By Ohana Behavioral Health Team
We have been at this for a year now and things have started to open up. Yet, we wonder why we still feel somewhat the same on how we feel exactly a year ago: chaotic, overwhelmed, exhausted, and anxious? It feels as if we have been living in a vacuum. It has a name, and it is called Allostatic Load. A year ago, all of our daily activities came to a halt and suddenly we were in a crisis, fear, and panic. This has impacted our bodies as well as our minds.
Allostatic Load happens when our body and mind exceeds its capacity, and our brain is still trying to process what has been happening because of the fear and the uncertainty of the pandemic.
How could we take care of ourselves, bounce back, and build resilience?
One way is to become aware of ourselves and different factors that influence our behaviors when we feel stressed or threatened. When we feel stressed or threatened, we most likely become reactive, impulsive, and counterproductive. The pandemic has caused us to experience trauma. Trauma impacts our bodies and nervous systems. However, we cannot change what we don’t know. Simply by naming your feeling, it gives us more control over ourselves than getting run by it. “Somatic Experiencing” therapy is another way.
Second one is to remain calm no matter what is going on around you. Simple, overrated, yet powerful way of doing this is by using your breath. You can breathe in through your nose to a count of three and out through your mouth to a count of six, to regulate your breathing. It sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. Then, your brain sends a message to your body.
