up:: Chronic Pain MOC tags:: #output/multiple #pain rank:: 2
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**Overcoming fear when it’s all around us
In her book Bird by Bird, the writer Anne Lamott talks about how when we have an injury in our body, the body tends to cramp up.
Now she’s not a physical therapist or a health coach, but she’s speaking to a truth in our mind and body.
When we get hurt, our first instinct is often to tense up and protect the injury.
This makes perfect sense from a survival standpoint.
If we’re bleeding or in pain, our body wants to avoid more damage. But this instinct can often do more harm than good in the long run.
When we tense up to protect an injury, we’re preventing our body from full healing. The muscles and tissues around the injury tighten up, which can lead to further damage and pain.
This isn’t only true of the body- it’s true of the mind as well.
This is Anne Lamott’s quote:
“Our psychic muscles can cramp around our wounds- the pain from our childhood, the losses and disappointments of adulthood, the humiliations suffered in both- to keep us from getting hurt in the same place again, to keep foreign substances out. So these wounds never have a chance to heal.”
And a physical injury- pulling a muscle- breaking a bone- tearing a ligament is like that.
There is physical hurt which we tense up and over protect. But there’s also mental hurt, which makes us over anxious, too careful, and prone to avoidance.
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Fear fear everywhere
The modern world makes this problem even worse.
All around us is a world that makes you feel more and more afraid.
I don’t know what it is, but it feels like the world has become a scarier and harsher place. It feels like I’m always worried, anxious, and afraid about something. My body is in a perpetual fight or flight mode.
Maybe it’s the news, maybe it’s social media, I don’t know for sure.
But it’s exhausting and it takes a toll on my mental and physical health.
I’m not the only one feeling this way.
According to a recently study anxiety and depression are on the rise. One that shocked me was that anger was on the rise too! People are more hot-headed than they used to be.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that it affects our mind. And that affects our bodies and its ability to recover too.
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Let me share a quick story with you.
When I was a teenager, I injured my shoulder on the trampoline. I used to be a fearless daredevil. That day, I wanted to try a new trick on the trampoline. I did a risky flip, missed the landing, fell off and dislocated my shoulder.
My mind didn’t help me then. (Remember pain has its place)
But since then, I’m always worried for my shoulders since then. I never found the same confidence and I would avoid moving it.
I wore protective braces. I held back all the time.
What finally got me feeling safe was talking to a coach. He saw me holding back and said “Hey, you saw your doctor. You did your exercises. You are okay! Don’t let you mind hold you back.”
And he’s right, I’m doing the right exercises, I shouldn’t move as if I was afraid.
That did a lot to dispel the fear and uncertainty.
But it was easier said than done.
My coach helped me intercept the fear, because in my own head I was running away with it- and it was taking me to a bad place.
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What I learned there is that on my own, I can get stuck in fear and uncertainty. I needed someone else- like a coach, a doctor, or a mentor- to reassure that things were okay.
That’s my secret to all the fear around us.
Society now always makes us feel afraid. 24/7 news. Natural disasters. Googling your symptoms. Information Overload. Constant notifications.
So it’s no surprise that our minds are always on fight or flight mode.
And to tell you the truth, this affects your body too. The mind affects the body.
So what can we do about it? How can we deal with the fear?
My first step is to find ways to intercept the fear- and cut it off. –
When you are trying to recover from your injuries, and get back into action, you need to intercept your fears.
Our first instinct tends to be more information. We believe that if we have the right knowledge, we won’t be so afraid. And while that is true, it doesn’t help as much as me think.
What is more effective is to take action.
And I want to do a simple activity with you to take one small step.
If you’ll indulge me now- whatever you’re doing, if you’re listening to this while at work, or on the move- if you can take 1 minute to set things aside and be with me here.
We’ll do a quick exercise to accept that fear as an emotion.
(What is the feeling: I’ll never feel better again)
Take 5 deep breaths and feel your fear.
If it helps, project yourself feeling afraid on a movie screen in your mind. See yourself feeling afraid.
After that scene plays out, now imagine yourself taking action, and being brave with your body. What might that look like right now?
This doesn’t mean that you have to like your fears or that you have to stay in fight or flight mode all the time. But it does mean that you can acknowledge your fears as a feeling. And then after that- choose to focus on recovery.
Remember that when we are trying to recover from an injury, our bodies can get stuck in fight or flight mode.
So instead of trying to fight our fears, we need to accept and intercept them.
Remember, recovering from injury is about improving your health and quality of life.
You’re not trying to force yourself or put yourself in danger.
If you imagine some action you can take today that makes you feel a bit braver and less afraid- give it a go.
You don’t have to avoid all physical activity. But always be mindful of the risks involved and use this exercise to manage it well.
The key is to find an activity that you enjoy to help you manage how you feel about it.**