Wendy. Periodically. We Need To Quit Freaking Out.

We are all hyped up these days. Doesn’t matter whether you are on the left or right, an American citizen, or a human on this planet. So many of us seem to be addicted to this flight, flight, freeze, submit or attach response - otherwise known as our survival instincts. We wake up wondering what next disaster has happened, and the spend our days addicted to the news. As the comedian John Mulaney jokes, we wonder “what the horse in the hospital is going to do next,” and we are fascinated by it. Then we discuss it with our people of the bubble. Mulaney is referring to the current POTUS - and it you can deny that staying current is both entertainment and news. But it is not just about the news. If you have read my prior blogs, you will know I am not a fan of TV news rhetoric.

Why do I want you to stop? A constant state of excite or hypervigilance is not good for our mind, body and spirit. We only need this part of our brain to react when we are under immediate threat to survival. And, if we are under immediate threat, that part of our brain is there to help us survive physically and emotionally in the short term, but not in the long term.

We need to be using critical thinking skills which means we need to calm the f*&K down. When we do this we can make good decisions about what is best for us and how to help others. How we go about doing this is up to what you connect to and what helps you. There is no shortage of advice on this on the internet, and if you are therapist reading this, this applies to you and your clients. Fear sells, my friends. Have you bitten the bug? If so, recognize it, and make some changes and calm yourself down so you can think clearly, rationally, and feel peaceful.