Fire-Fighting

Fight or Flight?

Gosh what a day!

Have you ran away from a Sabre-tooth Tiger lately? 

Maybe you haven't but the stress you feel when you're late to work or the growl your stomach makes when you haven't had anything but an energy bar or coffee in the morning, is the same stress response that we had when we were cave-men and cave women!

That stress response is called 'Fight or Flight'. Your body doesn't know the difference between running from a tiger or rushing your kids to school. Your body's stress response is triggered in both situations so your blood pressure, heart rate and food digestion is the same for both.

The difference between you and the caveman, is that he was able to relax in his cave soon after the chase but you, on the other hand, may have to deal with the stress of racing to school, traffic, work, relationships and everything else life throws at you. Plus, add in the stress from the chemical foods you may eat, and it's like running from the sabre-tooth all day long!  Extract taken from this natty video that I use in my teaching!

This is how today felt like for me.

Let's STOP!

Stop Now. aaand … BREATHE.

You can relax, I tell myself; you've done your bit, played your part, knowing exactly how everything is going to go for the rest of the evening.

Time to develop your unique confidence, sure in the fact that you may now go from the chaos to the calm.

I'm gifting myself the magical power of relaxation; a beautiful moment of calmness in a day packed with thinking, urgency and stress.

Things can only get better. I tell myself. 

Travelling in this record-breaking, unprecedented July heat, has taken its toll. Fields were burning as I drove through the English Countryside. 

I feel as though I've been fire-fighting all day.

I'm home now though and gone are the dilemmas of the day. Decisions have been made (using my 5,4,3,2,1 approach).

Today I visited my Father in his beautiful Residential Care Home as they assess his needs for Palliative Care. I haven't the strength to elaborate, while my emotions are raw. It may not make a worthy blog. 

I will return, however, to the topic of the Legend that is my Father and the example he has set, that has guided me through the best and the worst of times.

May I wish you well in everything you do.

I’m right here, right now. Present in this moment ...

... and as my father would say, 'All you have to do is shine.'

So as my pounding heart eases and I slow my hurried pace, I smile at the thought of him, his humour, calm demeanour and his reassuring faith in me.