It’s time to build your psychological immune system
It’s time to build your psychological immune system
It’s time to build your psychological immune system
You are walking through the woods. You hear leaves crunching behind you. Your heart begins to race, your breath quickens, and you feel beads of sweat form on your forehead. You turn around to see a small rabbit frozen, staring at you, then darting into the trees. You take a deep breath and start to calm down.
Being able to tell the difference between danger and safety is necessary for survival. In this situation, you were able to quickly realize the “threat” was not a threat at all.
Unfortunately, your brain cannot tell the difference between a real threat and a perceived threat. Our brain wasn’t designed for 24 hour news coverage, political divisiveness, and the onslaught of social media and constant connection.
Throw in a 2+ year global pandemic that has left our nerves frayed, and our brains and bodies tired. Yet, our list of to-dos isn’t getting shorter, and the demands on our time and energy aren’t lessening.
In order to regulate stress, battle burnout, and improve well-being, you have to intentionally build your psychological immune system.
If it is not possible to reduce the “threat”, you have to increase your sense of safety. Every time your brain gets a signal of safety, it replenishes your psychological immune system.
We can create safety signals, cues that we learn to associate with a lack of threat. These signals can be physical (an article of clothing, smooth stone, pet, etc.), or they can be mental (imagining being in your favorite place, thinking of someone you love, remembering a calming smell).
What are your safety signals?
Identify a few of your safety signals. What helps you feel calm, comfortable, and at peace? It is important to create a collection of these proactively so that you can pull from these resources when you need them.
While it’s easy to rush through this list, I want to challenge you to take a few moments to really think about the ones that resonate with you. Write them down, take time to visualize, and internalize the feelings you get when you think about your safety signals. This helps your brain and nervous system associate them with being calm and relaxed.
For example:
- An object that brings you comfort
- Something you can nurture and care for
- A person in your life that makes you feel safe and loved
- A personal strength that has allowed you to overcome challenges and setbacks
- An accomplishment that brings you joy and pride
- A place that helps you feel calm and centered
- A memory that brings up positive emotions
- A personal sense of meaning and purpose
- A community that gives you a sense of belonging
A collection of safety signals helps you to take back control in a world that can feel very out of control. This week, pay attention to safety signals, take some of the pressure off, and allow your psychological immune system to reset.
Stay brave and resilient,
Anne
I had an incredible time chatting with @dr.cindyspeaks on Positively Altered about one of my favorite topics >> resilience!
💪 We covered everything from how stress affects the brain to actionable strategies for resetting your resilience and reclaiming balance. Plus… we even talked donkeys!
🎧 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-23-the-resilience-reset-transforming-stress/id1773804535?i=1000699134975
In this episode, we dive into:
🧠 How to train your brain for resilience
😩 The power of sitting in the “suck”
💡 Simple strategies to reset stress and find balance
If you’re ready to transform stress into strength, this one’s for you!
What is on your to-do list for the week? ✅
I’m sure it includes meetings, tasks, personal chores, and follow-ups, but does it include things that bring you joy?
Instead of waiting for happiness, create it.. You can even focus on enjoyable things while doing the have-to do things.
Slogging through paperwork? Light a candle and listen to your favorite tunes.
Going for a drive? Listen to a stand-up comic or a great book.
Don’t neglect what brings you joy and happiness—make it a ritual and part of your resilience-building routine.
You know that heart-stopping moment when you try to change lanes, only to realize that someone is in your blind spot?
Blind spots aren’t just for driving. In life and leadership, we all have blind spots—things others see clearly that we don’t.
The tricky part? Blind spots aren’t always glaring flaws. Often, they’re our good intentions getting lost in translation. So, how do you uncover them?
Here’s a simple twist that will make a big difference: Ask for advice instead of feedback. 🗣
This slight shift makes people more likely to offer constructive, actionable insights—without triggering defensiveness. Plus, it builds trust and strengthens relationships.
Rather than trying to make drastic changes, pick one behavior and integrate it into your day.
Want to start a gratitude practice? Do it while you brush your teeth. Want to take deep breaths? Practice while you make coffee. Adding a new habit to an existing one makes it easier to stick with it.
#mindfulmonday #habitstacking #atomichabits #jamesclear
Humor changes your biochemistry, emotions, thoughts, and behavior. 😆
A positive mood boosts your immune system! Whether you find your laughter through being around friends, going to a comedy show, watching funny movies, or just being goofy, don’t underestimate the power of a belly laugh and a sense of humor.
When something stressful happens, there are really 2 different things taking place.
There’s the thing that is happening, and then there is the story that you tell yourself about the thing that’s happening.
The story is where criticism, judgment, self-doubt, and shame come in.
Whatever you have going on in your life right now, take a step back and try to view it from a third-person perspective. See if you can separate the facts from the story you tell yourself about it.
If we can start to separate the situation from the story, the story becomes much less scary because we realize it is one we’re telling.
This makes it easier to accept where you are without judgment, self-doubt, and shame. What we practice grows stronger. 📕
Read Up on Resilience!
Anne’s Books Available on Amazon.com!
Anne Grady is a Speaker, Author, and #TruthBomb Dropper.
Anne shares practical strategies that can be applied both personally and professionally to improve relationships, navigate change, and triumph over adversity. And she’ll make you laugh while she does it. Anne is a two time TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. magazines, CNN, ESPN, and FOX Business. She is the best selling author of 3 books. Her newest, Mind Over Moment: Harness the Power of Resilience, is available on Amazon now.