 The world is in the grip of a global pandemic. We are living in extremely uncertain times - and that uncertainty can be difficult to cope with. You may feel worried right now. You may struggle to keep anxious thoughts in check. And you may feel unsure about the future. But help is at hand - you CAN learn to live with uncertainty. Facing Uncertainty is Scarier than Facing Physical Pain A new study shows that the uncertainty of something bad happening can be more stressful than the knowledge of something bad happening. In 2016, a group of London researchers explored how people react to being told they will either "definitely" or "probably" receive a painful electric shock. They discovered an intriguing paradox. Volunteers who knew they would definitely receive a painful electric shock felt calmer and were measurably less agitated than those who were told they only had a 50 percent chance of receiving the electric shock. Researchers recruited 45 volunteers to play a computer game in which they turned over digital rocks that might have snakes hiding underneath. Throughout the game, they had to guess whether each rock concealed a snake. When a snake appeared, they received a mild but painful electric shock on the hand. Over the course of the game they got better about predicting under which rocks they’d find snakes, but the game was designed to keep changing the odds of success to maintain ongoing uncertainty. And when we’re facing outcomes imbued with uncertainty, it’s the fact that something bad might happen that “gets” us. The volunteers’ level of uncertainty correlated to their level of stress. So, if someone felt “certain” he or she would find a snake, stress levels were significantly lower than if they felt that maybe they would find a snake. In both cases, they’d get a shock, but their stress was loaded with added uncertainty. Archy de Berker from the UCL Institute of Neurology said: "Our experiment allows us to draw conclusions about the effect of uncertainty on stress. It turns out that it's much worse not knowing you are going to get a shock than knowing you definitely will or won’t.” Uncertainty Ignites our Primitive Survival Instinct If we can’t neutralise a perceived threat, we engage in the unhelpful process called “worry”. We grapple with whatever the problem is to find solutions to the threat, but there are none. Does this make us feel better? No, of course it doesn’t - it makes us feel worse. In our need for certainty, we are wired to “catastrophise” - we view or talk of a situation as worse than it actually is. This leads to worry, which in turn leads to anxiety. The modern brain struggles to distinguish between real threat and perceived threat. The result is that the primitive brain takes over and triggers the primitive survival instinct - fight-or-flight. It asks questions: What is going to happen...? What is around the corner for me...? Should I be doing more...? Should I be doing less...? What if my business is threatened...? What if my livelihood is threatened...? What if my life is threatened...? The lack of answers can lead to: Anger Aggression Frustration What Can we do to Mitigate Uncertainty? There are a number of things we can do to lessen the effects of uncertainty: • Awareness is your superpower - be aware of your feelings and emotions • Notice the “worry story” you are telling yourself - try to distance yourself from it • Focus on breathing - long slow breaths • Recognise the need to rise above fight-or-flight • Accept uncertainty - allow yourself to stop the struggle Stand up to Anxiety with Some Mood-Boosters • Exercise and movement • Meditation, self hypnosis • Achievement-oriented activity • Something pleasant or fun Just 15 minutes a day, focussing on yourself, will help you regain a sense of balance. The more you practice all these strategies, the better you will become!
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 Wellbeing ! Self Care ! Self Love ! What does Self care mean to You ? What does Self love & Wellbeing mean to you ? I thought I would share with you some of my tips on staying at Level 10. (I might add here there are days I do still have my off days & don't stay at a 10 & thats ok, Its the knowing & awareness within yourself & than taking the steps to get back on track). Be kind to yourself always ! Everyone is different there is no right or wrong. It all comes down to unconditionally loving all of you. This can be done by ACCEPTING all of you and LISTENING to your heart and soul.There was a time where I did not look after myself and I wasn't making those healthy lifestyle choices in all areas of my life due to overwhelm & not being happy with my life choices. That's ok we all go there at times, it's what we choose to do that makes the difference & has the impact on our life. What always comes to my mind is the movie Sliding Doors,Hmm Which one to take! So what is loving yourself unconditionally? Let's find out! When I talk about Wellbeing/Wellness there is so much more to it than just feeling well. I want to talk about wellbeing/Wellness in the key areas of our lives.  You’ve come home from work and you’re exhausted. You feel frumpy and ugly. Your hair is a mess and even though you try at times to dress up, your partner never notices anyway.
As you sit down for another evening of watching the telly, you begin to admire the women and their beautiful outfits. Then, just for a moment… your imagination takes over, and you picture yourself enjoying being the feminine goddess that you are, and feeling the appreciation of others.  Wow what an amazing holiday I'am having,feeling very rested & ready to go exploring & have some fun.Funny when we are working we don't realise the impact of just stopping & being in the moments of our day.I 've not had a month off work in many years.This is certainly going to change. Its been fun giving myself time to meditate, yoga, walks by the ocean & catch up with friends, Practicing Self-love is a passion of mind, allowing time for you is magical & the impact on your health & happiness is life changing.Sometime I actually have to remember this when you get so busy in everyday life. What is Self Love?interesting question don't you think ,everyone will have their perception of what is, this is mine! It’s about stopping and realizing the power of our thoughts, actions & the words we speak (including our mind chatter) to our self & others. Self love is requires you to practice it in every moment of your day, listening to your mind, body & spirit without judgement. You deserve to give yourself time to connect to yourself, allowing time to stop & enjoy the moment, being present from within! Remember the saying "smell the roses "! I often hear “I don’t have the time to stop", putting yourself first can be challenging & seems impossible, especially with work & family. It's last thing on your list of many things to do! don't your think its so Interesting how we put ourselves last. The impact of making time for yourself as a high Priority will have so many rewarding benefits for you & the effects will ripple to your family ,partner & co workers.This will be life changing in so many ways.You will be happier & healthier in all aspects of your life. So this week take time out & enjoy life to it fullest . What I do love to go for walks by the ocean ,have a beautiful night out for dinner, massage, movies & catching up with friends. This week I caught up with Lorraine from Cairns,& Theresa from Uki both Wish teachers & special friends of mine it was so much fun. What will you do today for you ? Love Working with my Oils & my over all Benefits .More on this next week |
