We are all finding ourselves in uncertain and anxiety-provoking times. Coronavirus poses a threat not only to our health, but to our way of life too. You may have found that the things you did to keep yourself mentally and physically well are more difficult to do at the moment. It is normal at this time to not only feel emotional discomfort, but physical discomfort too. It can be useful to think about this in relation to how our mind and body has evolved to respond to threat, and how we can use our body to counteract these unpleasant feelings.

When we encounter a threat, a small part of our brain called the amygdala springs into action. This is the part of our brain that is responsible for the ‘fight/flight/freeze’ response which is often seen in the animal kingdom. A bear may attack a predator who is threatening her young (‘fight’), a gazelle will run from a hungry lion (‘flight’), and a mouse might stay very still until a preying cat has disappeared (‘freeze’).

We as humans may not find ourselves in the same kinds of danger as in the animal kingdom, but we still experience many threats throughout our lives, even if we are not at risk of immediate physical harm. Our bodies still prepare us by activating the ‘sympathetic nervous system’; adrenaline is released, our breathing quickens, and our heart rate increases as we pump blood to our limbs, ready to fight, flee or freeze. Even if we don’t physically fight in these times, we might find ourselves snapping at someone when feeling criticised. We might not physically run away, but we might avoid or leave situations that make us feel anxious. And we might find our minds going blank or freezing during a presentation that we feel nervous about. We will either remove the threat, remove ourselves from the threat, or protect ourselves until the threat has ended.

So what happens when we can’t do any of those things? We can’t throw our fists up to coronavirus. We can’t run away from it or necessarily hide from it until it goes away. We can shut the news off, or we can try and push it out of our minds, but the threat can still feel like it is looming over us. We may still feel all the physical feelings and anxiety as our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is still being activated, and this can feel relentless and exhausting.

There is another part of our nervous system called the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). This is responsible for the exact opposite physical reactions to the SNS, including slower breathing, a lower heart rate, and is associated with a soothing and restored state. Importantly, the PNS and the SNS are opposite systems, and therefore cannot work at the same time. We can activate our PNS ourselves to foster a sense of safety and calm that counteracts the threat we are facing at the moment. There are a number of ways to do this, but you can start off with one really simple exercise from ‘Compassion-Focused Therapy’ called ‘Soothing Rhythm Breathing.

Soothing Rhythm Breathing activates the PNS by helping us to find our own natural calming pace of breath. During the exercise, you may find your mind wandering at times. This is perfectly natural; try not to blame yourself for this, but gently bring yourself back to the following instructions:

Start off by sitting or lying down comfortably and closing your eyes.
Spend a few moments just focusing on the sensation of your breath coming in and out of your nose, and feel your diaphragm expanding and contracting.
Experiment with the pace of your breath by speed up your breathing a little, and then slowing it down. Notice the effect this has on your body and the way you feel.
Experiment until you have found the rhythm of breathing that is right for you. It is usually a count of about 3 seconds breathing in, holding for a couple of seconds, then breathing out for a few seconds. Stay with this breathing for a few minutes, focusing on the slowing down of your body.

Practice the above steps at least once a day. The more you practice this technique, the more you will feel able to use it at times you are feeling anxious.

If you are interested in learning more about the techniques of Compassion-Focused Therapy, visit https://www.compassionatemind.co.uk/

By Dr Harriet Rankin, Clinical Psychologist