Worry is a long braid of unrooted thinking and fear; the two tightly weaved together, pulling at the temples, aching, persisting, and at times unrelenting. Like me, you may have had the realization, perhaps several times, that worrying doesn’t improve the situation that’s being worried about all that much. Trying with all our might to stop worrying isn’t usually effective. Has anyone ever told you to stop worrying? How was that? At times it can be most helpful to take a deep breath and just acknowledge that we are worried- like right now as we are continually touched by stories of the people affected by the Coronavirus, the uncertainty of the future economy, and the happenings across the globe.
Relationship between the Mind and Immune System
The process of worrying consumes much needed energy from other processes occurring in the body. When unproductive thinking is tinged with fear, a surplus of energy is initially created. Glucose is released from the liver to the blood, blood is diverted from muscles to the brain. Cortisol levels peak. Stress hormones are released. Inflammatory cells increase. Eventually, over time, this creates a deficiency in already vulnerable organs and tissues such as the adrenal glands, liver, intestines, blood vessels and heart. So, the combination of overthinking and fear can leave us feeling weak, fatigued, irritable, with digestive issues and decrease the body’s ability to protect itself from outside organisms, including viruses.
The Gift of Worrying
Perhaps one of the best ways we can support the immune system is to continually find our way back to our center when we find ourselves worrying. The key is to notice that we are worried. There are likely many opportunities in the day to do this! By bringing attention to a place of stillness within the body, our attention is less likely to get caught in the spin cycle within the head. You may already have practices that help you do this and you just need a gentle reminder to do them. See my post on “Getting grounded through Bubbling Spring” for one quick and easy method. You may also find this 10 minute guided exercise led by me called “Moving Toward a Centered Inner Space” helpful. These methods don’t permit us to avoid what we are fearful of, quite the opposite. They help us slow down, and be more present with the fear so that something new can emerge, and we can be ejected from the energy-draining spin cycle.
Taking action is another way to get off of the circular hamster wheel of worry and on a path with direction. When we worry, Qi or vital energy that is needed for the rest of the body is becoming exhausted, stuck, slower, and less efficient at processing foods, thoughts, and emotions. Going for a walk outside, writing a letter to congress, cleaning out the closet, and weeding the garden are ways to move Qi and blood. This helps us feel less irritable, have better digestion, and transform stagnant fear into ever-evolving wisdom.
The next time you notice yourself worrying, congratulate yourself for noticing! Then let the worried place guide you to becoming present, possibly again and again.
