There is something that I teach nearly every patient that comes to me. And almost every patient tells me, “I wish someone would have told me this a long time ago.” I’m going to teach you this today. And you can use it, today. And it will make a difference in your mental health. Ready? Here it is….GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!
Yep. That’s it. Stop obsessing over why you are anxious. Or why you are panicked. I know. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? But it’s not.
What you need to do is to GET IN YOUR BODY! Become so very familiar with your body and what it’s telling you, that you simply respond to that.
How you ask? It’s simple, but not easy.
Your autonomic nervous system has two main parts: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). These two, seemingly opposing, systems are the key to your hack.
The PNS is your rest and digest system. This is when you are calm and unafraid. Bodily systems are working well, all parts of the brain are online. All is good. The SNS is the flight, fight, or freeze system. You are being chased by a bear. Parts of the brain are offline. Bodily systems are specifically working in certain ways.
When your SNS is activated, here’s some of what is happening in your brain and body:
*increased heart rate *increased breathing rate *decreased breathing volume (because you are breathing more shallow) *blood flow to big limbs (so you can fight or run) *increased muscle tension *increased energy *decreased frontal lobe activity (fine motor skills, executive function, emotional regulation) *decreased temporal lobe activity (language, speech) *increased obsession and compulsion (hyperfocus) *constricted thoughts and behaviors
What does all that mean? Let’s take it one at a time. You don’t need to knit a sweater when a bear is chasing you. Your fine motor skills are not good. Remember 80’s slasher movies and they could never get the key in the car door? That’s because they were in SNS and had decreased fine motor skills.
Also, you don’t need to eat a pb&j when a bear is chasing you. Bloodflow leaves the digestive system to focus on big muscles. So…if you are chronically in a state of SNS you may have digestive issues, ie: constipation, diarrhea, stomachaches, etc.
Next, you don’t need to make a speech to the bear that’s chasing you. You have decreased access to language. You know those moments when you’re panicked and can’t describe something, or give instructions?
Also, when a bear chases you, you can only focus on getting away from the bear, nothing else (hyperfocus). People that are chronically in SNS also have a great deal of muscle aches and tension headaches.
The primary goal is not to spend hours figuring out what is putting you there. That is the secondary goal and you will probably need a therapist to help you with that. The primary goal is to notice IN YOUR BODY when you are in SNS and your ONLY TASK is to RELAX YOUR BODY. That’s it. To move from SNS to PNS you must relax your body. You cannot hold anxiety in a relaxed body.
How do you do that? Here’s the hack. Breathe.
But don’t breathe like you normally do. Deep breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing. Belly breathing. Under your lungs is your diaphragm muscle. When you breathe using that muscle, your belly rises (not your chest). Inhale through your nose and loudly exhale through your mouth. Close your eyes and try it now.
Try to make your inhale and exhale the same amount of time. Count in your head if that helps. Find a good rhythm, like a porch swing or a rocking chair. Keep your mind focused on the breathing, or the counting. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back.
That’s it. That’s the hack. GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND INTO YOUR BODY. Notice when your body is in SNS and breathe to move it back into PNS. It takes practice. I usually ask patients to practice at least 3 times a day for 5 min at a time. The trick is to practice when you don’t need it, and it will work faster when you do.
Give it a try and comment how it goes for you.
Be kind, be grateful, be courageous,
Jules
Sessions from the Heart 