Anxiety + Overwhelm in Lockdown
When we feel anxious and overwhelmed, the way that we think changes. We develop a kind of tunnel vision that stops us from seeing the big picture. Instead of observing the whole forrest, we narrow in on a single tree. It's an evolutionary mechanism from cave woman days: Back then, when we needed to escape from something scary, our brain refocused attention to deal with the threat at hand. We became hyper-alert to the current danger. The part of our brain that appreciates music, art and cuddles shut down in order for us to survive. This worked brilliantly when the danger was acute.
These days the threats are usually wild thoughts, not wild animals. They are harder to outrun and often they stay in our head. Yet this evolutionary tunnel thinking response remains.
Remember cosy Sunday nights watching a nature documentaries where the lion chase a gazelle across the savananah? Gosh we love Mr sotto voice, David Attenbourough. If the gazelle was lucky enough to escape being lunch, she rolled around in the grass. She literally shook off the experience and reset her nervous system. As mammals, we are similarly wired. Yet instead of a decent grass roll we hold the experience inward. We remain anxious and scared.
This creates a chronic stress responses in the body and the mind. Overwhelm may become our constant companion. At a physical level we develop tension patterns which manifest in pain, an inability to sleep soundly and tightness in the body.
Yogic science has proven strategies to help us to to rewire our brain using techniques that work with our own physiology to induce calm. So we simply feel better. We cannot change our current external circumstances through lockdown, but we can find ways to respond that induces a little more clarity and ease. Yoga helps us to explore new ways to hit the reset button on our hard drive.
Breath practices which extend the exhale ratio to be longer than the inhale switch the body from a state of sympathetic nervous system control of ‘flight, flight or freeze’ into a state of ‘rest and digest’. So creating a powerful stress busting relaxation response.
Yoga, especially poses which emphasise balances, and backbends: Balances invite us to subtly think about what is not balanced as we stand on one leg. Backbends from a physical perspective, open our heart and perhaps metaphorically we are more open to receive the lessons of life.
You can also try shaking your way to vibrant energy and creativity. Stay with me here. Shaking has been practiced in the Qigong tradition for centuries. Qigong shaking won’t make you sweaty or tired. Instead, you’ll feel relaxed and energised after a single session of this simple, ancient exercise. How? Simply shake your body gently, from the wrists, to your neck, to your knees. Bounce up and down on the balls of your feet, bringing your heels to the ground. Shake slowly. This should feel good, not like you’re freezing in an icy lake. Practice this for a full minute, then three, then five. Notice how sparkly you feel afterwards
Dancing: put on your favourite song and move. For me, it's Abba's Dancing Queen. Don't judge. As Neitzsche said: Those who were dancing were thought insane by those who could not hear the music.
Meditation is a simple and effortless daily practice. It enables your mind to reboot while dissolving stress and fatigue in the body. A daily practice helps you become more calm, creative and confident; giving you the ability to fully engage with life and all it has to offer.
Today’s world offers endless enticements and makes implicit cultural demands to work hard and play hard. Even now. The beeping-flashing-ringing technologies and bad news cycles can overwhelm and inundate our subtle digestive capacities.
When we’re overstimulated, we experience the same problems emotionally and neurologically that we do if we overeat—we get filled beyond our capacity, to the point of weakening the entire system.
Whether you turn off the TV, heal a relationship, learn a new skill, or commit more time to just doing nothing, commit to create more positive space in your life.
Ultimately, that will increase the flow of prana and you’ll not succumb to anxiety and overwhelm. You will feel healthier and lighter and (soonish….) ready to spring into out of this pandemic and into spring.