Responding

 Hello again Natural Health Family. Hope everyone was able to do something fun over the weekend. Although there were car complications, I had some good time off with family and friends at the Lake of the Ozarks. Many times life doesn’t go as we think it will, however, it is the way we respond to what happens to us is what can make all the difference. 

Think about the last time something happened in your life that might have seemed overwhelming to you at the time. It could have been something that scared you, frustrated you, or you thought it was the end of the world (taking it to the extreme). This may have been a time when life didn’t turn out the way you thought it would. This could be hearing the news about what is happening in the world, something in business didn’t go the way it was supposed to, or perhaps a car breaks down (what happened to me). These moments can seem intense at the time. It is because our mind starts to figure out all whats wrong and gear up to survive other possible scenarios. As fear starts to set in then we start to have more and more thoughts which trigger more fear. Then after we are able to get past the fear we may start to ask why is this happening to me. We start to blame other things in the world. It’s not until after all of this do we realize how we reacted. This can seem very similar to the way a child behaves after something happens to him or her. The mind acts like a child that is scared or not getting his or her way. It starts to react and revolt to what is or has happened. This is not good or bad but a means to survive. 

So how do we go about lessening the reaction to certain things or events in our lives? Many people can do it in many ways depending on what they have learned. Nonetheless, one way is to catch ourselves and our breathing. Our breath can tell us how our body is reacting to a certain situation. So we can choose to control our breath and start to slow it down. We can also breathe through our nose. Another way to help is to reframe the situation to a relative standpoint. This can be more of an optimistic approach. It can be seeing that whatever has happened can be the turning point to something even greater or something that saved me from something worse. It may not seem like it at the time but it is little things that count. 

Everyone will go through different circumstances that may cause a person to react or respond. It is up to us to be able to regulate ourselves and prepare for what may or may not happen. This is not only good for our own health but also allows children to adopt similar behavior. So we may have rainy days here and there. However, it is up to us to decide whether to curse the clouds or give thanks for what they have to offer.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Chip