Habit means something we do the same, all the time.
But why is it important in stress management?
During the Savannah, at about 20,000ish years ago, we live in the caves and hunt for food.
We were only equipped with 3 instincts, flight, fight, or freeze in order to fight for survival.
We hunt by the day, we sleep by the night. But there is a certain awake and sleep pattern steered by our internal clocks – the circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, this system wants us to have regularity with sleep and eat and help biology perform best by making things into a routine as the way to go.
Smart, isn’t it? How biology works, us having habits so we don’t drain ourselves the energy when we do things we’re used to doing.
We just do what we do without needing to think so much or exert a lot of energy because once a thing becomes a habit – it seems so easy to be done.
ARE HABITS GOOD?
Habits are generally very good as they help us to an easier life where we do not have to think of every step we take.
An example is a morning routine, imagine the stress if we have to regularly think about every move we’re gonna make after waking up?
“I will get out of bed, then I will go to the bathroom to pee, shower, I will find my towel, I will get dressed, etc., etc.”
Imagine these details if you still have to think of them before you can do them??
So habits make life easy, right?
BUT WHY DOES IT SEEM HARD NOW?
Because unlike before where the only threats were the animals that would eat us…
Our surrounding has greatly evolved. We are not surrounded by wild animals anymore but by work stresses, financial or relationship challenges – things that cannot be solved anymore by habits, things that require thinking.
STILL, HABITS ARE STILL NUMBER 1!
Despite the above-mentioned, I’d say that habits are still the number 1 way to go today.
They make our basic life so so much easier and save us so much energy.
I would even say that many people would benefit from making more habits to go from
In our workplaces it is gold to have habits and communal structures to base all the basic actions on, setting the rules and making clear instructions, then showing them to new people in the organization so they too can get these habits so things will move smoothly.
FROM ROUTINES TO RITUALS
If you do get good routines and you keep doing them and they serve you they will turn into rituals – routines you don’t want to live without – making things flow even better.
BUT EVEN HABITS REQUIRE CHANGE
When the routines and habits don’t serve you any longer they will be a burden. They will start your stress system – knock on your back and say “Hello, I feel unease and all these stress hormones have started to run around in my bloodstream – do something!!!
The problem now is that the master in your head will keep saying – do as you always have done – we need to save energy – just keep on.
Now you need to make an active decision – use your willpower to find new ways to tackle the problem and find a new way that works better for you.
It may be some major changes in your life, or at work?
And maybe you, now when I say it can be tough – you have started to get cold feet – IS THIS REALLY POSSIBLE?
I know your instinct tells you to stay where you are because that’s where you will feel safer.
Don’t worry, it is possible if you know how! To help you get that picture of what you can do, I want to introduce you to a new way of thinking – a model of how you can see these changes work.
Remembering this can work as an anchor to stay on track.
We are wired to want everything to be easy. When we wave the magic wand, everything should fall in place, just like that. Because we long for success and happiness all the time, don’t we?
Well, that is not how it works! But it IS possible to make changes in your habits. It is even easy if you know how to. And this way of thinking works for everything you change – at work or at home.
I see Changes in life as an outer space rocket taking off. At first, the gravity is extremely strong; it takes a lot of fuel to get the rocket taken off from the ground. When it is up and comes to the outer layers of our atmosphere it goes easier and when it is out there, in the free space, it just dances away.
It is the same with Changes in life. They can be extremely hard in the beginning and you need all your willpower to not just give up and do “as usual” but they get easier the longer you stick with them.
AIM FOR A MONTH
Four weeks is said to be the time needed for a new habit to stick. It is also important what you promise to yourself.
NO OVERPROMISING
Most people tend to overpromise to change everything at once, and they think of what other people say they should change. It is just not possible to do it that way.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
You may plan a lot of changes but the only way to succeed is to make one small change at a time. And then the next one, and the next one.
Since each change takes about four weeks that add up to the possibility of a lot of changes in a year.
Also, when you start doing small changes the right way, you will see the magic happen. So many other things will follow with change just because of your new actions.
