Being mindful of a mind that is always full
Today is the commemoration of “Sharpeville Day”, now called Human Rights Day. When I sat down to write this week’s column on Sunday, I was conflicted on whether to acknowledge this or go with a light read, in the spirit of “a public holiday”. I decided it was only right to honour the memory of the 69 people who were killed on this day in 1960 for protesting against the oppression and violation of basic human rights.
Living in SA can be depressing if one constantly thinks about all the problems that exist in our country. I have often thought of “going to Australia or UK or Canada” like some of my fellow professionals. But, I choose to stay because I believe that our country is alive with possibilities if only we can get the matters of governance right.
Location and circumstances of the country we live in are not the only things that can be overwhelming to our minds, hearts and souls. Life can be heavy and very challenging if we get too engrossed in the blow-by-blow and “itemised billing” of daily happenings in the world. Allowing ourselves to get affected by everything that happens around us is not ideal unless the goal is to lose our minds. On the other hand, we must not be seen to be uninterested or not engaging in things happening around us, like the plight of those less fortunate than us, the abuse and neglect of children, the war in Gaza, or parents desperate for jobs so they can feed their families. So, where and how do we strike a balance between having compassion for fellow humans, assisting to uplift others where we can, and being mindful of our own mental and emotional wellbeing so that we are stable and thriving when it comes to our mental health?
Two weeks ago, I mentioned that part of staying on top of things when it comes to keeping yourself balanced and thriving in the health department of life, is minding your mind. Being self-aware, engaging in mindful practices that help to centre you so that you don’t end up down slippery slopes and rabbit holes of chaos and calamity, always absorbed by external happenings and allowing things out of your control to give you anxiety to the level of panic attacks and depression. The dictionary definition of anxiety is: A feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. How our bodies process this feeling is by wanting to “fight or flight”. Because as much as things have changed over the years, certain things remain the same. The brain can’t differentiate between anxiety from undue work stress and a physical threat to life when being chased by a lion.
The minute the brain detects fear or uneasiness, it wants to eliminate (fight) or move away (flight) from it and a series of events are triggered to enable action to do this. The adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline tells the heart to get ready to work harder so it beats faster and the blood pressure goes up. There is more energy available for action. Cortisol increases glucose (sugar) circulating in the blood and enhances the brain’s use of glucose, thus improving alertness. Now, imagine living in this constant fight or flight mode when we internalise everything about life on a personal level. The stress hormones never revert to normal baseline levels and the body is in a perpetual state of high blood pressure, fast heart rate, and high circulating blood sugar.
Cortisol is the primary stress hormone, and when it is increased in the blood, it triggers a series of a lot more events that are “necessary for battle” during an episode of anxiety. Another main function of cortisol is slowing down body functions that are nonessential in a fight-or-flight situation. It changes immune system responses, suppresses the digestive and reproductive systems and it also slows down the growth processes. It also interacts with the areas of the brain that control mood, and fear. The result of minding other business more than our own is a higher risk for developing a range of physical and mental health issues that include: Headaches; Poor sleep patterns; High blood pressure that can lead to heart attacks and strokes; Stomach and intestinal problems; Muscle tension and pain; Anxiety, Depression or both, Memory and concentration issues; Weight gain; Infertility.
Basic biology at school level doesn’t teach this. So, most people are not aware of what’s happening in the background when they are going on with their lives minding all the business of the world and its neighbouring planets. It is imperative now more than ever in today’s times of information overload to be careful not to internalise everything and take everything on a personal level. Awareness, and especially self-awareness, is essential to be able to recognise things that we need to take action on and things we need to let go of because they are out of our control. The ability to self-regulate and get our hormones back to baseline after bouts of anxious states is necessary for survival and to thrive in life.
We have an inherent character as people to care for our fellow humans. Great as that may be for us and for the purpose of doing life on earth, this quality needs to be kept in check or we can end up caring way over our ability to process it all and our capacity to hold space and give attention and assistance to those in need. If you feel overwhelmed by life for whatever reason, please know you are not alone. Reach out for help from your trusted loved ones and your healthcare providers. You would not hesitate to fix a leak in your roof and wouldn’t drive your car with a tyre puncture. So do not feel ashamed when you need help when your mind feels broken so that you can get back to being your Lovelee self again.
