“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.”—George F. Burns
Every emotion we possess is part of a complex signaling system which helps us adapt to and survive in our environment. When managed appropriately, even the most powerful emotions—like anger, fear and worry—protect us and make us stronger against threat.
When we were using, we often had the darnedest time managing our emotions—mismanage would be the better term! Instead of remaining the conductor of the orchestra of our feelings, we let ourselves get roughed-up by some out-of-control bully boys. We tend to label those bullies as “negative emotions.” More constructive, though, would be to view them as “emotions-gone-astray.”
Ruminating in moderation about past mistakes and craziness, can help us avoid similar scenarios in the future. But chronic rumination about past misdeeds can cripple us with a cascade of destructive stress-response chemicals.
Worrying in moderation can help us face potential future challenges with greater resilience. But chronic worry can create needless stress where none had to exist—again creating a destructive cycle of energy-sapping, if addictive, chemical surges.
In recovery, we have been given a number of tools to help safeguard us against our compulsive flirtation with those more volatile emotions. However, it can still often be exceptionally difficult for us not to get dragged down and beaten up by our worries and our regrets.
Here’s a powerful method that can short-circuit these bad boys in one fell swoop:
Lie down comfortably. Place your right finger-tips gently on your breastbone and place your left finger tips just below your navel. Inhale gently, while imagining that the breath is flooding into your heart area. Exhale gently as you send your attention into the stomach below your finger-tips. Where the attention goes, the energy goes. Repeat from five to ten times (or more if you like.)
Now cross both palms over your stomach. Using your attention in the same manner, inhale into your stomach. Then exhale into your stomach. Repeat from five to ten times (or more if you like.)
When you do this with good focus, you will effectively zap your brain’s support system for all that worrying and rumination. It’s like someone turned off the current—which is exactly what you did! You may be rather amazed at just how well this simple method can “take you out of your head” and into the calmer pastures of your heart and stomach.
I welcome getting out of my busy, busy head—so I can enjoy the pleasures of a less stressful day.