To make it even easier and fun you can tell people about what you are up to and that will work as accountability too!
LOVING THE LAST MINUTE
If you have a tendency to procrastinate when change is on the table – you are not alone. Most people dread change!
But also remember – it isn’t going to be easier or better or faster if you delay acting for change – it will still take those 4 weeks until you get at ease with your new habits – so procrastination is only chowing the problem ahead of you, so why not just get it done? “Just do it” – as Nike says!
If you’re asking why even habits change…
Just remember one of the most famous lines: “Change is the only constant thing in this world.”
If you do not know where to start or feel hard to do on your own, get yourself a mentor or check HERE to see if you’ll feel like we’re a good fit.
I do love mantras like “A walk a day keeps the stress and anxiety away”. They stick in your memory and remind you to take your walk and the reason behind it.
LET’S TACKLE WALKING DEEP
You might be wondering how walking helps with stress and anxiety, and that’s okay. I have been already asked by a lot about this, so I thought of writing my answers here for easier reference.
The answer lies in the connection between body movement and our brains.
LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO THE PAST
Allow me to bring back the past. At about 200,000 ish years ago, it was the survival of the fittest – and we humans either run or fight if faced with a threat.
When stressed and faced by a threat, our instincts tell us to MOVE – whether MOVE to RUN or MOVE to FIGHT, as long as we MOVE.
Isn’t it brilliant?
ONE MORE PROOF
Think of a moment where you lose a thought, and tried your best to remember while sitting but you couldn’t, and the moment that you moved… you remember the thought effortlessly.
THAT… is what I’m talking about.
EXCESS STRESS HORMONES
Our body releases extra stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline when we’re stressed.
Our body signals us that something is wrong and that we need to take care of it because if we don’t, it can be dangerous.
DANGERS OF NOT ACTING
Our body suffers physical effects like muscle tension, shallow and rapid breathing, or digestive system discomfort when we’re stressed.
This system is only supposed to kick in for short periods of time, and never longer. If it does… we can be very sick physically and mentally.
MY MISSION
During my many years as a Doctor, I’ve seen the long-term physical and mental issues from stress so I’ve made it my mission to educate and help leaders prevent and manage stress and anxiety at work and at home.
WHY WALKING?
Walking wakes the body up and clears the mind. It’s like we’re rebooting our system like we would on a phone.
It additionally clears the hormones out of our body by using them as energy, and at the same time the brain releases “feel-good” hormones.
HOW LONG DO I NEED TO WALK?
Kickstarting your day with a 30-minute walk is ideal, but even a 5-minute walk around the block that can be done even in the middle of the day can help you keep calm at work.
What’s important is you get up off your butt, and WALK.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WALK
Daily is ideal so you can make it a part of your day-by-day.
Establishing this as part of your healthy routine is the best as this can help make the rest of your day flow way much easier.
DOES YOUR WALKING NEED TO BE MONITORED?
No. You can of course get yourself a pedometer if you really want to, but honestly, I am a Doctor and I am pro-just enjoy the walk.
WALKING IS A COMMITMENT – FROM YOU TO YOU.
You are not doing this for anybody else but yourself. You take care of you and build up the resilience to face any or all hurdles for the day.
Constant brain fog, big pressure headaches? WALK IT OFF.
A TIP FROM A STRESS MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Being a pioneer in the stress industry, a tip from me is that when you’re really stressed out – admit and accept that YOU NEED A BREAK.
Your brain needs a break, and physical activity’s one of the best tools you can use.
Walking, jumping up and down, stretching, any physical movement reduce stress at the very least.
TREAT WALKING AS YOUR PILL
Take your 30-minute Brisk walk as your first pill for light depression.
As a Doctor, while it is light, do this and it helps like a first-aid kit.
If you think that your depression is severe, see a Doctor.
CHEATING YOUR BRAIN
You can actually cheat your brain if you can’t find motivation yet.
If you can’t find yourself “purposely” walking around the block, ditch elevators, escalators, and the nearest parking lot.
