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Emotional Fitness Will Pull Us Through the COVID-19 Life Challenge

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Jun 11, 2020
  • 4 min read


I was sitting here thinking about the past few months and how much our lives have changed. Explaining how the brain works and what you can do to live a brain healthy lifestyle just doesn’t seem like enough right now. I am going to look at the more personal side of COVID-19 and the impact it has made on all our lives.

Besides the fear of getting a possibly fatal disease, you have to deal with all of the emotions associated with losing our job and subsequent income. If you have never been in a situation like this before – it can devastate you. Your bills don’t end, your health can take a hit, and your brain stays stuck in a chronic stress loop. At this point you can’t even think. Your brain has been hijacked by the flooding of cortisol and your incoming information completely bypasses your prefrontal cortex – the executive function center of your brain. The prefrontal cortex makes your decisions, does your planning and is the center of conscious thought. When you are in stress mode – the prefrontal cortex is eliminated from the conscious thinking process. Now, all incoming signals are going directly to the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. Instead of thinking through a problem, the amygdala orchestrates an emotional reaction. So instead of thinking – you are reacting. This is not a good system to be able to handle all of the crises that are occurring in your life.

How do you get yourself back on track to devise a plan to get you out of the mess you are in?

Buffer the Effects of Toxic Stress

In any normal situation when you suffer huge losses – like a job loss – you could go to family, close friends, and even colleagues to help you clear the brain fog you are immersed in. But that isn’t possible now. We can’t connect with others and perhaps get the hugs that we need. Many of your colleagues that you might have networked with to find your next job might find themselves in the same position that you are in.

You need to create positive interactions to make up for the giant negative interaction that just changed your life. The brain naturally goes to the negative side of life. It is a survival mechanism that is hardwired in our brain. You have to work to start training your brain to see the more positive side of life. Start paying attention and acknowledge any positives in your life. Draw attention to them by commenting about them. As you start noticing more positive interactions – you are training your brain to be more positive.

Then you have to strengthen your brain. No doubt you may feel pretty beat down right now. If you focus on diet, exercise, mindfulness and connection with supportive others, you will strengthen your brain. And believe it or not, you will change your brain. You will be putting the neurons back that toxic stress killed off.

Strengthen Your Emotional Fitness

Emotional fitness is the capacity to think on your feet when the ground crumbles underneath you. It is necessary to do the inner work to increase your emotional capacity.


- Check in with yourself multiple times per day:

o Subconsciously our mind focuses on all the negative things that are going on due to the survival instinct

o By checking in on yourself you give yourself the data to understand why you feel the way you do and where your focus is during the day

- Acknowledge the emotions and the thoughts

o The moment that you notice your emotions and thoughts is the moment you can become aware of the trigger that is causing that thought or emotion

o If you don’t acknowledge those feelings, you are going to be fighting an uphill battle the entire day

o Your brain is going to release cortisol (stress hormone) because your brain behaves as if you are fighting an enemy and your body expends energy fighting itself

o Your emotions are not something you have to fix. The trigger that made you feel that way is the thing to fix, not the emotion itself


- Don’t make your emotions wrong

o Your emotions can bring out guilt and shame because we think you shouldn’t feel that way

o The moment that you give yourself permission to feel the emotion, that’s the moment you bring light into the darkness

o The fear and uncertainty that consume your energy will begin to lose power

- Win the battle in your mind before it becomes real

o Most of your fears and stressors are caused by what you think could happen

o Much of the time the fear isn’t real, and only lives in your mind

There is a long road ahead of us. So much of what we have to contend with will be new experiences for us. Look closely inward and find your solutions. You have answers to many of these problems already – you just have to listen to your messages. Stay open to random thoughts that fly through your brain. Write down any of the problems you need to solve in a journal by your bed. Then get a good night’s sleep. In the morning, your answers will start coming. Make sure you write them down because these thoughts will be fleeting. Believe in yourself – don’t let reactionary emotion determine your life. No doubt we have major life challenges ahead of us. You Will Succeed.

 
 
 

Kommentare


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March was an unusual month for me.  Normally I work on articles, give presentations and generally just stay tuned to what is going on in the field of aging.  This month I “learned” a lot.  Last year I learned how to write a book.  At the time I took the course I thought it would just be a natural extension of all the writing I had done over the years.  WRONG!!  The actual writing of the book was the easy part.  Putting it together into a book was difficult for me.  The course gave me step by step lessons on constructing a book.  Then editing and formatting were just as challenging.  On June 7 last year the book was published!  It was one of the most satisfying days of my writing career. 

Naturally, when you self-publish, you do not have a publisher promoting the book and getting it in the right categories for best sales on Amazon.  That was crushing because I really didn’t know to appropriately market it.  I am a brain health person!  In December of last year, I purchased a marketing program that is based on statistics.  I am technical minded and so this approach made sense to me.  The course is almost completed.  Can’t wait to see if it improves sales!

The next step I am looking at is recording an audiobook.  This is another venture I knew nothing about.  But I am already tagged on Facebook for marketing of audio book programs.  Facebook picks up everything.  Now my husband was creative director for an advertising agency and when I told him I purchased another class – he couldn’t believe it.  “This was my business.  I know how to do recordings, why didn’t you ask me?” Well, I knew he was an expert in that business, but this audiobook needs to meet all the criteria that Amazon requires for publication.  So, he can take care of the recording part of this audiobook, and I will navigate the process of meeting Amazon’s requirements.  We worked on the book together like this. 

Then I talked with some coaching experts on the viability of starting group teaching programs.  Reading The Boomer Brain book and implementing the Brain Healthy Lifestyle have two entirely different outcomes.  This lifestyle is important to maintaining high cognitive function throughout the later years of our lives.  Look for updates as to when I will roll this program out.

My last learning endeavor was attending a two-day bootcamp for Speakers.  I am really excited about what I learned there.  That is a late this year or next year project, but it is one I am really looking forward to.

 

What Is Happening in April?

The American Society on Aging is having their annual conference in Orlando Florida April 21-24.  This is the largest multidisciplinary conference on aging and the annual conference for Members of ASA.  I have attended a number of these conferences throughout the years, and it is consequential.  Keynote speakers and special events are focused on combating ageism in our society.  Although this is a professional meeting, the attendees come from all aspects of aging services.  They have their work cut out for them this year!

April is Stress Awareness Month.  We should be aware of stress every month and understand how we can break the stress cycle.  These are stressful times, and we need to protect ourselves

Here is a positive one “April is National Volunteer Month”.  When I am working with new retirees who don’t know what to do, I talk to them about volunteering. It is important to have a purpose after you leave the workforce.  There are so many nonprofits who need help in all aspects of their organizations.  It is a perfect way to give back.

Finally – It was Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds – the oldest major league team in the nation.  Cincinnati takes that responsibility seriously.  There is always an Opening Day Parade through downtown to the Ball Park.  Huge crowds line the streets and every year there is talk of making it an official holiday.  Schools and employers look the other way when there is an empty desk.  No matter what the outcome of the game is, there is so much joy, and you can feel that energy.  I am fortunate that I get to experience that.  We all need some joy right now. 

Enjoy your April.

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