It's Right At Our Fingertips
I have had multiple conversations in the office over the last couple of weeks about what has been going on in the world these days. With the constant stream of information at our fingertips, I have heard time and time again how many people are overly stressed right now. Think about it. The internet and the information we have at our fingertips is relatively new. I was maybe the last generation to not have the internet in our home. We went from only seeing the news in the morning paper or at a very specific time like the 6:00 News, to having it at any time we want. We don’t even have to get out of our bed to get information. So, what is this doing to our brain? Unfortunately, I don’t think we know quite yet what it is actually doing to our mental capacity. There have been some studies showing how addictive our phones and social media has been but that is just scratching the surface. What do we do about it then?
What I have seen most prominently in the office over the last couple of months is so many patients in a constant fight or flight system and how it is affecting their body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brain that is a major player in reward-motivated behavior. This chemical is a way to seek new things, take risks and pay attention to danger. 2020 has been a year for the history books. We have been through a lot of collective stress and many ups and downs. When we have all the information at our fingertips, we can be in a constant state of stress that will upregulate these pathways in our body. If you can’t break that down, our body just stays there and it will start causing dysregulation in other areas of the body. I start seeing thyroid/adrenal issues, chronic fatigue, gut imbalances, constipation, joint pain and sleep disturbances, just to name a few. In working with patients in the last couple of weeks, I have been working on setting limits to these things that will tell my body that I am in danger or stress. Here are a few ideas that we have worked through:
-Set app limits on your phone: Those social media/news apps that you are constantly getting information from is causing you to be in a stressful state. How many of us mindlessly scroll (in one setting) just to see that an hour or more has gone by? Setting limits on certain apps that you have a hard time setting down will give you a chance to notice what that is doing in your body.
-Turning your phone/screens off: I have said this one many times but it is too important not to reiterate. I have chosen to turn my phone off or on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode by 8:00pm every night. This gives me an opportunity to wind down from my day and calm down that fight or flight system that I might be in. I love this opportunity to be with Paul, read a book, do some stretching or take a bath. This has become my favorite time of the day.
-Exercise/go for a walk without your phone: Again, having times of the day where you are unplugged is going to be a necessity in our future. Getting outside in nature and noticing the things around you is such a great and easy tool that we overlook it often.
-Breathe!: This has been key for me and many patients. Even when I am reading something that I might have a response to, I try to remind myself to breathe. I take two to five big deep breaths and then see what my body does. It stimulates that parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and calm down that flight or fight system. This is so simple! Try it out.
I know that there are some heavy things in the world right now. Being informed is necessary but at what cost? I think we have to find the balance between knowing and being. I have to work hard at this too. These tools are just a start. Start trying them out and see what it does to change your world.
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