We talked last month about the difference between stressors and stress and the importance of processing stress on a regular basis. Removing the stressors does not mean the stress cycle is complete because we need to deal with the stress in our bodies. In a Brene Brown podcast episode of “Unlocking Us” she interviewed Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, authors of the book, “Burnout: the secret to unlocking the stress cycle. This article focuses on their answer to the question, Why do we get stuck in the stress cycle?
Emotions are an involuntary neurological response that seem automatic and instantaneous. Emotions are in our bodies and are cycles that happen in our bodies with a middle, beginning and an end. The authors describe emotions as tunnels. If you go all the way through them, you get to the light at the other end. Sometimes we get stuck because we can’t find our ways through the tunnel. If we don’t process through the emotion, we continue to carry layered stress in our bodies, which can eventually lead to chronic disease.
Why do we get stuck in the emotional tunnel?
1 Chronic stress-When the stress level we carry outpaces the rate at which we process through it.
2 Social inappropriateness. -When we cannot respond to a situation or person because it is not socially appropriate to do so.
3. Safety- If we don’t feel safe responding to the person or situation.
See my upcoming article for the 7 easiest ways to complete the stress cycle.
