10 Tips For Taming Yourself When Things Are Uncertain #20

Mar 31, 2020 | Personal Development

So many of us have fears right now, the fear of losing a job, getting sick, not being able to buy food, family members getting sick, and suffering. I find myself having to coach myself regularly to catch myself from feeling any of those anxious thoughts. 

Don’t beat yourself up for thinking this way. It’s normal to have your brain creating this anxious chaos in your head in times like this. We are human and our brains have this ability to perceive when a threat is near. 

The problem most often is when your thoughts tell you there is fear. Most likely, there is no actual physical threat. There isn’t a lion actually chasing you, is there? The threat is in your mind. When we have these thoughts of threat your body prepares you to fight and run to getaway. Your body constricts, your heart pounds faster and your blood pressure rises.

I want to tell those of you who don’t know that I was once a dental hygienist. I have seen fear and anxiety before me in the dental chair. I’ve seen how those feelings can shatter your nerves, or completely numb you out.  I’ve seen how the nervous system works and how it can protect us. 

The sympathetic nervous system is the fight or flight part of our nervous system that kicks in under perceived threat or fearful circumstances. The problem here is that the sympathetic nervous system doesn’t know what is a real threat and what is imagined. The goal under these circumstances is to run from the lion chasing you or jump out of the dental chair before that dreaded tinge of pain happens. 

We need to get out of the constant sympathetic nervous system many of us are feeling now and bring ourselves to our parasympathetic nervous system, a more peaceful and healthier place to be. 

Many of you have been already living in a state where your sympathetic nervous system is on overdrive. Fear, fear, fear… the, “I need to get out of here state of mind.”  If you live in that state of threat over long periods of time, that causes your body to produce the more of the cortisol hormone to a point of adrenal exhaustion.

It is so important to learn how to relax especially during these times of crisis. Many of us are already living in a crisis state and then we put on the stress of uncertainty with this pandemic…Our systems are screaming for help to settle down. 

Being on sympathetic overdrive wreaks havoc on your bodies inhibits food absorption, lowers your immune system, exhausts you of your energy, and none of that is good right now. Now is the time for some supreme self-care. You can learn and practice relaxing even in these most difficult times. 

Let’s talk more about easing difficulties in these uncertain times. I don’t want to underestimate what you all are feeling because I know it’s scary. We are all afraid. The last thing I want to do is say do this and you’ll be okay. We are all in this crisis together and it’s hard. 

I’ve had my share of difficult times in my life. Times where I’ve had my thoughts ramble through my head and cause me not to sleep at night. I saw the toll my thoughts had on my health and how I was feeling like I was running on empty. I learned strategies to decompress that feeling of fright and fear and worked on accessing my parasympathetic nervous system.  I’ve used some of these things to help me when the stressors of life had gotten the best of me. I am offering you some suggestions that will ease your mind and help you navigate through these times of uncertainty.

I’m not saying I don’t have any anxiety over this pandemic, but when you access the parasympathetic nervous system you’ll naturally feel more at ease. I hope you find these tips useful to lower your anxiety. Please share these with your friends and family. I hope these are to the point and easy for you because if you are like me I am tired of reading about COVID -19.

1. Limit Your Consumption Of Negative News 

Fortunately, I don’t have cable tv at my house, so I am naturally limited to and what I consume for news. Spend less time overdosing on COVID -19 news and more time reading or viewing things that nourish you. 

2. Accepting The Way You Feel Right Now.

Be where you are right now and don’t fight it. Be with the emotion and understand it is just energy that will move through you. Don’t be judgemental. Remember it is only the images you have in your brain that are creating the emotion. These feelings too will pass. 

3. Prayerful Meditation

Spend less time worrying over your health and be mindful of the general state of health of the world.  Use meditation and prayer to rest your body and empty your mind. There are many guided meditations on youtube that you can access for relaxation. 

4. Being Grateful

Spend less time fixating on your perceived losses and focus on the gifts that are upon us during this time of trial. Be grateful for the privileges you have and the things you may most often take for granted. Be content where you are. There is so much around you to be grateful for you just have to look. Practice being grateful all the time. Gratitude just feels good. 

5. Reaching Out To Others

Spend less time focusing on being shut-in and spend more time reaching out to others who might be lonely. We are now being offered the opportunity to work for the good of our families and neighbors This is a time to spend with family or close friends and enjoying that time you have together while using precautions recommended by the CDC.  

6. Focus On What Is True 

Know that this will pass. At the moment, you have the basic things that you need to get you through this. Focus on what you know is true for you. It is once you leave that place of truth you begin to panic and spiral into a place of uncertainty. Fear arises when there is uncertainty in our minds. 

7. Stretching, Mild Exercise Or Being In Nature 

I have adopted a stretching ritual. Every morning I stretch and every evening before bed I stretch. It is probably one of my favorite things to do. It calms me and relaxes me right before bed. I dim the lights and do my own routine to loosen the tight body parts. Do yoga, dance, take a walk in nature those all have soothing effects.  Take note, anything high intensity activates the sympathetic nervous system.

8. Focus On Breathing 

You may have a method that you can pull out that makes you feel better in times of stress. I like Dr. Weil’s 4-7-8 method for relaxation. It’s really easy and it seems to never fail me. I use it at night before bed. Check out this how-to video. Dr. Weil Breathing Exercises

9. Accept Contrasts In Life

Right now we are all seeing severe contrasts in our lives. Know that without these contrasts our ability to appreciate what we have in life is less. Without sadness, happiness is harder to understand, and without fear, peace is not peace. Accepting the contrasts we are seeing now will give a more appreciation for life when this too passes. 

10. Use Your Time Well 

You can get stuck by thinking and perseverating on “What’s going to happen? What if I lose my job?” Instead, ask yourself, “How you will use this time well? How can I improve the quality of my life right now, under these horrific circumstances?”

I hope you have found these tips useful and healing. 

If we knew how to harness our minds, imagine the wonders we would be capable of. Whether you practice prayers or mantras alone, with one other, those thoughts ripple out into the fabric of life and bring about positive change.

Let’s together vow to approach this current crisis with the best frame of mind we are capable of activating at this time. Let’s focus our minds on positive healing energy for the world while we act locally as best we can.

I am Lisa Jollimois. I am a personal development coach for women who want to transform their lives. If you need more support getting through this current crisis, contact me. Or if you need support naturally maintaining your weight, rewriting your story, exploring new possibilities for an empty nest, or feeling stuck. I can help act as a guide to get your life into action.

If this interests you or if you want to level-up your standard of life despite our current circumstances email me for your FREE discovery call at lisa@lisajollimois.com or sign up at   https://calendly.com/lisa-365

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Bug Hugs,