11May
In several parts, I am going to share an adaptation of a podcast of Dr. Henry Cloud entitled, “5 Ways to Maintain Your Well Being.”
1. Name the reality
Stop and say, “Wow! Life has really changed!” That may sound like a small thing. But, we have a mental “map” of how things are supposed to be. When things change, it psychologically registers in our minds as an “Error!” Warning lights begin to flash, “It is not supposed to work this way, and I can’t fix it!” The violation of that “mental map” activates the “fight or flight” part of our brain. If we are going to deal with this automatic reaction to radical change, we must formally acknowledge its existence. We do that by naming it, which activates the higher parts of our brain. Naming the problem is the first step in changing our response from reaction to action. There are some specific ways that we can hit the reset when the “fight or flight” part of our brain begins to exert control.
2. Staying Connected
Like the foundation of a building, the foundation of us as persons is our connectedness to God and other people. Crises disrupt all of our connections. We do not see the people we usually see, which disrupts our connectedness that our foundation. Our patterns of fellowship with and around God have radically changed. How should we respond to this disruption? We must reestablish the connections that have been disrupted by the crises. An important reconnection comes when we have fun with whom we can connect. That may be members of your family or connections reestablished through various media that allow face time with others. At the very minimum, we connect on the phone. These connections with God and our essential people must be maintained like regimen of medicine for your soul.
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