See an elevator/escalator? Take the stairs. Doing grocery? Park farther from the entrance!
IT IS A GOOD CARDIO EXERCISE
At the same time, walking is good cardio or moderate aerobic exercise. It is after all physical activity and any physical activity or movement improves health.
You know what they say…
“Use them or lose them.”
And if we’re gonna apply that to muscles and joints, I’d rather use them.
Now, one would sometimes say…
“I’m too busy, I don’t have that luxury of time or that 30 minutes to spend just walking.”
I understand.
But I also happen to know that most people instead of walking choose to drive the car even if the distance is not really that far. And that most people also would run to fit in that elevator rather than taking the stairs.
So really, you don’t have the time – fine… But at least choose the better options and remember that it’s a great exercise.
“But I really hate walking. I’d rather do other things than walk because I just happen to hate outside if it’s not for an errand. And I can’t do that walk inside my house, there’s not enough space.”
Sure, again, I do understand. Not all people like the outside world anyway.
But I also know that every step or movement counts. Which means…
Any physical activity, even just doing the house chores is good for your health.
All forms of physical movement are good for blood pressure, lungs, heart, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
MOVING IS A WONDER MEDICINE
During this pandemic, we are all encouraged to do social distancing but, of course, we all know at the same time that we can’t just ignore our health…
Taking daily walks, brisk walks, jogging, running, or just doing the house chores and using what we have at home such as stairs for our daily exercises helps.
No matter what type of exercise we do as long as we do it, we’ll be okay.
Have you ever wondered why some people engage themselves personally so much in charity?
Because it feels good.
But it doesn’t end there. For example, out of 7 charities, someone is helping, sometimes you’ll notice a priority – one which caught their heart the most; one where they feel they are being helpful the most.
That is called THE HEART PROJECT, one that’s closest to the heart.
Do you have a heart project?
I do, and it’s been my heart project since 2008. It’s called Better Globe.
As both a Doctor and Stress Management Expert, I know for a fact that doing good for others produces feel-good hormones in our brains.
“So, it doesn’t just benefit the people we’re helping, but also us?” – Certainly. Fantastic, isn’t it?
You see, when the brain sees that we’re doing good, it puts us in this loop of releasing feel-good hormones.
It’s all a gift from the past…
We are created to be herd animals, needing each other to grow and move forward – to survive.
So helping each other makes us feel better because we are all still connected.
These feelings and the biological science behind them are what drive all charity movements out there.
The Red Cross, their sister organizations, the United Nations sub-divisions, and many others… They ask for money from us, and we’re able to give after sympathizing.
And that is good.
We need to help others who have less and those who are at a harder time… catastrophic situations, and even help the environment.
MY WAY OF GIVING/MY TYPE OF CHARITY
I personally have decided to give in two specific ways.
The Rotary, and the Better Globe.
THE ROTARY
The Rotary is a worldwide organization based on occupational connections; for business, connections but also for helping big in the society around, like being part of something that’s aiming to extinguish Polio globally. and it makes me feel good to be part of an organization like this.
What I get from this are simple breakfasts with other members, but the feeling of meeting up to eat knowing that you all are doing good deeds for others, I always end up feeling good and being happy.
THE BETTER GLOBE
This one, the Better Globe, is about something completely different. This is about the trees in Kenya, Africa.
But it goes deeper than that.
Global net loss of forests, extreme poverty and lack of education are the three main problems in our world, and this company aims to help in all three of the above-mentioned major problems.
Help to self-help at its best, what more can I say?
I buy a tree, the farmers get a job to plant and get paid for it, the trees help in Global warming, and donations help in the education of children. When the trees grow, I can get returns. This one is a win-win situation.
From the moment I learned about this Wayback 2008, I have decided to support their purpose and make it possible for them to reach their goal of planting 5 billion trees.
I even visited Kenya to see how far or near we are to the goal, but the whole experience just made it all feel better as I saw how they make an enormous impact on people in Kenya.
And now I can say, with or without returns, I honestly already feel good and complacent that my money’s going a long way in helping.
