Mind-Body-Spirit Articles

Terrorism has struck home and each one of us, every American, has been affected by the stress of it:
We who lost loved ones, friends, and colleagues.
We who escaped and survived.
We who lost homes and neighborhoods.
We who lost jobs and livelihoods.
We who live and work in New York City and Washington, DC.
We who are threatened and infected by anthrax.
We who are Postal Service workers.
We who receive and handle mail.
We who are emergency and rescue workers, law enforcement workers, health care workers, and mental health workers.
We who travel on airplanes.
We who work in the airline industry.
We who work in government and the military.
We who are fighting the war.
We who witnessed the events of September 11th in the media.
We who read the paper, listen to the radio and watch television reports about terrorism and the war.
We who report the news.
We who have to answer our children's questions and calm their fears.
We who fear for our own safety and the safety of our loved ones.
We who lost our belief that life is predictable and controllable.
We who lost our belief that America is immune to terrorism.
We who are questioning the meaning of bad things happening to good people and the very meaning of life itself.

What You May Be Experiencing
Terrorism has infected this nation with a communicable disease that is spreading faster than any contagious virus we have ever known in this country. No, it isn't Anthrax. It is the festering stress and anxiety that oozes from the open wound inflicted on us by unpredictable violent acts. It affects us mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. The more directly we are affected by the violence of terrorism, and the longer the threat continues, the more intense our reactions may be.

Mentally and emotionally you may experience:
Grief and a deep sense of loss
Negative thoughts
Anxious feelings
Depressed feelings
Helplessness
Hopelessness
Shock
Denial
Feeling out of control
Feeling vulnerable
Feeling overly fearful of everything
Feeling isolated and alone
Feeling guilty for surviving or not doing enough
Irritability
Jumpiness
Confusion
Difficulty thinking and focusing
Emotional numbness
Trouble sleeping
Nightmares
Flashbacks and recurring thoughts of disturbing images
Suicidal thoughts
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (intense combination of a number of the above experiences)

Physically, you may experience:
Rapid heart beat
Chest pains
Panic attacks
Headaches
Nausea
Gastrointestinal distress
Sweating
Loss of appetite or overeating
Worsening of pre-existing conditions

Behaviorally, you may find yourself:
Avoiding leaving your home
Avoiding public places
Avoiding other people
Hiding your feelings
Numbing your feelings with: Overactivity and Busy-ness; Alcohol; Nicotine; Caffeine; Illegal drugs; Legal drugs (sleeping pills, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant pills)
Being more aggressive or even violent
Purposely harming yourself

Spiritually, you may find yourself:
Angry at God
Questioning God's love and mercy
In anguish about the meaning and purpose of your life
Wanting revenge against those who have hurt you
Feeling fearful of or hatred for people of certain ethnic and religious backgrounds

(Chapter 7 offers a more complete list of mental, emotional, behavioral and physical stress symptoms.)

Coping With the Stress of Terrorism
Now that terrorism has struck home, our government officials and the media are telling us that "everything has changed" and "nothing will ever be the same." We are warned to "be on high alert for guaranteed future terrorist acts" and that our bridges, power plants and public arenas are potential targets. We are anxious about Anthrax, Smallpox, air travel, our food and water supplies, the mail, and terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons. Amidst all these warnings and fears, we are advised to go about our daily lives, return to normalcy, spend money, travel, and stay calm. However ironic these mixed messages might be, they may be reasonable under the circumstances. The problem is that, beyond quick tips and cryptic checklists, no one is really telling us how to accomplish all this in a meaningful way. I, too, have a checklist but more importantly, The New Stress Management Handbook backs up my advice with a comprehensive program for managing and overcoming the stress and stress-related symptoms that terrorism triggers in us.

Recognizing the negative effects of stress
Before you read my checklist, keep in mind that the stress of terrorism affects us on every level - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. This is why the best stress management approaches deal with the mind, the body and the spirit. Just as important, stress lowers our immune system functions making us more vulnerable to illness and disease. As we deal particularly with the threat of bioterrorism, one of our best defenses is to be as healthy as we can be. Evidence shows that people who practice mind-body-spirit approaches significantly reduce the number and severity of their stress-related symptoms; experience a healthier sense of control, a better outlook on life and reduced reliance on their medications. One strategy in particular - meditation - has been shown to reverse the negative effects of stress by boosting immune system function, lowering blood pressure and heart rate and bringing the major systems in the body to balance.

