Are You a Worrier or a Warrior?

Even the best of us who weren’t original worriers, have become so in these times! How can we not? (Cue the Dragon applause.)

BUT, just because you’ve become a worrier doesn’t mean that you’re one permanently now. Your Central Nervous System (CNS) is made up of your brain and spinal cord. All the nerves in the rest of your body make up your Peripheral Nervous System (PNS.) It’s all a big messaging system with some voluntary and some involuntary actions. So what are your little nerve endings up to? Do they feel triggered when you watch the news, get on social media, or engage in conversation with others?

Observe yourself in the situations that raise your anxiety and rankle your nerves and mindfully take steps away from the triggers. If you can’t avoid them, see if you can put time or energy restrictions around them. Personal boundaries are just that. Personal. It doesn’t matter what works for other people. It’s what works for you.

Research also shows that you are taking voluntary actions to support your nervous systems when you exercise regularly, (go for a daily 20-minute walk,) stay hydrated, (get a cool, durable, eco-friendly, brightly colored water bottle) eat a balanced diet, (including foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like fatty fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and herring.) Eat dark leafy greens, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Don’t cloud yourself with smoke or depress your senses with alcohol. (The good ones get dulled along with the bad ones.) Surround yourself with beauty, people and things you love. Stay connected to others, even if through technology. Engage in some sort of meditation, (to direct your thoughts mindfully) prayer, (recognize a Source beyond yourself that also reminds you that you’re not alone in this) and stretch your mind along with your body.

Pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Listen for nagging Dragon chatter and redirect your worrying energy about outside threats to your inward thoughts. Ask yourself what is threatened within you and what steps can you take to mitigate the threat? Some things are beyond our control but we have a choice in how to deal with them. That, alone, can take you from being a worrier to a warrior.

Becoming a warrior doesn’t mean that you won’t have stress anymore, but it does mean that you will recognize it sooner and act on changing its impact on your system.

Stay enchanted dear Warrior!