WalkaboutWirt Blog Post #5

G’day!

What a few days in my world! And yours, as we are all on this incredible planet together amidst the incredible beauty - and the sudden contrasting eruption of chaos! It’s as if the Master card dealer has thrown the deck of cards into the air which must be picked up off the ground and reshuffled.

Earth seems to be spinning faster and faster as news of events and new social regulations constantly hammer home the message of a health and financial situation which is affecting us all, either directly or indirectly! The resulting stress could easily confuse us, like the deer on the road at night in the previous blog, paralyzed by the headlights of the oncoming car.  

The uncertainly of this global situation, caused by its volatility, intensity, and speed, has caused widespread confusion and fear. The immediate emotional reaction we may feel is a natural response of self-preservation. It has been a shock for most people, which can cause stress and develop into tension, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That can unbalance our sense of well-being and health. Therefore it is important to understand the impact on us, to some extent, and to address it. 
 

We are each a ball of energy comprised of our body, our mind, and our invisible spirit. When we are in balance overall, we feel good, which is generally our objective in life. When that balance gets upset in any of our components, we are affected. What is taking place around us plays an important part in that, but ultimately we are the masters who can control our well-being by allowing whatever to influence us. Firstly, let’s step back from the whirl that appears around us in our busy lives at the moment.

Have you ever hung off the outer handle of a merry-go-round spinning as fast as it could go? What was the effect on you? Could you focus better on what was in the centre of the wheel - or what you saw looking outwards? Did you then move to the centre of the wheel looking outwards? We can observe the things going on around us much more easily and consciously from that perspective, even if it is still turning around. It really is the same with our lives, isn’t it?

Our perception is our world. It is interpreting and trying to make sense of the information our senses tell us, which is absolutely unique with each of us, accumulated over our lifetime. It is much easier to achieve that with clarity when we are centred and balanced. I will discuss how we can do that in my next blog, but for now, it is important to realize we don’t have to get caught up in the whirl around us which affects our well-being.

Now let’s have a bit of a look at what happens with our body and mind and how that affects us. In sidewalk science terms, the fear mechanism is built into our autonomic nervous system to warn us of danger and to get us moving with a shot of adrenaline. It is designed to get us through an impending potential danger immediately without conscious thought. Our senses perceive a danger to us which triggers an automatic reflex. It is a physiological process that is fuelled by a number of hormones that stimulate muscles into action far quicker than our mental faculties can process thoughts of danger and then act. You probably know that already without me going into the details of the biochemical process. (If you don’t physically react to a stimulus repeatedly, you can develop a number of stress-related ailments such as anxiety and PTSD).

The shock of a one-off event such as a horrific car accident causes trauma - which we can pinpoint. The impact may linger on with our body and/or mind, but the event is completed. What is happening with this current crisis is a constant update on the latest details of gloom from around the world, as well as our observations and communications and shifting of rules and regulations, causes tension and thus biochemical actions within us. The ongoing event seems to never complete, so it is difficult to have closure, mentally and emotionally. That is a breeding ground for PTSD.

It is a scientific fact that while our body/mind is dealing with stress, causing occasional, frequent or even constant adrenaline entering our system, preparing us to fight or run, our cognitive mind cannot solve analytical problems or reason properly. Clear thinking is replaced by survival concerns, which can cause confusion and a cloudy head. The body takes control of the mind. An ongoing diet of that process is not healthy at any level; again a formula for PTSD.

Therefore we must learn to manage our minds in order to prevent the stressful effects beyond what we can manage. We MUST do that for some very good reasons, most importantly our health and happiness. That will be the focus of my next blog when I will share ways we can do that. In the meantime, be active to distract your mind from issues that may be uncomfortable for you. A few quick suggestions - Do some enjoyable activities like sitting or walking in nature; something creative, playful, or relaxing (watching a drama on TV is not relaxing, but the opposite). Listen to some music you really love or meditate for an inner connection. Communicate or engage with your family, friends, and pets if you have any of those.

In short, love is the antidote for fear, which is the cause of our stress. So, do the things you love and enjoy and be grateful for having this time in our lives of reduced busy-ness so we can connect consciously with ourselves and our world around us.

Blessings to you!

Greg