Surviving the Stress of Terrorism Checklist:

1. Ask questions and get the facts.
2. Use reasonable precautions to make yourself physically safe.
3. Understand that the mind, the body, and the spirit are intimately interrelated and that stress compromises your immune system’s ability to fight off illness.
4. Advocate for yourself but do not get comfortable in the role of victim. Do not let your anxiety, shock or outrage be an excuse for not to taking care of yourself.
5. Recognize that stress, loss and even trauma are part of being human and that no one is exempt from these life experiences. When you take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually you have all the resources you need to recover and heal.
6. Let go of what you cannot control.
7. Take action on what you can control and remember that there is still a great deal that you can control:
1. Cultivate your six aspects of balance:

1. Practice healing breath work and meditation daily
2. Eat healthy foods
3. Get exercise
4. Engage in the three-letter "F" word – FUN. Do things you find enjoyable, relaxing and restful.
5. Find meaning and purpose in your life – in your personal goals, dreams and passions, in your relationships, work, community, church.
6. Nurture your spirituality – your connection with yourself, others, nature and the Divine.

1. Accept and express your feelings. It’s normal to experience a wide variety of different emotions under these circumstances including anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, frustration, shock, and helplessness. Journaling and talking to others helps process and release our feelings.
2. Resist the urge to numb your feelings with too much activity, too little activity, unhealthy activities, or chemical substances including food.
3. Allow your grieving process to unfold.
4. Think positively. Be aware that ninety-nine percent (99%) of your negative thinking is distorted in some way. This means that whenever you are telling yourself something negative, there is a 99% chance that you are creating your own stress by not thinking realistically or objectively.
5. Stay connected. You are not alone. Many other people share your feelings and understand what you are going through. Find these people in your community, your church, your family and friends, support groups, on the Internet, and at your job.
6. Avoid exposing yourself to too much news.
7. Find satisfaction in helping others. Volunteer, donate blood and/or money and other resources.
8. Ask for help when you need it. If your symptoms are creating problems for you, interfering with your daily life, your relationships, or your job performance, you should consider consulting a mental health professional who is specifically trained in treating the affects of trauma.
9. Know that your human spirit is incredibly resilient. Find comfort in remembering that you have faced adversity before and overcome it.
10. Recognize that, however flawed our country may be, we are still a strong and powerful nation and we will be stronger as a result of meeting the challenge of terrorism.
11. While it is probably wise to avoid making most major life decisions when you are experiencing stress, there is one very wise major life decision you can make:

Looking for Meaning, Miracles and Opportunities
Does it shock you to think that something good can come from something as bad as terrorism? The truth is, we cannot control everything that happens to us but we can control how we react to what happens and what we do to keep ourselves as safe, and as healthy and happy, as possible while we endure this crisis. One of the most important reactions we can control in the midst of our challenge with terrorism is whether we choose to be part of the dream of life or part of the nightmare. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, the bioterrorism that followed, and other on-going terrorist threats have plunged some of us deeper into the nightmare of anxiety, fear and hopelessness. Others, although sorely tested beyond reason, continue to live in the dream of what the human spirit is capable of.

Finding Meaning
When asked how she was able to cope with losing her husband, 32-year-old Lisa Beamer, mother of two, pregnant with her third child, and wife of United Flight 93 hero, Todd Beamer, replied,
"I have so many things I will tell my children about Todd: his character, his faith, his love for his family and friends, his integrity. I have a perspective on the whole thing that will continue to be with me. Life is bigger than what we see right here and Todd knew that, and that's what enabled him to act rationally and calmly. Todd knew that whatever was going to happen, he was going to end up in heaven. I know the same holds true for me, and I'm going to see him again."

Todd's last actions epitomized the meaning of life and the power of the human spirit by so very poignantly reminding us that living life is all about love. He said the Lord's Prayer, he sent a message to his wife and children telling them he loved them, and finally, loving life as he did, he sacrificed his own life so others could live. In the face of unimaginable stress, Todd and Lisa Beamer exemplify the kind of love, optimism, courage, inner safety, meaning and faith that honoring our mind-body-spirit connection can bring.

Acknowledging the Power of the Human Spirit
Here is some of what we know about the mind-body-spirit connection:

Attitudes of hope, optimism, self-confidence, and control, as well as healthy expression of emotions, significantly affect our ability to heal.

Some people are more "stress-resilient" than others and as a result, they stay healthier. Stress hardy people share three characteristics. They have a sense of commitment - they are dedicated to something that gives them meaning and purpose in their lives. These people also exhibit a sense of challenge - they view what happens to them in their lives not as threats but as opportunities for learning and growth. And they have a sense of control - they believe in their ability to exert some influence over what happens in their lives.

