Your body is talking to you
Things feel pretty weird at the moment. The intense sandwiching of extreme events is having a significant emotional impact on many people.
For one, we’re finally facing our viral fears in Western Australia, as the now relatively mild-to-moderate COVID bug is making itself known. Furthermore, our loved ones over East —– who, only a few weeks ago, emerged from their own pandemic bubble — were inundated with catastrophic flooding.
Among all of this, unchecked levels of barbarism are claiming the lives, and livelihoods, of millions of people in Europe and Russia. Not to forget the entrenched violence and socio-economic instability in other parts of the world, too. And to top it all off, we continue to witness the political polarisation of important issues that warrant a more centrist view. How has satire become real life?
One question I've heard asked a bit lately: “Was life always this hard?”It depends on your perspective and personal circumstances. But what I can say is that it’s pretty intense for a lot of people right now. And so, that weird feeling you might have right now, it’s likely anguish, tinged with a hint of raw anxiety.
I had a bout of it myself, this week. I randomly woke up with a ball of anxiety nestled in the pit of my stomach one morning. Though a hot chai, seaside stroll and a few changes to my schedule worked wonders.
Emotions are contagious. They are passed on through the company we keep, the people we cross paths with in public, and the environments we are immersed in. In their simplest form, emotions are information — they provide clues and tell a story about what is going on for you, and others. During periods of increased stress, such as now, maintaining emotional hygiene is crucial.
Often, the body responds to stress (emotional, psychological or physical) by sending signals — such as a feeling of nausea or momentary anxiety — to get your attention. These signals advise you that some kind of change is needed.
Generally, we’ve done a pretty good job of ignoring our body’s awareness. Small sensations, niggling feelings and our deeper inner-knowing have all too often been silenced. One-off episodes of emotional angst are not pathological. In fact, they’re perfectly reasonable and offer protection from danger. Our mind and body are always seeking equilibrium.
When our operating system becomes overburdened, such as through unhealthy levels of mental stimulation, emotionally heavy social exchanges or poor physical care, the body does what it’s designed to do, to get your attention. My advice: listen.
Your body holds untold amounts of wisdom, and it’s worth tuning in. You have to take time out for reflection, and stop discounting the cues to really get to know yourself and your needs. Sometimes minor course corrections, such as having a tough conversation, doing the jobs you’ve been putting off, clearing your scheduling, or tuning out from the news and social media are all that’s needed.
But when we ignore the body’s messages, and our mental and emotional needs for too long, deeper issues can eventuate. Sometimes manifesting as chronically high levels of social and existential anxiety. In this case, getting some professional help from your doctor, or in the form of psychotherapy, counselling, or coaching is also recommended.
Given the circumstances, it’s totally understandable if you want to check out from the world for a day or two. Just give yourself a break to recalibrate. Then make the changes you need to, to ensure you’re feeling emotionally well and balanced once more.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 12 March 2022.