold. Being on hyper alert, our brainpower is also busy, but in that limited way. The wear and tear of prolonged stress leads to illnesses later in life, like cardiovascular disease. Diabetes. Gastrointestinal problems. Not to add to your fears, but... Just to make a point.
Recognize when you're stressed, and do something to shut it down before it causes trouble. Like tension headaches, stomach aches, tight muscles, and spousal arguments.
In stress, your immune system gets fired up, but too much, and it breaks down, leaving you more vulnerable to getting sick. If you have any pain, you will suffer worse by increased inflammation.
We spend so much time thinking about terrible things that MIGHT happen, even believing they will, and allowing ourselves to get worked up.
But know what? That is not reality.
That is our negative imaginations, our thoughts.
And usually, these are worse than the real thing we are worrying about!
And thanks to the news, we have lots of encouragement to go to that dark place.
Maybe it's time to turn away from the media. Schedule breaks at least.
What can you do?
BREATHE.
No, really! You can immediately begin shutting down your own stress response with breathing. Stressed breathing is shallow, which means you don't exhale fully, and hold old air in your lungs. This signals the rest of your body that your oxygen is running out, stressing you more.
Like this:
Blow out all the air in your lungs.
Get it all out, then breathe in deeply, slowly.
Fill your lungs, and hold it a second or two.
Slowly exhale. Slower than the inhale. All the way out.
Let your body feel the air leaving, and notice your muscles will begin to soften.
Do it once more.
Release more muscles on this next exhale.
Then return to breathing normally, but pay attention to it, going a bit slower than before you started, and be sure to get rid of all the air while exhaling.
What you tell your brain to focus on, it will look for.
If you tell it to focus on positive things by doing this regularly, it will be on the lookout for more such things. And will notice them where you hadn't before. Just as your focus on the virus leads you to find more scary stories on the internet and validates your fears.
Say no thanks.
From a calming place after some deep breaths, think of something you love--a person, a beautiful place, your favorite knick-knack or piece of art. Your pet. something you love to eat. Or that great moment at the ball game.
Push away any "Yea but" thoughts. ("Yea but we can't go top the games now! Yea but that pet died and I miss her...) Take control! Tell the naysayer thoughts that you aren't interested right now. Later. Return your attention to the good.
Keep that breathing slow, and hold the good memory or image in your mind.
Close your eyes and savor the good emotion that image or memory evokes. Stay with that feeling as long as you can, at least 30 seconds.
“I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.”
--Denis Waitley, American writer
Gratitude is an especially good positive emotion. It can open up all sorts of other positive emotions, so it is a good entry point if you're not feeling it. Think about what you have, what is great in the world, instead of what you don't have or like, or what you fear.
Count your blessings.
Chances are, you're a heck of a lot better off than many. You're alive if you're reading this,. You're literate and your eyes are good, or your technology to compensate is.
Think of someone you feel gratitude toward. Write them a letter listing all the things you appreciate about them. Read it a few times and feel that gratitude. Savor that feeling.
GO OUTSIDE
Take a walk, somewhere in nature--a park, woods, the countryside. Leave your phone off so you can pay attention to what is around you. Stop whenever you see something you like, and enjoy looking at it--a cute animal, a bird singing, the tapestry of rolling hills or of branches and dirt and tree bark.
RUN, if you are a runner, but focus on running, and not corona virus or other concerns.
Meditate, do yoga, swim laps, or work out--anything to slow down your mind, empty it if you can, and give your poor body that thinks it needs to fight or flee a way to release its energy and return to homeostasis before getting depleted.
You have to get through this, and you will, one way or another. And you need to make a plan.
But not right this minute.
First you need to shut down the stress response, so that you can make that plan of action using all the brain power at your disposal. Without wearing yourself out.
Extended stress makes you stupid, irritable, irrational, disorganized, confused. You want to be at the top of your game. You know, just in case....
Relax, then do what you can.
Do what you can, then relax.
Some indicators that you are stressed:
Cold hands
Bad mood; negative emotions
Impatient
Memory has gotten suddenly worse
Trouble making decisions
Impulsive
Dry mouth
Tense shoulders, neck
Clenched jaw, hands
For more, see other posts and the info at my website, www.managemystress.net
Be kind to yourself, and others. And chill.
It's good for your health. --elisabeth
