Finally, expressing our feelings and talking about it with others is another powerful way to stop feeling overwhelmed. So powerful in fact, it’s actually an in-built biological instinct. Research shows we release a hormone, oxytocin, that encourages us to seek social support during stressful times. This has been called the ‘tend and befriend’ response to stress.
What’s interesting is that women have been shown to reach out to others significantly more than men. What’s even more interesting is the theory that this relates to women’s higher life expectancies; the hypothesis is that the male response to stress (which includes higher levels of social withdrawal, aggression, and substance abuse) puts them at higher risk for adverse health-related consequences. In contrast, the ‘tend and befriend’ response used more by women has been shown to reduce our stress response by lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol, and thus is protective to health.
Research also shows expressing our feelings in a journal can be powerfully therapeutic!
So there we have it: 4 powerful methods to stop feeling overwhelmed:
• Adopt The One-Focus Mindset
• Adopt The Can-Control Mindset
• Practice Relaxation
• Express Feelings
You can’t cease the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. Storms will pass.
Peace and Love, Jim
