1.
Grabber – If we can’t switch off – we’ll never relax and eventually we’ll burn-out
2. How this issue/ problem manifests and affects people –
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24444431
UK’s Biggest ever on-line test into stress was conducted by BBC labs and University of Liverpool in 2013 and found that rumination – or continually dwelling or being stuck on thoughts – especially negative events or potential events is the biggest predictor of mental health problems. Surveyed over 37,000 people from 172 nationalities. One in 3 people with suffer from mental health issues throughout their life and WHO organization in 2010 estimated that it cost the world economies $2.5 trillion.
Personal story – my rumination and inability to switch off led to a depressive episode where I needed help. And medication to stop my rumination. Overstimulation and ADHD – especially in kids is a growing problem – and now we have even more interruptions to deal with. Samharris.org – looks at the experience of consciousness and thinking in various ways and concludes that we cannot switch off the mind from mental activity – you can merely calm it. And I believe this to be true as well. Thoughts are always arising – and we know what you focus on grows so it helps to have a strategy that controls this.
3. How to tackle the issue/ problem – Matt shared in last podcast about how we develop a breathing strategy and this is our experience is critical to switching off when you need it. The next stage is to have a strategy where we populate our lives with activities which switch us off from the main stressors which affect us i.e. demands from work. A good place to find this is where we find states of flow. In podcast 3 – Matt looked into the concept of finding flow and these are excellent places to look. Flow puts us effortlessly into the moment – and typically on activities we find rewarding and stimulating. So, what are they? For me – squash, walking, reading, listening to music & writing are all activities which access it. These are a combination of high & low pulse activities. I also find it helps to have more reflective activities too – I’m an extravert so I calm the system down more with slower reflective activities too. Luckily, just closing my eyes and lying down on the sofa allows me to switch off. But what to do if you are really struggling? Reach out and have the intention of researching a potential switch-off strategy. Reach out to a friend and ask them what they do. Also ask them – what do they think you need to do to ‘switch off’.
4. Application – Building on the techniques of growth mindset – reframing things is essential. Also starting to realise that it is possible to calm the mind – especially through mindfulness is excellent. For a series of excellent meditations with Jayasara ( Aussie buddhist nun) you can follow her here – amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEfg9ZOMXiI
5. Conclusion – where to find out more:
Highly sensitive person blog & test with tips
https://hsperson.com
I’m also writing a log post on our website
www.rechargeability.com
