I have often written about how stress affects the body, this article is a bit more specific. In the past I have written more about ‘chronic stress’ – stress that sits with us for long periods of time, causing a consistent increased level of cortisol in the system. This post is about quick, sudden periods of high anxiety or shock. This kind of ‘stress’ may have long lasting effects, depending on how you deal with it.
According to Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com):
“Psychological shock is when you experience a surge of strong emotions and a corresponding physical reaction, in response to a (typically unexpected) stressful event.”
‘Shocking’ situations are out of our control. However, you can mentally prepare your mind, so that when a shocking situation occurs, you have the resilience and the mental control to deal with shocking events more efficiently.
How can you reduce the effects of anxiety and shock?
You can build and strengthen mental resilience
- Build a positive self-esteem – simply put, being authentic with yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, without being harsh on yourself.
- Be realistic with yourself and be real about what you are feeling (do not be in denial).
- Do courageous things – get out of your comfort zone.
- Practise decisiveness – make up your own mind instead of being pressured by those around you.
- Learn to be in control of your emotions – instead of reacting to a situation, observe the situation. However, you are allowed to feel your anxiety, express anger outbursts, grieve, but also understand why you feel this way. Control your emotions instead of allowing your emotions to control you.
- Practise gratitude – for the big and small things in your life.
- Be accountable for your decisions – even the bad ones. Going forward make solutions instead of excuses.
- Physical health – if you eat well and exercise enough, you c.ontrol your blood sugar levels, etc that enable you to think clearer
The American Psychological Association (2014) defines Mental Resilience as:
“The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress.”
Shock causes energetic disturbances in the body. Any kind of therapist that works holistically will tell you this. With that being said, shock can have an effect on both a physical and psychological level.
As a reflexologist, depending on the level of shock and the kind of shock, the therapist can see a change in their patients’ feet. Severe shock often creates deep lines in the feet, less severe shock might change the natural position of the feet or show up in peeling feet (often an indication of change). The adrenal gland, and often the kidneys, are also affected as well as the pituitary gland (hormonal disruption). Pale feet can also indicate shock (or apathy or low energy). Depending on the kind of shock, and the emotional response, specific organs may also be affects. Liver – anger; kidneys / bladder – fear and anxiety; stomach / spleen – worry and some anxiety; lungs / colon – grief and not wanting to let go.
One is never really prepared for shock, but there are things you can do to make it easier for yourself to ‘bounce back’.
- Support group – have a support group of people that you feel comfortable talking to. Sometimes sharing situation with people and letting them know what is going on in your life allows for them to offer you solutions, support or just someone to talk to. Appreciate the importance of authentic relationships with people.
- Therapy – if you still feel ‘unsettled’ or disturbed’ after confiding in your support group/s, seeking help from a therapist may be needed to reveal the root cause. Perhaps the shock triggered a past memory that you had buried.
- Expression – find a creative outlet for yourself. Creative energy is important for helping you grow, discover new ways of doing things and becoming a solution based person.
- Time for yourself – allow time for yourself without feeling guilty about it. Sometimes time is what one needs to heal.
Other supportive supplements:
- Bach flower remedies: Star of Bethlehem / rescue remedy
- Essential oils: lavender, neroli (first aid treatment for hysteria and shock, anti-depressant)
- Tissue salts: 2, 4, 6 & 8 are good for stress – however, talk to your health care practitioner to find the combination for you.
reflexologylife 