If you’re a human living in the 21st century, chances are, you’ve felt the cold hand of fear and the paralyzing quality of anxiety grip you once or twice. Many of us live in a chronic state of low or high level fear and anxiety-it’s an epidemic that I refer to as a global brain injury.
No one is immune to living with the uncertainty of what will happen because of climate destabilization, pandemics, political extremism, unlimited growth…just pick your poison. The result is that our brains get thrown into a perpetual state of fight or flight-pushing us into a constant state of hyper-vigilance that depletes our natural immunity, energy, and ability to think of creative solutions and build healthy relationships.
So what can we do as individuals to help come out of fight or flight and into a regulated nervous system that can allow us to heal, deal, and feel like humans are designed to do.
These 3 simple actions are things we can do to help our over-stimulated nervous systems come into a rest and digest state that will have positive effects in every aspect of our lives.
- Get Curious. When you feel the anxiety or fear starting to grab you, instead of clenching down, try saying, “How interesting. I wonder why I am feeling this way right now?” Having had panic attacks for many years in my 20’s I know how quickly they can come up, but I also know that nothing disarms fear and panic like curiosity. Give it a try.
- Slow your breath. There’s a reason you feel all chill after a yoga class and it isn’t just because of savasana at the end. When we regulate our breathing and bring the breath all the way into the torso, we send the signal to our brains to calm right down. If you’re about to go into a full blown anxiety attack and have the space, lay belly down on the ground, and breathe slowly into the earth.
- Go outside. Being in a space that is larger than your body gives your brain a different perspective. If you can get to a tree, a rock, or moving water like a fountain, all the better. If those aren’t accessible, take a minute to put your hand on something stable and imagine letting ALL your fear and anxiety flow through your feet into the earth. She can take it and she knows how to turn your discomfort into food for Life.
It’s not easy to be in a body in a world that has been exploited and mistreated. We are a part of her and we feel her suffering. But by bringing a calmer and more compassionate self into the world, we can start to become the change we wish to see.