GLOBAL CHARITIES
Globally, every club has different projects that they support locally or internationally. We have helped a local organization both financially and practically in helping young and teen refugees, and an African organization for young women to a job education.
There are many ways to help, and make sure that the money is used for the right purpose.
ON SCAM DOUBTS
Unfortunately and the sad reality is there are always scammers who try to profit personally and cannibalize on other people’s kindness and generosity…
This is exactly why we always look for how transparent they are with the donations they receive, and if the money is used correctly.
IF NOT COMFORTABLE WITH MONEY DONATIONS
If you’re not comfortable giving money donations, there are a lot of different ways to help.
In-kind donations: clothes, foods, first-aid kits, or anything that can be of help to them especially prioritizing their everyday basic needs.
YOU CAN START LITTLE
It does not matter how much you give or how much you help, what’s important is that you do it.
If you do not know where to start or find it hard to do on your own, feel free to reach out through my contact form here..
Have you heard of the “Eat by the clock” concept – or establishing regular eating hours?
“What… there is a concept? Isn’t it, just eat when you need to or when you’re hungry?”
Well, eating may sound simple but there’s so much more than just “eating foods”.
We already know that a major health factor depends on WHAT we eat, but not everyone knows that WHEN we eat is also a factor, the same goes with the WHY.
“That is complicated.”
It may sound like it, but it’s not. It’s even way simpler than weight loss programs, nutrition rules, supplements, and the rest.
THE SIMPLE WAY
It’s as simple as…
“Eat healthy food on regular hours to get proper nutrition and nourishment for the body and the brain.”
And on top of that, eat in company if you prefer, because it will feel better if that is your preference.
THE BIGGER PICTURE OF HAVING REGULAR EATING HOURS
Following our internal biological clock should do the trick.
Like in sleeping, we have clocks set in our brains, and it’s called the circadian clock which regulates a whole bunch of hormones and other processes in our body.
Sticking to our body clocks makes us feel well and on the other hand skipping it makes us feel ill.
The scientists behind this circadian clock system even got the Nobel Prize 2017 for this.
TIPS TO REMEMBER
Sometimes, people find it hard to keep track of their eating so I’d like to share a few techniques that can help.
1. THE MODEL TO USE
The model to use is called “The 321 route”. I called it 321 to make it easier to remember.
321 stands for 3 main meals per day + 2 snacks in between and only 1 serving per meal on a regular plate.
Following this helps our brain get the constant energy levels it needs to work in a perfect way over the day.
Always putting too much food on your plate? Swift to a smaller one and your brain will trick you that you already have too much on your plate. Give it a try. 🙂
2. EAT 3 COLORS A DAY.
Eat 3 different colored fruits and vegetables. So instead of eating an apple a day to keep a doctor away, eat 3 different colors a day on your fruits and veggies.
If it’s colorful, it’s good because the colors are our vitamins, the antioxidants.
WHAT, WHY, AND WHEN TO EAT
Believe me when I say that there’s absolutely NO NEED to create crazy “food rules” for yourself. It can be as simple as WHAT, WHY, and WHEN.
1. THE WHAT
A little bit of everything. Eat a little bit of everything because we are biologically made to eat everything that is naturally out in nature: meat, fish, greens of all kinds, nuts, fruits, and berries. This will give a variety of protein, fats, and carbohydrates that are needed for a healthy body.
A varied diet will also give the minerals and vitamins that we need without having to use supplements.
If I should give one specific piece of advice on what NOT to eat, it would be the refined products like white sugar, flour, and what is made from that like white bread.
2. THE WHY.
This must be the easiest question to answer.
We have to eat to get energy – both for the body and for the mind on a regular basis over the day.
And not only for the energy but for the minerals, vitamins, and especially those essential substances that we can’t produce internally in the body.
If you want a healthy body, you have to feed it with good building material, not just empty calories.
Feeding yourself with junk, including the so-called energy drinks drains your energy by hi-jacking your blood-sugar system, you get speeded and then drained quickly – turning you into a slow thinker.
