Anxiety, panic and stress are normal human reactions to worrying about situations outside of us that feel threatening. And what the past couple of years have shown us, is that the news, social media and even entertainment keeps us focussed on events that make us feel these intense emotions.
Constantly scrolling your social media threads and switching between 24-hour news channels to keep up to date with what’s going on is not only affecting your nervous system negatively, but it can also throw your hormones out of whack.
Whenever you’re stressed or anxious, the hypothalamus in your brain reacts and releases “fight or flight” stress hormones, which make you feel even more threatened. So your heart beats faster, your breath becomes more shallow, you feel jittery and you might even feel really tearful.
Chronic stress affects you not only mentally, but physically as well, manifesting as anger and irritability, insomnia, headaches, shoulder and back pain, nausea, digestive issues and feelings of depression. Know, though, that you are not alone. In fact, global anxiety and depression rates have been climbing for the past 30 years, even before the pandemic. This means more people are unhappy now more than ever.
The digitalisation of our world has played a big part in this. And the pandemic made our dependence on our technological gadgets even worse with remote learning for the kids and constant Zoom meetings. In some cases, the digitalisation has become addictive because of the instant gratification that social media provides, which spikes our dopamine levels with a “rush” that feels good until the crash comes and our moods go dark.
Constant scrolling also keeps us away from our inherent creativity and stops us from doing (or finishing) the tasks that we want to do. And it keeps us focussed on the addiction of easy distraction, which also pulls you away from what your actual reality really is.
As Within So Without
If you practice mindfulness, then you may already know that the outer world is a reflection of your inner world. This is considered a universal law and truth. Therefore, feeling the heaviness of the terror going on the ‘outside’ of you provides an opportunity to expand your perception of your own self awareness.
So if you’re feeling:
- Stressed or anxious
- Irritable or angry
- Nauseous or constipated
- Unmotivated or depressed…
Because of what’s on the news — or something you saw on Facebook — then it’s time to do something positive about it!
1. Silence is golden, so don’t take your phone to bed. Let’s face it, many of us are addicted to scrolling. In fact, studies have shown that most people pick up their phones between 100 and 150 times a day. So in order to reduce your stress levels, you would be doing yourself a HUGE favour by limiting your phone usage. Try to leave your phone in a different room on airplane mode so that you get a good night’s sleep without interruption. Your body needs rest to help your hormones rebalance. If you need help and have trouble switching off, then BeYou’s Pillow Mist can help. Containing an essential oil blend that includes French lavender, Jasmine absolute and Roman chamomile to support your relaxation process, give your pillow a spritz at bedtime to feel refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR PILLOW MIST
2. Move through any FOMO by taking a couple of deep breaths and making the decision to have a 24-hour phone detox once a week. You can’t control anything social media feeds you, and you won’t die if you don’t scroll Facebook or Instagram for one day. Instead, plan a self care day once a week… have a bath, walk in nature, take some exercise, listen to your favourite music and dance, get creative, meet with loved ones, watch a romcom — and, most importantly, stay hydrated and make sure you have a laugh.
3. Yoga is a great way to relax your nervous system, and you can join my live online weekly sessions on Mondays at 6.45pm to help you de-stress. Doing yoga does so much more than only improving your flexibility, strength and balance. It has also been scientifically proven to reduce inflammation in the body, boost your immune system, improve your posture, activate motivation and regulate your mental health — in a good way! What’s not to like? But if you’re still wondering whether or not yoga is right for you, then I would love to offer you a FREE TASTER SESSION.
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE TASTER SESSION
If you aim to incorporate these three positive actions into your schedule for one month, you’ll be feeling like a different person in just 30 days or less. And what’s better, your nervous system will thank you more than you can even imagine.
Love Gaynor x
Here’s that link again to book your FREE TASTER SESSION!
