Our poor autonomic nervous systems just don’t know which way to turn right now.
There’s terrible danger, but . . . most of us (at least the sensible ones) are staying home where it’s safe, so . . . what’s to be afraid of? Except, there’s this terrible danger . . . Some of us are able to continue to work from home and maintain a sense of security and normality. Some of us, not so much. More insecurity and fear, but really, fighting or fleeing are not going to be possible or productive at this point, and freezing is the only option left, only . . . that’s not doing anybody any good either. So, huh? Wha? How? Who?
If this sounds familiar, this post is for you. If not, maybe it can help somebody you love.
Our ANS (autonomic nervous system) is trying to do its job, just like you are, and it’s having a hell of a time. It was designed to keep you safe and warn you when danger is near. It sends signals to your brain and endocrine system to pour on the go-juice now! But when you have no place to go, when you can’t run to safety because you are already in a place of safety, then adrenaline starts to build up because you can’t burn it off – and that triggers anxiety and panic. And other fun stuff like uncontrollable crying for no reason; sudden flares of anger, also for no reason; and escalation of destructive and self-destructive behaviors.
And it can lead to adrenal fatigue, and those days when you just cannot even get out of bed. Or maybe you can’t focus on anything, can’t remember anything, can’t figure out how to make toast and googling it is just way too hard.
Some people bounce from one extreme to the other, sometimes in a single day.
I’m calling it COVID19 Stress Response Syndrome, and I should probably trademark it. But I won’t.
If this, or part of this, describes you right now, you have CSRS, and you are not alone. Not by a long shot. It will take a little discipline and work to get your ANS back into balance, but it will be worth it. I can help you with that.
- Breathing is key. Breathe in for 4, breathe out for 6. Lather, rinse, repeat. Breathing out for a longer period than you breathe in signals your heart to slow down, your adrenals to stop gushing, your body temp to normalize, and your ANS to pull back from the brink of fight, flight or freeze. You can do this whenever you need to, but I recommend five solid minutes morning and evening to create a baseline.
- Humming to yourself. Hum the lowest note you can comfortably sustain. Doesn’t have to be basso-profundo, just as low as you can get. This tells your vagus nerve that you’re safe, and all is well. The vagus nerve then sends the message to your vital organs in a cascade of calm. Again, this can be done anytime, and even in conjunction with the extended breathing above. You can breathe in for 4, and then hum it out for as long as it takes.
- Once it isn’t energetically painful, listen to some uplifting music. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you cannot feel bad when listening to Bill Withers Lovely Day. It is physically impossible. I double dog dare you. Put that sucker on continuous repeat and let the goodness cleanse your soul. (And nothing bad can happen to you when you are listening to Vince Guaraldi, Thelonious Monk, or Abdullah Ibrahim. That’s Gayla’s First Law.)
- Regular doses of Gregorian Chants will do wonders for your state of mind. But they have to be recorded in real cathedrals, not just in a recording studio with fake reverb. There’s a very good reason for this. Frequencies above 8000Hz, which are teeny weeny little baby sound waves, charge the neocortex like a battery. They actually feed your brain. Old cathedrals have oodles of nooks, crannies, carvings, and statuary, for sound waves to break on and turn into smaller and smaller waves, which is why it takes so long for sounds to decay in big cathedrals. Those waves get captured in the recording process, and yes, they feed your brain. Brain Feast of Champions.
If you are in crisis, having suicidal thoughts, disassociating, hallucinating, or in danger of harming yourself or someone else, get help from a mental health professional now.
Breathing can be part of your toolkit after you are functional again. If you’re talking to people who aren’t there, breathing and humming to yourself are not gonna cut it.
I have a few resources that I’m going to be sharing with my subscribers, that can be helpful during this time. I made sound therapy recordings to soothe and tone the vagus nerve, and also to help with focus and calm; and I created a PDF with three exercises that you can do anytime you need some divine intervention. If you wish to receive them and you haven’t already subscribed, please avail yourself of the form below so you can get them. Feel free to share them with your friends and family who may be in need.
And just take care. This is scary, and it is dangerous, but we know what to do to stay safe. The longer this thing is studied, the likelier we are to have viable treatment to shorten it and lessen the symptoms. Incredibly smart people (who are actual scientists) are working very hard on this every day. We’re going to get it beat, so it won’t have to be a death sentence for anyone anymore. Until then, use these simple techniques to keep yourself moving toward functionality. I’m here to help. Sending all my love and light to all of you.