FEAR, ANXIETY AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

FEAR

Our bodies are primed for fear - fear is an adaptive response that can help us survive. After a threat passes, if we survive, our bodies go back into normal balance or homeostasis and life carries on.

Living in a state of fear is exhausting.

Our body naturally switches on systems of the “fight and flight response” resulting in increased heart rate, blood pressure and blood flow to our big muscles for movement. Our thinking becomes convergent - or narrow in focus and we are on high alert - on the constant look out for danger.

Blood flow is taken away from our digestive and reproductive systems and our body has little time and energy for ongoing maintenance, repair and immunity.

The longer our bodies are out of balance, the more pronounced the effects of “chronic stress” the more vulnerable to illness and dis-ease we become. This perpetuates the stress response and a snowball effect occurs.

Sadly, the world most of us live in today and our everyday reality is one of chronic stress. The fear around us - from media, talking to others, our priming from our own past experiences self perpetuate this cycle in a way that fear is no longer supporting survival.

When we are in a state of fear, we make different decisions that we would not normally make and often do not think things through properly due to the convergent thinking that is dominant at this time. You may know of times in your life where you say “I don’t know what came over me” or “I never thought I would do that” or “that just was not like me” or “I was in a state of shock and just made a rash decision”.

Choose to let go of fear now

It is important to stop and take stock.

Consciously work out what your true fears are.

Write them down - with each sentence - ask what is behind it until you get to the root cause of that fear.

Re-read all your fears and ask yourself if they are your own perceptions are real “truths”. For your real “truths” - ask yourself how you know they are true. Be really honest with yourself.

As you think about your root fears, take a deep breath and see what happens, observe your body and let yourself slowly relax until you have regular deep calm breathing deep into your belly. By doing this simple exercise anytime you feel fear, you will automatically take yourself out of the fight and fight response and into what we call the parasympathetic nervous system state where your body feels safer, your natural immunity kicks in and balance starts to return into your body.

Finding out what you value

When you are clear about what you value and use these values as a benchmark to make empowering decisions, you will find that you are calmer, have more clarity, are less easily swayed to give away your power and are more likely to make decisions that are right for you.

Here are some links (with no affiliation or benefit for me) that you could explore to work out your core values:

https://rediscoveryofme.com/values-in-life-practical-exercises-to-work-out-your-personal-values/

https://www.taproot.com/live-your-core-values-exercise-to-increase-your-success/

https://scottjeffrey.com/personal-core-values/

PERSPECTIVE

What are the real odds?

Did you know that statistically you have a 99% chance of surviving COVID?

Most significant risk factors are preventable

Did you know that the most significant risk factors for a severe case of COVID after age - is being overweight - something you can change if you choose too.

In fact most of the leading causes of death in high income countries pre and now during COVID are the same risk factors for death from COVID.

Most of these disease states are preventable.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death

Did you know that one in three kiwi’s over the age of 15 are overweight in New Zealand? If you are keen to know of some practical medical evidence based tips on how to address weight - watch this space as I post some practical tips I give my patients to support this.

The power of belief

Did you know that with every medical study conducted they have to minus the effect of the “placebo” - the belief that something will work or is of benefit - from the outcome to see if the substance - a new drug, a vaccine, a form of treatment - is truly effective? This is because the power of the mind is so powerful that we can will ourselves to heal. There are numerous studies that show that people with cancer who believe they will heal have much better outcomes than those who don’t.

Have you heard of the nocebo? This is the opposite of the placebo - the belief that something will harm. For example, if I were to inject sterile salt water into you but tell you it is a dangerous infective agent - you are able through this belief to develop fever and symptoms to a substance that cannot cause that. Similarly, if you believe that “deadly delta” is highly dangerous, you are more likely to be more unwell if you get it than if you believed otherwise.

Be discerning about what you hear and read and be mindful of your emotional reactions, thoughts and beliefs around this. You have the power to decide to what you think, feel and believe. This is just one way that you can empower yourself through COVID times.

An experiment for you to try

I encourage you to experiment: Before you go to bed at night, set your intention for the next day - focus on an intention for a positive mindset, goals that support self care - such as to wake up and hydrate yourself or go for an early morning walk, meet with someone who is positive and vibrant or to do something that gives you joy and makes you feel alive, choose to not start your day looking at your phone, wake up to your favourite song while choosing to focus on the positives in your life and the world around you. Experiment the next day with more negative thoughts and emotions, social media, negative discussions and interactions and focus on lack and limitations. What you look for and set your intention on is what you will find and you will see with time how you create your own personal reality. The choice is yours.

How to deal with uncertainty and loss of control

Years ago I listened to this great TEDx by Tony Robbins - I encourage you to take a listen https://www.ted.com/talks/tony_robbins_why_we_do_what_we_do?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

WORKING WITH NATURE RATHER THAN FIGHTING

Loss of energy, vitality and power

Fighting costs a lot of energy. The way of the future is in learning to appreciate and respect each others differences and to understand the connectivity and interdependence and how our actions have a ripple effect with each other human being and thing on this planet. Every one of our actions (or lack of) will affect us just as much in some way.

Interconnection

Humans are part of an ecosystem - the future of our very existence depends on living in harmony with this ecosystem. Ecosystems have innate wisdom at their very core that result in balance and support sustainability.

The same is true with our health.

When we live in harmony with our environment and how our bodies were designed to function - maintaining a balance between healthy levels of stress to grow and evolve and periods of rest and regeneration - we can thrive and flourish, are more resistant and resilient to illness and dis-ease and in the event that we do get out of balance and become sick - can recover more quickly.