Reprogramming the RAS week 8
Last week we explored living in the moment and learning to manage the ‘what ifs’ as for all our reticular activating system plays a crucial role in helping keep us safe by scoping for threats. It is important that we do not become so focused on threats real and imagined that we miss opportunities which could be useful for our wellbeing.
This week we are going to explore the Fire Drill for the mind. As shared last week, we know we have fire drills for buildings so people know what to do in the event of fire, however, do we consider the value of a fire drill for our mind? Worry and anxiety can be like a fire burning out of control in our minds and our fear and anxiety feed the flames so we can be caught in a vicious circle wondering how we are ever going to manage. Having a fire drill for the mind is a good way of getting the flames of worry under control. Just like different buildings have different drills, so we too can vary on what works for us. The following points offer some areas for reflection to consider what your fire drill would be to help keep anxiety under control. As ever, these are for selfcare and do not replace professional advice.
Recognising when our thoughts are becoming overheated and may catch fire
Have strategies to calm our mind and sooth our thinking
Revisit our plans to deal with worries, is this a new worry which needs a new plan, or is this a worry we have been avoiding dealing with, so we need to get back with the plan
Remind ourselves we are more capable than we think, we have been worried before and survived, maybe a bit shaken, but survived, what got us through this before
Who is our go to people/person even if that’s a phone helpline, who do we have we can talk to who may help give us perspective?
Do we maybe need some other support and where can we go to find out where that support is, if we don’t know ourselves?
Remind ourselves it really is okay not to be okay, and we are not a burden, share with those you trust how you are feeling, you don’t need to deal with this alone
What distractions have you found helpful in the past to steer your mind away from your worries
If you find your mind is really drawn to worrying agree the worrying time and at that time focus your mind on all your worries. Try and not do it before going to bed or getting up as going to bed you want to relax and getting up you want to feel energised. If a worry pops in your head out with the worrying time, make a note if it and give it attention at the time allocated and not before
Recognise these are thoughts and emotions about a situation and how you think you are going to be able to cope with the results of whatever that situation maybe which you have imagined. Often, we find when something significant does happen we are too busy dealing with it to worry about how we feel about it!
If a problem needs solved, it needs solved, don’t let the excuse I am worried about that get in the road of acting. Everyone worries about something, sometime.
Step nine
Focus on the positive, sometimes we get so caught up in all that is wrong, or we fear will go wrong we forget what is right, learn to be grateful for what you also have. If you struggle to think of anything, consider the pint of milk…………in the past we have needed to own a cow and milk it before we had breakfast and forget toast unless you had been up making the bread too. Maybe these are trivial examples but sometimes when we focus on just how many things, we have to be grateful for then it changes the way we view the world and how we behave in it.
Point for reflection
Think of 5 things you are grateful for, consider getting into the habit each day of thinking about even one thing you are grateful for. Often, we get so focused on what is wrong or missing, we overlook appreciating what is already there.
Next week we shall look at motivation. It’s not enough to know we want to change our routines or habits to re-programme our filter. We need to find the motivation to take the action necessary to make the changes to develop new routines. Till then take care of yourself and each other, the world may often be a confusing and overwhelming place, but when we care about each other, we can prevail.