3. THE WHEN
Biology is very clear on this.
Biology is built on consistency and regularity – the clock in our brains.
And for this remember the very simple 3-2-1 rule I talked about.
Eat 3 main meals and 2 small snacks during the day to balance your blood sugar, keep your
To fully function, the brain needs a steady flow of energy.
OTHER FOOD ISSUES
The other issues around food – celebration, comfort, friendship – have more to do with psychology and behavior – not about the food itself.
BE CAREFUL
People are disagreeing on what you really should eat and I am not going into that discussion.
I get a bit tired of all the people telling you YOU JUST HAVE TO… (and then market their product, supplement, etc.) as this is all about making money.
It’s hard to know which can work or not and it’s not right to have spent a lot of money to figure out which one will work for you as what works for one person might not work at all for another person – for many odd reasons – genetic or metabolic or even cultural.
This is one of the reasons WHY…
I always say that you should eat just GOOD, VARIED food at regular times and regular hours because that’s how we are built, our heritage from back then 200000 years ago. That’s what our body wants and that’s what our brain wants: REGULAR HOURS and GOOD FOOD.
WHAT YOU DRINK
Let’s also talk about what you drink – not just alcohol.
Stay away from soft drinks as it’s mostly sugar and it’s just like what I said about sugar, getting hyped up then suddenly drained.
TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR LIFE
I want to ask you to reflect on your life – what you’re eating and when you’re eating it. Will you be proud of it?
Do you know that a good night’s sleep is necessary for just about everything, even in business?
Some people have a hard time sleeping at night. When the world is that quiet, people tend to overthink.
WITH OR WITHOUT PEACE AT NIGHT?
The night is the time when our surroundings are quiet, but inner peace is robbed – it’s like we’re at war with ourselves.
We think about our futures, our expectations, but then we constantly get caught up with reality…
Have we started off the way we wanted? Will our business reach its goals? Why haven’t we heard from that client that seemed so interested? Why are these things happening? It’s supposed to be easier and not harder.
And on top of that… Will my kids succeed in school? Are they being bullied? Will they get good jobs, will my marriage last? Why does everyone look happy?
IT’S ALL NORMAL
It’s okay. I want to tell you… it’s all normal.
These questions in our every day lives may seem endless, but they’re normal.
BUT…
If you continuously let them rob you off of sleep, then things might just stop being normal after a while.
If this becomes a habit… you’ll lose the energy to tackle your problems.
If it’s robbing you of sleep one night – remember to prioritize your rest. Because only with a well-rested mind and body you can get back to functioning again properly.
IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
Sleep… is very important for better health, wellness, and even for success in business.
Sleep is a basic biological function regulated by the circadian rhythm which is also known as our body’s 24-hour “internal clock” that controls our body’s sleep-wake cycle.
If this rhythm is disturbed, we get sick.
REQUIRED SLEEP FOR A GOOD NIGHT
Healthy grown-ups need 7-9 hours per night while younger people need more than that.
Repeated and continuous sleep inadequacy results in a lot of problems like obesity, blood pressure issues, cardiovascular diseases, and even stroke.
If you are in the business world… then imagine what could happen.
Could you still be husting if you’re too tired, unhealthy, or sickly, and already has a bad memory caused by lack of sleep?
SLEEP AND LEADERSHIP
The majority of people in leadership positions slept too little before the pandemic. Now, studies show that one-third have further negatively impacted their sleep because of this situation.
Some people say it is good to sleep less, that they will save time, get more done because they have more active hours. Maybe you are one of them – but I hope not.
It has long been accepted or even expected that a boss shall work hard and sleep lesser. That makes you a hero – you may think. But too little sleep can also have the complete opposite effect.
WHAT LACK OF SLEEP DOES
Lack of sleep affects your cognition in a brutally negative way. If you have been awake for 18 + hours your tiredness increases quickly and your cognition ticks down to the same level as if you have 0.6 per ml of alcohol in your blood. Can you still make great and logical decisions at this level?
