NEW CASTLE —
Stop the poison!
If you have a tendency to get angry, go ballistic, rant and rave, there is a good probability that you have adrenaline and cortisol overload. This is a toxic cocktail that downloads when you react, wreaking havoc on all of your systems.
Each time you react you are poisoning yourself. This becomes damaging to your systems if this pattern is chronic.
Last week, I had to test my own choice-making skills. I had the pleasure of being a guest again on Jameson’s Tuesday morning radio show, “Health Talk.” That sometimes-steak-eating Ken Hlebovy is a real gem.
To make the 8:35 a.m. showtime, I merged into the early morning commute and was instantly thrown off my timing. Within a short travel distance I realized the traffic was going to make me late. Since I was heading to be on a live show, I had to make a choice. How am I going to react to this slow-moving, repeated school-bus-stopping congestion? The panic was setting in.
I found myself having to get clear. Was I going to start shouting and shaking my fist at the little school children, “get on the bus faster little kids!” I was aware that this choice would poison my systems with stress hormones, not to mention, disturbing my peace and calm.
It is possible to make a decision to act otherwise. I could have popped in my “When Hell Freezes Over” CD by the Eagles. Instead, I decided to call the Jameson marketing assistant Mary Ann Marino. I needed her to laugh with me about this predicament.
With her slapstick humor, she began recounting a tale about waiting at the bus stop when she was a kid. We both remembered a time when kids congregated at one location to catch the bus, so there were fewer stops. We laughed and decided that kids were probably thinner back then because we got more exercise. (I must note, I realize and support that kids who live on the busy highway deserve to be picked up in front of their house for safety reasons.)
I made it to the show much calmer because Mary Ann gave me the right connections — laughter, plus the phone number to call ahead to say I would be cutting it close.
I made it 10 seconds before air time!
Diverting my attention and getting some support allowed me to be “proactive” instead of “reactive” to my situation. I kept my blood pressure and heart rate down. I produced feel-good hormones, i.e., endorphins, instead of toxic ones. Thanks Mary Ann, and everyone else involved.
Knowing how and when to support yourself is very important action that only you can create. If you have regular life situations that can send you skyrocketing, it is time to also know that you can choose differently and stop the poison.
Certain ranting and raving episodes are unavoidable. In the course of being human, sometimes you just can’t control what is happening. That can send you over the edge, especially if it is something that you are sensitive about, or have a very low tolerance for.
But the name of the game for positively affecting your health is building tolerance and knowing your safety nets.
That morning helped me appreciate my work schedule. You see, I tend to work late mornings, into evenings. This schedule keeps me clear of regular traffic patterns that many with a more-traditional work routine are challenged to contend with.
You can access Jameson’s Health Talk archives at www.Jamesonhealth.org.
Healthy Living: Lori Brothers
Related Photos
-
About Lori Brothers: Lori is the director of The Dean Ornish Program For Reversing Heart Disease at Jameson Hospital. She writes a weekly column for The News.
Discussion
Lori Brothers: Keeping your cool promotes good health
- Healthy Living: Lori Brothers
-
-
Lori Brothers: Tips to keep your breath from stinking
I remember, when I was about 12 years old, my grandmother talked about how mint was excellent to chew on because it prevented halitosis. She actually used this word, which expanded my vocabulary, but also horrified me.
-
Lori Brothers: Numbers up? Then chow down on some phytochemicals
There are a lot of numbers you are supposed to know in order to be clear about where you are in your health, and to make your health goals. Do you know your numbers for your blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and body mass index?
-
Lori Brothers: Try to find the extra ‘umph’
Have you ever heard the saying, “The only difference between try and triumph is a little “umph”? Where does “umph” come from?
-
Lori Brothers: Body awareness can help manage stress
Are you an “inny” or an “outy”? I’m not referring to your belly button, even though the concept also applies there. I am talking about how you manage your stress. Do you internalize or externalize?
-
Lori Brothers: Be ready to stay healthy during storms
At any time during the spring and summer, we may get a signal from our local officials that there is inclement weather that can turn threatening. It is always important to pay attention during alerts to assure that your family, including your pets, are safe in the event of an emergency such as tornado, flood or power outage.
-
Lori Brothers: Walking tall is good for the body
Do you have neck soreness, back pain, or other posture problems? Maybe it’s time to take a new stance about your health and well-being. May is National Correct Posture Month.
-
Lori Brothers: Time to stop dawdling and establish some goals!
“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement.” That’s Brian Tracy writes in his book “Eat That Frog! 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.”
-
Lori Brothers: Change your definition of a salad
Lately, I have been changing my perception of salad, what it “can be” versus what a salad “should be.” At first you may judge that I am thinking too deeply about something as simple as a salad.
-
Lori Brothers: Some natural remedies for allergy sufferers
Get your tissues, handkerchiefs, nasal sprays and antihistamines ready. Statistics show that 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have either allergy or asthma symptoms. The common irritants include plant and tree pollens (including ragweed pollen), grasses, molds, cat dander and food.
-
Lori Brothers: Start each day with sense of adventure
Health issues or other difficult life circumstances are more manageable when you can start each day fresh with hope. German philosopher Meister Eckhart said, “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”
- More Healthy Living: Lori Brothers Headlines
-
