I’ve been noticing a huge shift lately in the level of stress that people are experiencing. It’s as if our collective nervous system has been holding it together for as long as possible, and now it can’t anymore. The physical manifestations I’m seeing in my patients are profound depression, fatigue and unbelievable anxiety, which in many cases seems to be so debilitating that they can’t seem to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
We are closely intertwined beings of mind, body and spirit. I work every day with patients to address these issues through hormone and neurotransmitter testing and balancing, but I also think we need to recognize the mind/spirit part of ourselves, because we do, to some degree, have a choice regarding our experience of happiness.
Thoughts influence your chemistry just as much as chemistry influences your thoughts. Once you are in a state of depression/anxiety, it becomes harder to pull yourself out, so it helps to prepare ahead for challenging times.
I love gratitude lists, because the human mind can’t be in a state of anxiety and a state of gratitude at the same time! Make a list of maybe 100 things you are grateful for— they can be as seemingly insignificant as the air you are breathing, or as grand as the beautiful home you live in or the people who love you. Once you have your list, read it every day, maybe two to three times a day, and if you feel yourself slipping into depression or anxiety, shift your mind to something for which you are grateful.
Being in a continual state of stress keeps our nervous systems in the “ON” position (the sympathetic fight-or-flight state). The human body is designed to be in this state perhaps 3-5 percent of the time during moments of survival, (like if we were being chased by a tiger), but then it’s meant to go into the parasympathetic mode to relax and heal. How can our brains make happy, feel-good hormones when it thinks it’s being chased by a tiger all the time?
I recommend you go on vacation as often as you can! You don’t have to leave your work or home to do this, because your body listens to your thoughts. This is how we’ve been able to train NASA astronauts to work in space before they leave Earth – the key is to make your mind believe it’s on vacation.
Pick a place you love: the beach, the forest, your bedroom, a lovely city in which you can relax…It doesn’t even have to be a real place, but make it real in your mind. Smell the smells, hear the sounds, taste the tastes – let your senses make it really real for you. Spend some time developing this place in your mind, then spend three minutes every morning and night just connecting to this beautiful, relaxing place. Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of time on it, otherwise you’ll come up with reasons why you can’t do it.
Then give yourself some kind of reminder so you will go to that place in your mind and spend three seconds there (yes, seconds!) every half-hour throughout the day. You can place small sticky dots around your home or office, or perhaps use a gentle ringtone on your phone to remind you to take a three-second vacation. At first, you’ll have to train your mind to do it. Remember, it’s stuck in fight-or-flight mode, so gently, lovingly remind your mind to go on vacation. After about 21 days it will be trained, and every time you hear that ringtone or see that dot, you will begin to automatically relax.
Another great way to train your mind and help you relax is to meditate or engage in other contemplative practices like yoga or tai chi. We offer a great meditation and mindfulness class here at the clinic, which is perfect for beginners or those who have a hard time disengaging from a racing mind.
These are just a few tips that have helped many of my patients navigate depression and anxiety. If you find yourself in need of more support, please see a qualified medical or mental health professional. We’re here to help. QCBN
By Dr. Susan Godman
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