Remember, bad decisions cause loss of profits in the business. Not only by the less ideal work from the boss but also from their workgroups less ideal result because of bad leadership and so on in negative ripples.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
How to avoid these things from happening?
Or…
What can you do to improve your sleep?
STEPS TO TAKE TO HAVE A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP
1. Avoid caffeine and cigarettes near sleeping time.
These are stimulants and you don’t want to have much active brain stimulation right before sleeping time.
2. Avoid alcohol.
Alcohol indeed makes you feel drowsy and sleepy, but too much of it makes your sleep pattern disturbed.
Wonder why you wake up feeling tired even after sleeping long hours after drinking too much alcohol? This is why.
3. Be physically active.
Being physically active helps your body rest and sleep better at night. Even just a 30-minute brisk walk can do.
Just remember not to do it too close to bedtime so you won’t be in the hype as you try to sleep.
4. Optimize your sleep environment.
With this, we mean avoiding bright lights or television as blue lights block most of your sleep hormone melatonin.
What you can do instead: Listen to soft music, read nice books.
5. Establish a daily routine.
With a daily routine, your brain and body already know what to do, it will be automatic.
And this is important because not everyone can fall asleep the moment they lie down.
IF YOU GET TORMENTED AT NIGHT…
These are just some helpful basic tips.
But if you are one of those people who upon laying at night gets tormented with their thoughts…
Let me share with you the method that I learned and helped me when I was trapped in an insolvency a few years ago.
Try and start to think of a mantra-like: “I am thankful for this bed, I am thankful for this pillow, and I am thankful for this blanket.”
YOUR MANTRA
Keep repeating your mantra until you feel relaxed and comfortable. Keep your brain occupied with these good thoughts to shut down tormenting ones.
I have met a few others who also have done the same technique and today, I prioritize this tip in my mentoring.
These are just a few things you can do combined with the acceptance of the situation.
FIND THE BALANCE
The most important is to take a look at the whole situation, make changes in your life, and find the balance in between.
Well, I have this song dear to my heart…I was one of those big Beatles fans and there’s this song that hit me as it’s so different from all the general love and rock songs.
“The lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they belong? Ah, look at all the lonely people…” – sounds familiar?
For me, this song has a very serious message.
ANDER HANSEN’S THE DEPRESSED BRAIN
I have been reading Anders Hansen’s “The Depressed Brain” lately and one chapter from this book has really good insights about loneliness… and I thought it’s worth sharing them.
Let’s begin.
Imagine a medical state that affects more than a third of us and for one out of twelve is as tough and dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. There is one, and it’s called loneliness.
It’s one of the most surprising discoveries within medical science, finding that friends and family not only give life meaning but also prolongs life and helps us stay healthy.
Amazing, isn’t it?
The sad backside is that the lack of human connections gives the risk of illness.
WHAT IS LONELINESS?
To start with, let’s define loneliness.
What is it really?
The somewhat odd medical dry definition is a worry-producing difference between being asked for and a factual perceived level of social connection.
That shows an important fact… that loneliness is the difference between how many social connections we have and how many we want to have.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE LONELY?
It is not a fixed number of Facebook friends, dinner party invitations, phone calls, etc., and differs from person to person. Take me for example, I am perfectly happy in my own companion for long hours and don’t need that many people around me to feel happy whereas some people I know almost panic if they need to be by themselves for a few hours.
THE FEELING OF BEING LONELY IS SUBJECTIVE
The experience, the feeling of loneliness is subjective and not the same thing as being by yourself. We can feel a real closeness to others even if we are by ourselves and also feel very lonely and isolated in a crowd.
So… If you feel lonely, you are lonely. And if you don’t feel lonely, you are not lonely – regardless of what your social life looks like.
It is all about your subjective feeling.
Now, don’t freak out if you feel lonely for some time now and then. It will only affect your health if it has been ongoing for months or years. To be frank, loneliness is a natural part of our biology and it’s unrealistic to believe that you can live a whole life without it.
