I'm belaboring the obvious here. This post is motivated in part by the news that Bruce McEwen, the neuroscientist who "trailblazed a new way of thinking about stress", has died:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/science/bruce-s-mcewen-dead.html
He is credited with leading us away from the view that all stress is bad. Stress is the property that allows for structure to occur...if all the sudden all points of stress were removed from a building, the building would collapse. But that's a mechanical property and we're talking about emotional stress. Is there a corollary? Yes of course there is, one example is as one increases their physical strength their regulation of mood increases as well.
But there are limits - too much stress is structure destructive, and too little means structure will not be balanced and sturdy. There's a delicate balance, and at that balance stress is at the optimal level. Since biology and psychology are dynamic functions, keeping stress at optimal levels requires continuous adjustment, which we do more or less unconsciously when we are functioning at more or less optimal levels in the key determinants diet, activity, and sleep. When we get off track we feel it, and make adjustments we know have the best chance of getting us back to the right balance.
The problem I address over and over in my blog is we are collectively so far from optimal balance we've lost the ability to even see and feel where that is. We live in a world that does not support the attainment of this "sweet spot". The active sources that are functioning to help us get back to that balance are few and far between, and can be expensive and time consuming. And without that level of (let's call it) intervention we are much less likely to get there from here. We can take in the "balance" perspective and attendant information on the intellectual level, and still...change can be difficult to the point of seeming impossibility.
But what is more important than our health? Without it we are quickly reduced to "half selves", or worse.
I'm reminded of a "Poor Richard" (Ben Franklin) axiom: "Pour your purse into you head" (advocating education). I would expand that to include your psychology and biophysiology.
Avail yourself of these resources if at all possible, it's more than worth the time, effort, and money.
As usual... you add something valuable to the "discussion"!
ReplyDeleteConstant stressor of adult child with schizoid affect disorder. Means I emote for two. My adrenals must be atrophied. My stomach lining must be juiced. I find I must mentally consider him, at age 35, someone else's child and decide if I want to spend one on one time with him as a stranger.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to leave a smaller imprint, personal size as well as environmental. It all starts with finding mindful meals. Getting rest. Working in the garden. It's beyond... I'm letting him live his life. I can go back to mine. I'm lucky, I guess. So I'll keep that in my pocket. Thank you for the reminder.
Hi SINKERSWIM, You're finding your way through a very difficult situation. Yes, you must take care of yourself first...you're doing good work.
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