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(pp. 48-50)
Both the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association consider stress to be a worldwide epidemic and major health problem. Stress is known to be a high-risk factor for depression, a leading cause of disability worldwide. According to the American Medical Association and the APA, on a team of 10 in the U.S., four workers describe themselves as extremely stressed, another four say they are one stressor away from extreme stress and only two will state they are not stressed. These were the numbers prior to COVID-19. Stress has obviously heightened because of the pandemic.
Our thoughts and feelings influence the chemistry that regulates much of our health. Chronic stress floods the brain with stress hormones and is neurotoxic to the brain. Chronic stress literally shrinks higher brain function and the prefrontal cortex, leaving the primitive brain, which is in charge of a fight, flight or freeze response, says Don Joseph Goewey, president of ProAttitude and author of the book Mystic Cool. Under stress, we can become aggressive and angry, be passive and avoidant and/or have difficulty taking action or making decisions.
ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, ONE BEING LITTLE TO NO STRESS AND 10 BEING EXTREMELY HIGH STRESS, WHERE WOULD YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS?
The primitive brain plays an important role as, among other things, it assesses our environment and responds rapidly when we are in danger. It can also give us amazing physical strength in times of an emergency. The problem, however, is that the primitive brain reacts with a fear response whether the fear is imagined or warranted. Goewey states, “The brain makes up emergencies that the mind thinks are real. Stress, biologically, is fear.” The acronym “FEAR” stands for Future Expectations Appearing Real. Psychological fear is based on stored memories from the past, projected forward. Often our perception is distorted, causing us to react inappropriately. We can be impulsive and make risky decisions, for example.
Persistent stress reduces cognition and social, emotional, practical, analytical and creative intelligence. Motivation goes down and adrenaline and cortisol drain energy. Our mood is adversely impacted. Stress hormones impair memory, attention span and decision-making. Planning, troubleshooting, learning, cooperation, attuned communication and emotional regulation are compromised. As a result, our highest level of intelligence, our intuition, is greatly thwarted.
The Good News – We Can Rewire Our Brain!
Neuroscience used to think that our brain structure, and the genetic blueprint that determines our traits, behaviors and health, was fixed by the age of 6. We now know, however, through epigenetics, that we can turn genes on and off. If you were born with a gene predisposed to stress or depression, for example, the good news is that you can turn this gene off. Conversely, we also know that if you were not born with this unfortunate gene expression, environmental and life experiences such as trauma can trigger this gene on.
We have a new understanding of how the brain works. We can shift from stress to peace and peak performance through neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the capacity of the brain to develop and change throughout life. Goewey states, “It is the capacity of the brain to expand, reorganize and better integrate higher brain function. It is a process that rewires the brain, shifting control away from the amygdala, the primitive network that triggers stress reactions and fight or flight, to the prefrontal cortex, where the brain generates the intellectual, creative, emotional and intuitive intelligence people need to succeed. If we have a problem with stress, as most people do, it is because of the way our brain is wired, so the solution is to change the wiring. Through specific practices and processes, an individual can rewire their brain in eight weeks.”
You may be asking, with all the stress-management training over the years, why has stress continually been on the rise? “Because stress reduction has focused on behavioral changes,” says Goewey. “The new science focuses on attitudinal changes. This new approach focuses on learning processes that literally rewire the brain through a specific shift in attitude. A positively peaceful attitude literally rewires the brain. We can reshape our brain to create a new mind.”
Ways to Extinguish Stress
POSITIVE ATTITUDE. “The only thing you can control is your attitude. It is the sole means by which you create your destiny. Negative thoughts can come and go, but they are not the real you,” says Goewey. As we know from quantum duality, thoughts affect matter and the nature of particles can be altered. How are your thoughts creating your reality? Envision the future you want to create.
GRATITUDE. Every day, identify the things you appreciate and the gifts in your life.
MAKE A LIST OF YOUR STRENGTHS and own them. We experience stress when we feel our circumstances outweigh our ability to handle them. Remember the internal resources you have available to you.
REMEMBER HOW YOU OVERCAME DIFFICULT TIMES IN THE PAST. The University of Cincinnati conducted a study and found that 85% of what we worry about never happens and that for the 15% that does, 79% of people say they handled it very well. Make a list of the things you are most stressed about and develop a strategy about how you will address these issues if they do happen.
BE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT. Thomas Jefferson said, “ f f f ferson said, “ T here are, indeed, (who might say nay) gloomy and hypochondriac minds, inhabitants of diseased bodies, disgusted with the present, and despairing of the future, always counting that the worst will happen, because it may happen. To these I say, how much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened!” Because psychological fear is based on stored memories from the past, projected forward, staying in the present moment mitigates the fear.
MEDITATE EVERY DAY. Twenty minutes a day of meditation can rewire your brain away from stress and heighten intelligence. It also has tremendous health benefits. Meditation is the exercise of singular, mindful attention in a relaxed way. There are many forms of meditation. Find the ones that work best for you. For example, walking, yoga, gardening, praying (to include a two-way dialogue) and artwork are forms of meditation. Focused attention slows down and alters brain-wave patterns and releases serotonin into the bloodstream, leading to a quieting down of incessant “mind chatter.” If you are new to meditation, start with just a few minutes a day and try listening to guided meditations and music with binaural beats. Meditating is like an exercise program for the brain.
LEAD A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE. When we have a compelling reason for being and are self-actualizing, a sense of inner peace and belonging emerges, extinguishing a survival mindset.
CONNECT WITH OTHERS. Love, empathy, compassion and a sense of connection enable us to support others and know that we, too, are supported. Love and empathy allow us to experience an alert mellow high as we produce oxytocin and serotonin.
PUT ON YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK BEFORE ASSISTING OTHERS. You cannot take care of others if you are depleted and not taking care of yourself. Eat healthy, sleep, exercise, organize, and have a routine. Limit triggers such as “toxic” relationships and environments. If news, for example, causes a stress reaction, limit what you watch.
COUNSELING/THERAPY. One of the key goals of counseling is to build resilience. Resilience builds and sustains a healthier brain. It allows us to bend and flex rather than break in difficult times. Counseling can bring to light conscious and unconscious thoughts and fears. It can help you see issues more clearly and put them in perspective so that you can make better sense of your inner world and address what is troubling you. A loving and supportive therapist can “bear witness” to you to process negative thoughts and difficult experiences, and provide the empathy, support and advisement to help you make healthy decisions and lighten your load.
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