Belief in God lowers death rate, increases health, reduces anxiety, depression, and anger, reduces blood pressure and improves quality of life for cancer and heart disease patients.

Individuals with a spiritual commitment show lower levels of cigarette, alcohol and drug abuse, are in better health, have a strong sense of meaning and purpose and are happier and healthier than those who do not have a spiritual commitment.

We human beings are incredibly resilient. In spite of the crisis we are experiencing now, can we really even imagine the horrors of being an inmate in a World War Two concentration camp. How anyone survived mentally, emotionally and spiritually to say nothing of physically is an extraordinary testament to the strength of our human spirit. Researchers have confirmed this by discovering the one critical factor that most often made the difference between who lived and who died. Those who lived were some how able to find some personal meaning in what they were experiencing and used that meaning to sustain their will to survive.

For those of you who have lost loves ones and experienced other significant losses as a result of terrorism, I can tell you honestly and without reservation that there is life after trauma. As a survivor of childhood trauma and in working with other trauma survivors, I know that it is not only possible to recover and heal but to thrive in this life.

No one can ever replace your loved one or give you back what you lost, but you can be happy again - and it is your choice - your human right - to do so. But it takes patience and persistence. In time and with a good support system, you can recover, heal and even find happiness again. Even your loved one would want you to be happy again and live your best life.

Seeing Miracles
God did not create terrorism or the cowardly acts behind the atrocities of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the spread of Anthrax - people did. Now, more than ever, we need to be aware of our higher selves, that part of us that is connected to the Divine. Anxiety and fear come from focusing on what we don't want to happen in our lives. A sense of meaning and inner peace can come from focusing on the vision of what we do want to create for ourselves and our world.

Take time to cut through the bombardment of negative news and give, at least, equal attention to the miracles and potential miracles that have occurred and can occur out of these tragedies. Allow yourself to be inspired and uplifted by remembering:

The miracle of heroism - fireman, policeman, rescue workers, plane passengers and ordinary citizens risked their lives to save others. The miracle of survival - 24,000 people worked in and visited the World Trade Center, at least 19,000 lived. Thousands more lived and worked near by.

The miracle of how the New York buildings fell - rather than toppling over and creating a domino effect, the buildings fell largely in their own footprints allowing thousands of others who lived, worked and went to school there to survive.

The miracle of the Pentagon renovations - recent renovations prevented tens of hundreds of people from occupying the destroyed office space.

The miracle of circumstances - perhaps thousands more people survived because they changed their plans, overslept, took their children to school, had doctor's appointments, got fired from their jobs or turned down job offers that would have put them in harm's way.

Another miracle of circumstance - the terrorists did not fly their planes into the Capitol Building or the White House.

The miracle of service - hundreds of volunteers from all over the country put their own lives on hold and raced to Ground Zero in order to help.

The miracle of giving - millions of people donated over a billion dollars to help their fellow Americans. Thousands more waited for hours to donate blood.

The miracle of connection - we reached out and shared our grief with family, friends and even strangers to recognize a deeper connection with our fellow citizens. We experienced the depth of our compassion for those who lost their own lives and those who lost loved ones. We gathered across the country to worship together in the spirit of religious freedom and tolerance. We rekindled relationships with people we had lost touch with. We put aside political differences to mourn together.

The miracle of treatable, unstable viruses and bacteria - although thousands of people may have been exposed to Anthrax as of this writing, the vast majority did not get sick and those that did will be successfully treated.

And there are certainly many more miracles than the ones I just mentioned. What have been the miracles in your life been since September 11th?
Now allow yourself to vision the potential miracles that are possible:

The miracle of cooperation - an international coalition of nations cooperating to end terrorism and promote world peace. Out of this miracle, so many others are possible:

The miracle of religious, racial and cultural tolerance. The miracle of an end to world poverty, hunger and homelessness. The miracle of an end to infectious diseases. The miracle of an end to illiteracy.

The miracle of inner peace. World peace begins with finding peace within ourselves. Inner peace arises naturally when we make a commitment to being more loving, more compassionate, more grateful, more respectful, and more humble. The more we practice these qualities with ourselves and with others, the greater the chance we can inspire our governments to do the same.

Our Wake-up Call
After September 11th, when the country was at a standstill and we watched the stories of the victims, their families and the heroes, so many of us vowed to live a better life, make our loved ones the first priority in our lives, be more compassionate with others, let go of petty problems and concerns, be more grateful, pray more, and search for answers to the meaning of our lives.

