- Jan 22, 2024
Calm yourself
- Rose Thun
Have you ever felt your heart racing out of control?
Well, that is my symptom. Maybe for you the fight or flight response to stress is rapid breathing, sweating, trembling, a feeling of anxiety, heightened senses, dry mouth or difficulty swallowing. These can be signals your body is preparing to confront or escape a perceived threat. It’s the sympathetic nervous system being activated.
About 15 years ago I was working for a crazy startup and had pulled 2 all nighters in a row. I drank a cup of coffee and it sent me into 3 days of my heart racing more than 300 beats per minute- I literally went to bed because I couldn’t do much else. After that I realized 1. I need better boundaries and less workaholic tendencies and 2. For the immediate term, calming the vagus nerve is unbelievably helpful for me to quickly slow my heart rate and breathing when it races. I do it by just tapping my sternum for a few minutes.
Of course, each of us is different, but today I am sharing some well known ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (for rest and digest instead of fight or flight).
There are recommended activities like deep breathing exercises, meditation, doing creative things like drawing, practicing yoga, and spending time outdoors, hugging loved ones, singing in a chorus, or playing music in a group in general. Two very specific and well documented techniques for rest and relaxation are:
1. 4-7-8 Breathing from Andrew Weil:
Step 1: Sit comfortably. Exhale completely through your mouth.
Step 2: Close your mouth, inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Step 3: Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Step 4: Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
Step 5: Repeat the cycle three more times.
See more here https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-to-know-4-7-8-breathing
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
Step 1: Find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
Step 2: Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of five, then relax for a count of five.
Step 3: Move up through your body - legs, abdomen, arms, hands, neck, and face - repeating the tension and relaxation.
Step 4: Focus on breathing deeply and slowly during the process.
See more here https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/muscle-relaxation-for-stress-insomnia
Best wishes,
Rose