Out Of Control?

As I write this, I'm taking a deep breath and pause. To become grounded in my thoughts… because lately they have been racing all over the place.

It can become easily overwhelming and stressful when you feel powerless, worried and like things are out of your control. Really, here's what's going on in your body. The part of the brain that takes over in stressful & emotional situations (the amygdala) is located in the temporal lobe. When we are overcome by negative, emotional thoughts, this part of the brain recognizes your thoughts as a threat (real or not) and causes all kinds of reactions to occur: increased muscle tension, rapid heartbeat and faster breathing. The amygdala then decides that these body changes are further evidence that something is actually wrong which then further activates it and creates a vicious cycle where you become even more anxious and physically & emotionally overwhelmed. Yikes!

Now here's a few ways for you to shut down that amygdala and get yourself some soothing peace:

1. TURN OFF THE TV, YOUR PHONE, YOUR LAPTOP, BREATHE IN AND OUT FOR 3-5 MINUTES… FEEL THE AIR MOVING THROUGH YOUR BODY

2. STAND BAREFOOT ON THE EARTH FOR 15 MINUTES, ENJOY THE FRESH AIR, SUNLIGHT AND GET YOUR VITAMIN D…

3. GO FOR A WALK AND THINK ABOUT NOTHING IN PARTICULAR OR MAYBE THAT DECISION YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING OFF…
4. JOURNAL ABOUT ALL THAT YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR…
 

When in doubt, take a few slow deep breaths. Automatically this will signal your central nervous system to respond and put your body in a rest mode.

Let me know how you do with any of these that you may try. I wish you well with them…