Making the Most of Our Opportunities
While we endure continuing acts of terrorism, it is all too easy to be distracted and paralyzed by our fear. We need to remember the personal meaning that these tragedies have for us. At the very least, we need to wake-up to the opportunity that every moment is even more precious to us now. This means that every moment we spend unnecessarily considering "what if" is a lost moment. With every breath we take, we can consciously choose how we will spend our moments. We can choose to focus on our "what if" anxieties or we can choose to focus on taking care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

We cannot go back in time but we can embrace the present as our opportunity to learn healthy coping skills, make ourselves stress resilient and commit ourselves to living our best life.

Learning to honor our mind-body-spirit connection can be the mechanism we use to keep our promises to ourselves alive and to ensure that, despite terrorism - or even because of it - we become thriving survivors who are part of the dream instead of hopeless victims of the nightmare. This is what The Stress Management Handbook is all about, giving you the tools to reclaim your life and live a happy, healthy, more meaningful life in the process.

Terrorism and terrorists attempt to threaten the very core of our nation's values - to live in a free, open, loving, trusting society. On a personal level, terrorists attempt to threaten us at the very core of our humanness - our capacity for love and compassion. Their ultimate success or failure is not in their hands but in ours. Our nation and our world need our spiritual resolve now more than ever. After the shock, outrage, retribution and recovery have subsided, there is still much for all of us to do. My hope is that we will continue to energize the connection, shared purpose and resilient human spirit that this tragedy has awakened in us and that we will stand up and allow our intentions to be heard - that love and peace are still our deepest desires.

So how do we maintain our sense of balance and inner peace in the face of fear, grief, injustice and uncertainty? We need to rely on our faith and inner strength now more than ever. We need to recognize the Divine gifts and miracles that highlight the capacity of our human spirit to care, to love, to heal and to grow. The only real freedom from our stress and anxiety is to accept the challenges we face, to begin to see the meaning and opportunity they bring us, and live a life that is crafted by the priorities we woke up to on September 11th.

We can show our true colors - our genuine American spirit and strength - by building a better America. In the meantime, building a better America can start right in your own home with your commitment to building a better, more meaningful life for yourself.
This is the "something good" that can come from something as bad as terrorism.

How This Book Can Help The Stress Management Handbook contains information and over 50 practical strategies that can help you achieve the advice I have just offered. No other program offers a complete picture of just how stress and the mind-body-spirit connection works along with a comprehensive set of strategies to manage stress and even become resistant to the negative effects of stress.

In ten years of surveying my own clients' progress more than ninety percent (90%) reported improvements in their emotional and physical health and the same number felt empowered to manage their stress and live happier, healthier, more meaningful lives.

Consider reading this book in whatever way makes sense to you. You have at least three options. You can:

1. Read the book chapter by chapter for a better understanding of the mind-body-spirit-stress connection.
2. Turn directly to Chapter 10, review the list of strategies and start learning the ones that most directly relate to your issues and concerns.
3. For specifically dealing with the stress of terrorism, try learning the strategies in the following order:

The Daily Renewal Program - takes only a few minutes throughout the day and helps give you a sense of healthy control, helps you stay calmer and think more clearly and generally keeps you more focused and in balance. You will start to feel better almost immediately.
The Distorted Thinking Strategies - helps you get to the heart of much of your stress because 99% of your negative thinking is distorted in some way.

Identifying Negative Self-Talk
Recognizing Distorted Thinking
Eliminating Negative Self-Talk and Distorted Thinking

Coping With Worry - helps get you out of your worry and anxiety cycle.
Working With Your Emotions - helps you process your emotions and use them as tools for taking care of yourself.
Building Stress Hardiness - helps you develop the qualities of control, commitment and challenge, which keep us stress resilient.
Seeing Options - helps you gain perspective and make empowering choices.
Life Planning - 1) helps you prioritize and find meaning in what is important to you; 2) gives you an action plan for crafting your life based on your priorities.
The Spiritual Strategies - helps you begin the process of finding inner safety in your connection with yourself and the Divine.

Grief
Self-Compassion
Self-Love
Gratitude
Wonder
Listening to Your Inner Voice

Whatever you do, let these challenging times have meaning for you. Find the passion within your own human spirit. Listen to the wake-up call of September 11 and let it ring through to the part of you that wants to live a better life. Then turn the page and start crafting that life for yourself.

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