Hello Flourishing Friends,
If you have been following me for any period of time you know that I like to educate about the effects that chronic stress and fear have on our bodies and minds. If you are like me - and most folks on the planet- you have been especially scared, fearful or at the very least uncertain for the last year and a half. We have entered the chronic phase of this fear and background anxiety and this has serious implications for not only how we continue to combat current health concerns, but also for our health in the future.
I think we have all heard of having a "healthy fear" of something. For example a "healthy fear" of heights keeps you safely away from the edge of a cliff. Fear is a very powerful motivator and one that can be harnessed for good to make positive changes and, well, to avoid cliffs; both metaphorical and physical. But fear and stress reach a point where they become very unhealthy. Our bodies are not designed to handle long term stress and our autonomic nervous systems (ANS) actually become imbalanced, which leads to dysfunction in the normal processes in our bodies that should keep us in homeostasis and support vital functions like circulating our blood, digesting food and creating normal, regulated immune responses.
So my question is, at what point does being afraid stop being healthy and actually make the problem worse? I personally have been glued to the news, ravenously ingesting every study that I can, and living with a constant background of concern around our uncertain and precarious future. But I have recently realized that it has gone unchecked. The fear we are collectively experiencing is making the whole situation worse. We need to protect ourselves from the fear and stress and focus more of our energies on being balanced and healthy.
My friends, it has always been my intention to support your nervous system in being balanced, and doing what it does best- which is healing you and keeping you in active organization. Now, it may be more important than ever to stop listening to the fear- based messaging (not ignoring or disrespecting the messages, but not letting them get to you physiologically and mentally) and start re-focusing on being calm, finding peace and not letting the fear run the day.
Here are 5 things you can do to help support you in getting back to proper nervous system balance and disrupting the fear cycle:
3. Sing
4. Spend 5 minutes writing or listing gratitudes and highlighting things that bring you joy.
5. GET ADJUSTED !!! (Link to an amazing study listed below)
** Bonus Idea** Schedule a Remote Reiki session with our very own, Dr. Alandi
Remember, even when there is outer chaos there can still be inner peace. I am here to help you achieve that feeling.
Take care,
Dr. Evelyn
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