TIME FOR A DEEP BREATH

With gun sales and COVID-19 approaching, if not already, out-of-control, food prices rising, traditional work declining, and another month of ruthless political propaganda looming, maybe it’s time to take a deep breath. Zazen-style. Deep in-breath through the nose, slow complete exhale while mentally focusing on nothing. A couple more times until the body relaxes and the mind starts to feel washed clean. Like after the briefest, comfy bout of Hawaiian sunshine-rain. It’s all about stress, but these days, I’m not talking about acute stress. That relinquished its control a long time ago to chronic stress, and chronic stress is the real “killer.”

In Dr. Daniel S. Janik’s UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN: Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching, and Transformative Learning (Rowman & Littlefied Education 2005) he makes a clear distinction between the two kinds of stress. The former, acute stress, is the “fight or flight” state emotionally controlled by the body’s release of “natural” epinepherine. The latter, chronic stress” is the “preparing for death” state emotionally controlled by by the body’s release of “natural” cortisol.

According to Janik and Medical News Today, it results in irritability (which can be extreme to the point of aggressive impulsivity); fatigue; headache; difficulty concentrating, disorganized thinking; difficulty sleeping; digestive problems; feeling helpless; a perceived loss of control; loss of self-esteem and sexual desire; nervousness; and frequent infections or illnesses, including chronic illnesses, cancer and dementia. Sound familiar?

Chronic stress can contribute to the development of a range of physical and mental disorders, including high blood pressure; heart disease; diabetes; obesity; a weakened immune system; sexual dysfunction; gastrointestinal disorders; skin irritation; respiratory infections; autoimmune diseases; insomnia; work and family “burnout”; depression; anxiety disorders; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia. Remind you of our political leaders today?

What to do? Well, I find starting with taking regular breaks throughout the day and deep breathing is a good start. Infants, young children and the elderly respond well to attention and physical stroking (often called “relaxation massage” by everyone in between), stretching and exercising. Yawning helps, too. Self-help techniques also include identifying and avoiding specific triggers, acknowledging and accepting chronic stress; developing effective personal coping and mitigation strategies (e.g. my partner and I trade weekly massages), reaching out to friends and family by distance, and practicing zazen-styule mindfulness. If these don’t seem to work, or if stress becomes overwhelming, consulting a healthcare professional by distance may help. However, the most important thing for me is to look to the future and never lose hope. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a good book…

Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020)
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
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The Edge of Madness