Headline news got you down? This quarantine has been a real challenge for many of us. In a time of isolation and the constant barrage of headline news, it can be scary and difficult to distance ourselves from catastrophic thinking. The more news, stress, and worry we allow in, the greater the toll on our bodies.
Here’s some good news!
Science shows us that if we can interrupt our worrying thoughts fast enough, we can limit, or counteract, the negative reaction in our bodies. By distracting ourselves fast enough and shifting to productive thinking, we reduce the stress response and prevent stress chemicals from flooding our bodies. Shifting from fight or flight to rest and restore mode, we will strengthen rather than deplete our immune system.
Let’s not fall victim to the downward spiral of fear that keeps us in a state of fight or flight and compromises our health.
We can’t control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we respond to it.
Fear can be our friend; it need not be our enemy. We can help ourselves by paying more attention to our inner voice of reason than the scary noise around us. By breathing, slowing down thought, and shifting to a calmer state, fear can be a useful guiding light and lead us to helpful action. Marie Forleo, Everything is Figureoutable, writes, “Fear is your soul’s GPS. Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if we could simply take the time to ask, what else could this mean?” The quality of your life will be determined by whether you’re willing to face your fears and move through them — or not.”
Why is it so hard to shift out of fear and worry? Fear has become a learned response from past personal experiences. It may have become a habit that needs to change. Many believe it’s natural to worry and may even rationalize it by believing it prevents bad things from happening.
When we watch the news or are face something that’s upsetting, it takes seconds for the mind to latch on and keep it going. If we allow the thought to gain momentum, we can move into overthinking, creating a domino effect. Instead of allowing our inner guidance to discern and look for the good, the mind jumps on a runaway train of worry. Emotions activate, the body reacts, and it can become difficult to stay calm.
Ester Hicks, a speaker and law of attraction author, explains how important it is to not get carried away with negative thinking. She compares our thoughts to a car at the top of a steep hill in San Francisco. “You’ll have a better chance at stopping that car at the top of the hill than you would once it starts gaining momentum on its way down.”
Author Mel Robbins got stuck in the loop of overthinking and was suffering with depression when she stumbled on her “5 second mind hack” that changed everything for her and her family. Watching a NASA rocket launch one night on tv, it inspired Mel to use that same countdown the next morning to force herself out of bed. “I’ll just launch myself out of bed—like a rocket. I counted backwards 5- 4- 3- 2- 1—because that’s what NASA does when it launches a spaceship.” That countdown idea launched Mel Robbins Ted Talk and book “The 5 Second Rule”.
“Counting is an action. It shifts thought to the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that acts. Teaching yourself to take action by counting backwards, when normally you’d keep thinking, distracts you from your worries, focuses your attention on what you need to do, prompts you to act, and interrupts the habit of overthinking.”
Ever been frozen with panic or worry? Check out this video
Let’s do our best to keep the headline news from causing unnecessary worry. We need our immune system to be strong. When we act to distract, we shift out of fight or flight to a calmer state of rest and repair and allow our soul’s guidance system to do its job. Becoming more aware of our thoughts and catching ourselves at the top of the hill, allows fear to be our guiding light towards good and keeps us off that train of worry.