Let me share something…
RESEARCH ON LONELINESS
A group of researchers tested 5000 people in Australia, 50 years being their mean age on their feelings in small and big groups. 2 years later, the same people answered the same questions but already took into consideration the changes that have happened within two years.
Now, that same research shows that some people who were showing signs of depression at the first round of testing showed fewer such signs after joining groups and gaining more social connections.
LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION: WHICH COMES FIRST?
There’s also this ongoing question of whether loneliness or depression comes first… and research concludes that it’s the former and that if you break the loneliness, then your chances of getting out of depression is higher.
Another big research following people over 12 years showed that 20% of all depressions were caused by loneliness and that loneliness not only affects the mind but also the body.
CAN BEING LONELY KILL YOU?
Would you believe that when the researchers looked at how some people with heart diseases died sooner than the rest of them, they saw that some patients didn’t just die because of the diseases – but also from loneliness?
The same results were shown with women with breast cancer – the ones who isolated themselves had higher risks. Studies on the overall risk of dying show that loneliness is a very important factor to have in mind.
OUR AUTONOMIC NERVE CELL SYSTEMS
So why is it like this?
Most of our body functions are steered by autonomic nerve cell systems.
This involuntary system has two settings – the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.
The sympathetic is our stress system – fear, fight, and flight. While the parasympathetic system energy goes to the calm, and, digestion of your food.
Parasympathetic is activated when you breathe slowly.
Both of these systems are constantly active in our bodies, and which one is dominant depends on the current situation we’re in.
When you run for the bus and have that important presentation at work, your sympathetic system rules. But when that presentation is over and you eat lunch after, the parasympathetic system rules.
One would think that the parasympathetic system is more active when you are lonely because you have all the time for yourself and nobody to fight against. But oddly enough, it’s actually quite the opposite.
LONELINESS AND SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM
Loneliness… triggers the sympathetic system and is connected to fight and flight rather than the calm or digestion of food.
Further research shows that loneliness makes us see the world and other people as more threatening, so we become sensitive to people’s faces and interpret rather towards the negative or the neutral expression.
Our brains amazingly develop sensitivity for these signs and see the world as hostile.
LIVE A GOOD AND LESS STRESSED LIFE
I know it already sounds depressing as it is, but my mission is to help people understand how it works and what we can do to live a good and less stressed life.
So with all this information, here’s a list of what you can do:
Take loneliness seriously.
Look for the signs. When you feel low, find that last glimpse of energy to call someone if necessary, or take a brisk walk to clear your mind and be able to think on your next move.
Find a solid support system.
If you often feel lonely, find a solid support system you can lean on. Join any group/organization that spikes up your interest, or find a group with the same hobbies as you. This way, you can do something you love and share your passion with other people. This can be a good way to start with – and the rest will come.
Help others.
If you are lonely, that doesn’t mean that you can’t help anyone. In fact, you can even help yourself by helping others who need help. Through helping, your brain gets rewarded with the feel-good hormones and it can make you happy. Once it has put you into positivity, you’ll be shocked with the energy and the effects it can give you.. You surely will end up helping more because it makes you feel so good and happy. You know what they say? There is always joy in helping.
If you know people around you who are lonely, do not frown because you can still help them.
Did you know that if someone is lonely, one tiny act can light up their mood and spread positivity? There’s a lot you can do, and here are some:
Send them a postcard.
Getting a real snail mail post is scarce today and admit it – when you get one, you feel special. What makes you think they won’t?
Give them a call.
A phone call means a lot. Did you know that there was a study conducted for 240 people who lived alone where they received phone calls from a group of young people for just 10 minutes and only twice a week, and after 4 weeks the loneliness scale of these people went 20% lower?
Be kind.
You never go wrong with this one. You don’t know who among the faces you see fight a deep battle within, so saying kind words matter. A guy’s with you in the elevator? Smile and wish him a nice day. A girl sitting with you on the bus? Smile and greet them good morning. You’d be shocked to see that these tiny acts of gesture mean a lot and go a long way. You’d be shocked with the smiles you see on their faces.
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