3 Major Reasons Why It Will Actually Help You… Fight Or Flight Response, The Body’s Priorities And How To Benefit From The Paradox Of “Nothing”

If you’re anything like me, your inbox, social media feed and habitual websites have been buzzing with even more info and content than usual since the outbreak of COVID-19…

There is no lack of authors, coaches, journalists, TV presenters and various companies trying to help right now. To inspire you, to give you tips, webinars and all kinds of resources for how to make the most of this time with virus lock-downs.

You’re likely being inundated with messages about self-improvement, webinars, courses, newspaper articles on how to fill your time and take up hobbies right now… Constant messages.

But there’s an issue with all this. Above all it creates pressure to “fix ourselves” and stay happy and positive, in a situation where many are struggling just to manage.

It’s OK to not be OK right now. In fact, it’s NORMAL!

If you don’t feel very inspired, productive or happy right now, that means your system is doing its job. Because we’re in a really ABNORMAL time!

Honestly, a lot of the content going around is a little like suggesting someone with a sprained ankle start training for a marathon.

And yes, I promise I’ll get to the positives soon! This is a high vibration blog and I promise this won’t be a negative article – but to get to the point, I’m unravelling what you’ve likely been presented with for weeks now.

The “Human Herd” And Trauma Processing…

Here is the thing – we’re all experiencing some form of trauma right now. The fight or flight response has been triggered in us – as a “herd” of humans. We don’t feel quite safe. And that’s not a situation in which taking on new projects, hobbies and other expressions is particularly easy.

Will it help and be healing? Sure, it will, in some ways. But it’s also completely against what the human system is working for right now. Safety.

When the body feels unsafe its priorities are survival, survival, survival!
And when we’re in that mode, we tend to feel blocked from the spiritual higher faculties of creativity, fun and light. We’re on a different wavelength…

It’s natural. The body senses that now is the time for survival, so it takes over the reins in many ways.

That’s why you may feel fearful on such a palpable level you’re not able to simply relax and feel better right now, or you may feel unable to really focus on anything, or you may have trouble sleeping…

It’s your body, deliberately keeping you in that state of… If the worst happens, we’re going to put up our best fight. And so your system is diverted into survival.

To help the body and your whole self deal with this, it’s great when we can stop fighting this process. Recognize what’s going on. Maybe send your body a thank you for working to take care of you. And work to relax but understand there’s a good reason why you may not be able to.

It’s helpful to journal about your feelings and the sensations in your body, what you dream about at night or worries you have. Journaling is a powerful way to process trauma. When we bottle it up, it tends to create problems. Writing externalizes it and gives you a feeling of relief.

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The Healing Magic Of “Doing Nothing”

But another major way to get through this, is to do “nothing”. Allowing your body and system to process often happens on an UN-conscious level. So when you take time off from the conscious push push push to move forward… It happens more easily.

You can flow with the experience instead of fighting it. It allows your emotions, your unconscious faculties to process what’s going on, on a deeper level.

Again, it’s natural and completely OK to NOT feel right in a time like this.

It’s natural and OK to be doing “nothing. Your mind body and emotions need to process big experiences… this can mean more sleep, journaling, meditating, going for walks… doing “nothing”.

If we’re trying to force ourselves to push when our system has been through trauma it can cause more problems. It’s healthy to take time to unwind, to allow ourselves to experience the experience – good or bad.

NB! Doing nothing does not mean bingeing TV shows or getting caught in addictions… It means being gentle with ourselves… Allowing time to BE, rather than DO all the time. We humans have gotten so used to being busy, we find it hard to slow down.

The Power Of Breath…

Right now it’s as if the universe is calling out to us to go within and hit the reset button. To relax into ourselves. To begin to listen to our inner voice again. To begin to be who we really are deep down, not chasing for societal ideas of achievement and perfection…
Since ancient times, spiritual teachers have known that the connection to our soul, our deeper self, goes through the breath. Breath is life.

So take a few moments now to just breathe… Breathe in to the count of three… Hold a beat… Then release for a count of three… And again, in, all the way down into your lungs… Refreshing you… Hold a breath… Then release all the way… AHHHHHHH

This can be more healing than you ever realized. Breath is the essence of life.

When you center in breath, your system responds. Oxygen travels through your blood, to your brain, helping to carry relaxation to your whole being… Your body begins to unwind… Your adrenals respond and begin to understand and reduce the “fight or flight” response that can keep us in stress…

Just breathe, while you look at these gorgeous high vibrational images of nature for a minute:

Secret Benefits To “Doing Nothing”

Now, I’m sure you feel less tense, less tangled up, more… like your real self…

Really, there are so many secret benefits to “doing nothing”. When we are BE-ing in the present moment, we completely shift our alignment into a higher state. We become available to ourselves.

The stillness of doing nothing can – with time – open to major breakthroughs in perspective, intuition steps forth, inspiration, ideas… a bigger vision of life, we allow in more light, nourishment from the universe.

It’s actually also healthy for you physically! Meditation – which is in essence, doing “nothing”, and instead BE-ing – has been scientifically proven to strengthen the immune system, promote better sleep and slowing down the ageing process, and more.

When we flow with our system, we open to healing. When we push against the current, when we try to dominate a difficult situation with our will and suppress our natural emotions and physical reactions, we often end up creating issues – psychosomatic problems which stem from not processing trauma properly.

Recharging Your Batteries For The Long Run

So many of us would benefit from taking time to do “nothing” right now. Resting for the future, recharging our batteries… physical restoration.

So again, I’m here to remind you it’s OK and even beneficial to do “nothing” right now. In fact, it can help you more in the long run than you know.

(Having said this, I understand you may have demands of work and finance to deal with – of course, follow what is needed for your unique life situation… If you are in need of help with your income, have a look at this article where I give you tips on how to pivot your “offline” work “online”.)

 Above all, follow your system’s unique guidance. We are all different for a reason.

I honour you for being here. Stay well. Stay safe. Stay in your light.

As always, I’m sending you love for your journey