TV NEWS: Too Much Stress In Our Lives
It is easy for each of us to underestimate the amount of stress that we experience every day. I have found that many of my patients experience increased stress when they watch the news on TV. The focus of the news is often on violence and offers no hope for change. It is not possible to protect ourelves from the impact of what we see. Therefore, watching the news can be very traumatic and yet we can become numb to the impact of this.
Dr. Payton
RELAX, LET YOUR BRAIN DO THE WORK: Often when we are trying to figure something out or make a decision, thinking a lot doesn't seem to help. It might be that way because our brains are very good at storing and integrating information. However, to retrieve this information it does not work to think a lot and force our brains to respond. It seems that when we try to force an answer from our brains, this is interpreted as a stress response and our brains alert to the stress and try to figure our where it is coming from. This then blocks our access to the stored information that we are seeking. It is like what happens if we become anxious before a test and try to make ourselves remember the answers.
So, to retrieve information and even answers, it is helpful to relax and trust that our brains will provide us with the information or answer. This may seem weird but actually works. Studies looking at creativity used to recommend brain storming to get creative and innovative ideas. Now they realize that this does not work and that it is better for individuals to clear their minds and see what pops up. Some have called this experience "frontal lobe hypofunction." I think that this is like trying not to think too much. By the way, the stored information in our brains is not located in the so called higher cortical areas of the frontal lobes. One of the many problems with being stressed is that stress makes it hard for us to access our stored memory and this then adds to our stress level.
Dr. Payton
WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER: As I was watching college backetball games during "March Madness" of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, I thought about how important sports are to many people. I wondered why that is. I asked a number of people and many of them fondly recalled their experiences playing on teams in high school or college. They talked about the importance of being with their teammates and how strong the connections were between them. Many of them also spoke of missing those types of relationships. Feeling connected to other people is obviously important to us.
I have seen stress cause people to withdraw from one another and not feel connected to others. It can even lead to not trusting others and being more likely to be caught up in causes that further divide people, while briefly feeling connected to other people who are part of the cause. I don't believe that one can truly regain a connection or relationship to others by excluding or judging others. So, what can we do to reestablish that sense of belonging and being connected to other people?
Dr. Payton
SHIFT AWAY FROM NEGATIVE THINKING: I have noticed that many of my patients who are chronically stressed, dwell on worries and have a lot of difficulty stopping this. Their brains are almost constantly in a crisis mode and this severely restricts their access to stored memories and leaves them more concrete in their thinking. This makes it that much harder to get away from their worries. If they can learn to shift their thinking on to neutral or positive images or activities, they can interrupt the stress mode and have access to a more accurate and positive outlook. To be successful requires practicing shifting thinking away from worries and not letting oneself focus on analyzing the worries. This is similar to DBT techniques and you might want to check out this form of therapy.