Today
I'm going to tell you a story. Last summer while working from home I
used to leave all of the doors and windows open at the back of the
house. A small black cat arrived one day and after cautiously
creeping through the kitchen used to sit next to my desk while I
wrote. She was adorable, petite, with a glossy coat and white chin
and belly. A tuxedo cat. She looked like she had been a stray, under
nourished, her head slightly too big for her body, but a round belly
as if she was now being fed. I'd let her run around the house but one
afternoon put her outside after she stole a piece of chicken straight
off of my baking tray!
Half
an hour later I felt bad, I'd given her a small bit of chicken (a
prize for being so daring – and anyway she wasn't my cat so no need
for me to try and train her) so thought I'd go and see if she was
still hanging around. Our
back door has glass down to the floor. There was the little cat
pressed up against the glass looking bigger than usual, fur all
sticking out like she had been given an electric shock. 2 metres from
the cat on the decking was a huge male fox. Now, I am not a fan of
the city fox, scavenging through bins, living on Macdonald's and bits
of kebab and looking like a party host for fleas and rabies. (I was
also bitten by a dog when I was a child so fox is very closely linked
to dog flagging up WARNING in my mind.)
My
body went into instant fight, flight or freeze mode. I froze my heart
rate quickened, I started sweating and my breathing became erratic. A
split second later I decided the only option was to fight. I flung
the door open and ran at the fox. He turned and ran 100 paces up the
garden only to stop at the corner of the house and turned to face me.
Definitely time to run! The cat had already done so and had
disappeared inside the house and I quickly joined her. As I locked
the door (Areyes just in case the fox could figure out how to use the
door handle) my whole body was shaking. My mind started to process
what had happened and the repercussions if I had not entered the
kitchen when I did. Memories of stories about cats that were killed
by foxes popped up in my mind.
I
found the cat at the far end of the living room behind the
television, I scooped her up and her heart was pounding within her
tiny rib cage. 30 minutes later and the cat had recovered and as
merrily cleaning herself in that completely focused way only cats
seem to manage. I on the other hand was a wreck. My heart rate had
still not returned to normal, I felt agitated and unable to settle.
What do I do? She's not my cat so I can't keep her in the house but
what if I put her out and the fox gets her? My mind is spinning and
my body is very much still in stress response.
It
was then that it hit me. This is how I used to feel permanently!
Every deadline was a fox, every phone call a threat, my body was on
constant high alert and the only time I really calmed down was on day
three of a holiday! Part of me got a high from the adrenaline rush,
each task completed gave me a buzz, proving I could keep going and
win the fight. But our bodies need balance, time to rest and
replenish after activity.
Our
nervous systems can be in one of two states:
Fight,
flight or freeze mode:
The
sympathetic nervous system, which triggers your stress response and
prepares your body to deal with a threat. When triggered it shuts
down the immune system, digestive and reproductive systems, pumping
blood away from your internal organs to your arms and legs to prepare
you to fight or run. Blood also shifts from the front of your brain
which is responsible for rational thought to your limbic brain which
is the seat of the instincts and emotion, so while stressed we
actually become more stupid! Adrenaline and cortisol are pumped
through the body. Our heart rate quickens and our breath becomes fast
and short to supply oxygen to the body. You're primed to move but if
you do not physically take action you are left feeling nervous and on
edge.
Rest
and digest mode:
The
counterbalance is the parasympathetic nervous system, turning on the
relaxation response and facilitating a period of rest and recovery.
Blood is pumped to the digestive organs, your heart rate slows and
your body relaxes. It takes longer for your body to engage this
system fully, three minutes to be precise compared to a split second
for your stress response.
The
system is designed to be self regulating but constant sources of
stress and anxiety may lead to a state of prolonged activation of the
fight or flight mode which can lead to impaired health and illness.
When was the last time you felt truly relaxed, completely at ease in
your body? It is not uncommon for people to spend the majority of
their time in stress response without even realising. Fear not there
is much you can do, below are techniques you can use to self sooth,
to calm your body and engage your parasympathetic system bringing you
out of stress mode.
The
fear point:
On
the back of your hand in the soft part between the bones of your
little and ring finger is the point within EFT known for reducing
fear. Tapping on this point with two or three fingers is like a
natural sedative and tells your body that you are safe. Research
at Harvard Medical School has shown that stimulation of selected
acupoints decreases activity in the amygdala, hippocampus and other
parts of the brain associated with fear.1
Tap
to refocus:
Located
an inch below the ends of your collarbones on your chest your K27
points can be tapped to again calm your body down and also to refocus
your attention. A fantastic point to use if you are feeling
overwhelmed at work.
Give
yourself a hug!:
Use
this technique whenever you are in need of comfort. Wrap one arm
around your ribs under your breast and then wrap your other arm on
top holding just above your elbow and give yourself a hug! This
position allows you to hold certain acupressure points which calm
your body down and give you an energy boost. Hold for a few minutes
while breathing deeply and then swap sides.
Hold
your head:
It
is our natural instinct to clap our palm to our forehead if we don't
know what to do in any given situation. As mentioned when you go into
stress response the blood drains from your forebrain to your limbic
brain and your mind can become foggy. By placing the palm of one hand
across your forehead while your other hand cups the back of your head
you are encouraging the blood back into your forebrain, hold these
points until you feel a strong pulse in your forehead on both sides.
This technique is fantastic to use when you are feeling distressed
and if you hold for long enough (from a minute up to 10 minutes) you
should feel more relaxed and clearheaded.
The
above originate from Donna Eden's teachings, she has lots of videos
on YouTube so check them out if you would like more information.
Here is an article with some videos attached about using Donna's techniques with EFT.
Here is an article with some videos attached about using Donna's techniques with EFT.
1J.
Fang et al. “The salient characteristics of the central effects
of acupuncture needling: Olympic and Paralympic Nerocortical network
modulation.” Human brain Mapping 30. no 4 April 2009. The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner. Hay House 2013.
Photo of Fox courtesy of Peter Trimming http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2286912
Photo of Fox courtesy of Peter Trimming http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2286912
