Don’t Tell Me to Calm Down…oh…wait

I know you don’t want to hear this but can you chill for a bit?

Maybe it is the speed of our lives or the 24 hour news cycle but these are anxious times. Who can blame us for fearing for our kids, our loved ones, the environment, the economy, our health..sorry- this isn’t helping, is it?

Your brain is hardwired to scan the horizon for threats. It is constantly “looking for trouble”. This amazing system was developed to keep our very vulnerable species alive by noticing what has changed, what is coming, what is possible.

Simply put your nervous system works like a car- accelerator and brakes.

The sympathetic nervous system is your accelerator. Fight or flight. It raises your heart rate and blood pressure, widens bronchial passages, shuts down digestion, constricts blood vessels, causes your pupils to dilate, gives you goosebumps and makes you sweat… because a saber tooth tiger is chasing you.

The parasympathetic nervous system is the brakes-rest and digest. It gives the Stand Down message so that your body can go back to normal. Digestion resumes, heart rate slows and breathing deepens. Healing is here. Your sex life is in here too. Can’t have sex with a tiger on your tail.

These days, saber tooth tigers are rare. Ok, they’re extinct. One less thing to worry about, right? While the world was getting safer from physical attack, our brains created all sorts of new boggy monsters. Here’s the thing. Your brain is perfectly developed to protect you…from saber tooth tigers. It is a terrible brain for computer threats, rush hour traffic, the stock market, marriage or positive parenting.

Your accelerator is worn out. Can you put some energy into your brakes please? Rest. Focus on sleep. Slow down. Do less. Stop multitasking. Don’t just get rid of clutter, declutter your schedule and your inbox and your relationships. Have sex. Be nice to yourself. Dress up. Daydream and color and play and dance and walk and sing and have dessert. And breathe… over and over again, just breathe.