'THE POWER OF THE MIND'

                                                 

UNDERSTANDING STRESS AND OUR RESPONSE

‘Stress’ is a physical, mental or emotional factor that cause bodily or mental tension. At times this response is necessary. When we are faced with a potential threat, stress can initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response, which is our body’s involuntary response to help prepare us for any necessary action that may need to be taken in order to survive. 

When our brains perceive what they believe to be a threat, this response and our alertness is activated, our breathing and heart rate increases, hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released, blood flows away from where it’s not needed to assist muscles and the heart. As this response is initiated, we can take action. Ultimately, stress is what happens when our equilibrium is disturbed by what we call ‘a stressor’, this ‘stressor’ can be external or internal and not always be a bad thing, as it alarms us when there is possible danger and our bodies immediately and involuntarily respond. We need it in order to survive.

That being said, being in such a ‘high-strung’ environment, we often forget that a constant state of ‘stress’ doesn’t need to be how we operate. It’s useful for when we are faced with a threat, but not when we perceive a threat that isn’t actually reality. A lot of our habits and thoughts occur without us choosing them, we follow the social ‘norms’ and what we’re taught, we pick up on what we’re exposed to from external sources without even realising. We forget that although some behaviours become a habit, we can choose to become conscious of them by increasing our awareness in the present, and let things go if they are not helping us or causing damage. 

The mind is so powerful that we can convince ourselves something is the case when it may not be what’s in reality. It seems that when it’s your own thoughts, it is reality. But our mind can lie to us. When in darkness it can be difficult to establish what is in reality and what’s not, which is why I stand by talking, sharing or asking for help and it not being a weakness. When we allow others in, we can voice our thoughts, we can try and articulate, we can explain, understand, realise, change and relieve ourselves.

With a certain amount of ‘stress’ our bodies can work at their personal optimum, there is a certain level within us all where we are able to cope, be alert and vigilant in certain situations in order to keep us safe. Like the level of alertness that’s required when driving for example. Or the butterflies that we get when we’re nervous. The fact that the fluttery stomach feeling is known as ‘butterflies’ is no coincidence, like butterflies are free to roam, we are free to experience that feeling without it having a negative effect on us. Though it can cause a little discomfort, it can bring out the excitement in us and supply us with adrenaline to perform, or take action when necessary. This feeling is only present because blood flow is being prioritised elsewhere, therefore the stomach muscles are extra sensitive and our digestion slows in order to support respiration as our heart rate and breathing increases. So despite the stigma we attach to it, stress is highly beneficial and can be harmless.

When it stops being harmless and becomes harmful is when the brain perceives a threat that isn’t actually threatening. The state of ‘stress’ becomes chronic rather than acute. A response to false alarm of a threat. Cortisol levels remain high and some bodily systems aren’t provided with necessary attention because the body believes it’s required to be in a state of ‘fight or flight’ to protect itself. Too much ‘stress’ on the body can occur both physically and mentally. The brain becomes oversensitive and remains under constant ‘stress’ as a result. Sometimes we are unaware of it. 

When our brains perceive something that isn’t a threat as a threat, and we choose not to challenge it, it believes what it perceives as truth and the body protects us with its internal action, unaware of the harm it’s causing. We can push ourselves into fatigue and ill health as a result. Overtime, because we don’t question it, the nervous system wires itself to produce this response over and over and this cycle of stress and pain repeats itself. We then think we are stuck in this state when in actual fact, we’re not.

Our body thinks it’s being kind and protecting when it goes into the ‘fight or flight’ mode which of course, in those cases of a true threat, it is. But when our brains perceive incorrectly, it becomes detrimental and we have to inform brain otherwise.  It’s about outlook, our minds only amplify what they choose to when we allow them.

Though our thoughts are real, they do not control us. The world isn’t as scary as our minds can make it out to be. You are in control of your thoughts, despite what your mind may tell you. Though your thoughts may be unkind, you don’t need to fight back in order for them to pass and move on like little clouds in the sky. As Gandhi said ‘a man is but a product of his thoughts, what he thinks he becomes’. 

The mind is just a muscle, it needs to be challenged in order for it to grow. We can reprogram the way we think when becoming aware of it and challenge it. Reducing stress comes down to an awareness and consciousness of one’s thoughts and how beneficial or complimentary they are at any given moment. When it all gets ‘too much’, overwhelming or cloudy is when we come away from the moment of now. We can consider what was and what may be, but we need to live in and bring our attention back to now, once the others have had their awareness we need to let them go. Slow our racing thoughts down by taking it step by step. It’s amongst chaos of ‘stress’ that we can’t think clearly and this is when we try to push it away rather than let it flow in.