Whether you’re an essential
worker, or have joined the ranks of the unemployed, or are lucky enough to be working
remotely, the threat out there is real and the body feels it – and it’s coming in
from all sides (virus threat, rent/mortgage and food worries, close proximity
to family or roommates 24/7, uncertainty about the future, knowledge that US political leadership
is incapable of anything but chaos…the list is endless...). Because of these real threats many of us are experiencing high
levels of overwhelming anxiety.
For most of my life I have
had PTSD, and so am very familiar with many of the symptoms that result
from the nervous system being overwhelmed (heart palpitations, panic, sensations of terror,
powerlessness, inability to concentrate, shortness of breath, muscle tension, racing thoughts, intrusive images
and/or thoughts, a sense of intense isolation, etc.), which eventually leads to shut-down and the body going into "freeze" (numbness, sense of things not being real, etc.).
So I’ve posted three simple practices below (along with some helpful videos) that I’ve used with success to help switch my
nervous system from the grip of being in fight or flight (the sympathetic
nervous system), to homeostasis and a calmer state of being (the
parasympathetic nervous system).
2:1 Breath
This is very simple. It
consists of exhaling at twice the duration as the inhalation. So, you inhale
slowly through your nose, gently, for a certain count (make sure the count is
comfortable) and then exhale slowly through your mouth (gently pursed lips) for
double that count.
Let’s say you gently inhale
through the nose for three counts (1 – 2 – 3), then you will exhale slowly through gently pursed lips for 6 counts (1 – 2 –
3 – 4 – 5 – 6). Continue this for several minutes and you will probably begin
to feel calmer. I have also found that it is more effective when I also relax
my shoulders as I’m releasing the breath.
The reason this works is that
the breathing technique activates both the sympathetic nervous system and the
parasympathetic system. The sympathetic helps the body gear up for physical
activity and fight/flight response. The parasympathetic nervous system does the
opposite. It prepares the body for rest, sleep, digestion. Inhalation
emphasizes sympathetic activity (exercise/stress response) and exhalation
stimulates the parasympathetic activity (the relaxation, rest, and digestion
branch). This breath ratio emphasizes parasympathetic activity over
sympathetic.
Here is a good video on
the 2:1 Technique
Heartmath:
This is another simple
process that you can do, not just when you are feeling anxious and overwhelmed,
but any time during the day for clarity of mind and relaxation. It was developed by the folks at the Heartmath Institute. They found that heart electrical signals have a significant effect on brain
function. Their thesis is that during stress, when the heart rhythm pattern becomes
erratic, “a corresponding pattern of neural signals traveling from the heart to
the brain inhibits higher cognitive functions. This limits our ability to think
clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions.” (https://www.heartmath.com/science/
)
One: shift your focus to
the area of your heart. This could be the center of your chest or the actual
area of where your heart is located – whatever feels comfortable and right to
you.
Two: imagine your inhalation and exhalation is moving in and out through the area of your heart. So, you
take a breath into the area of your heart, then you exhale through the area of
your heart.
Three: breathe slowly and
deeply. In through the heart area, out through the heart area.
Four: once you have established an easy
rhythm of breathing through the heart area, imagine something or someone or
some place that you love, or that gives you joy, or comfort, or a sense of
peace.
Five, continue to breathe
through the heart area while you re-experience that love, joy, comfort, or peace.
Instructional video for Heartmath
Humor
The third technique doesn't work quite as well when you're nervous system is already overwhelmed, but it's a great way to find relief when the symptoms of anxiety are just starting to build: Laughter. The laughter - like crying or shaking - helps discharge the sensation of being overwhelmed.
For me, this means dark humor. Enjoy.
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